The Techno Wizard Trope In SciFi, Explained
Magic is a useful tool for writers that can handle any abstract nonsense you can think of. Unfortunately, sci-fi creators don't often play with mystical art. Luckily, they have advanced technology and with the technology they have, anything is possible again.
Technological progress is a key element of science fiction. Many stories are built entirely around the arrival of a stunning new scientific miracle, while others have many fantastic discoveries as background detail. Many science fiction stories require at least one character who understands the technology of the future and how to use it to solve almost any problem.
Techno Wizard is a character who can do anything with technology. They are highly intelligent, well-informed beyond logic and, above all, imaginative. They're usually not very good at messing with electronics, but their many uses of futuristic technology keep them from being a one-horse. When a sci-fi writer needs someone to explain their concept, Techno Wizard comes with a set of important concepts that can hold up in the real world. The other characters usually take care of the action and social interactions, and the Techno Wizard makes the impossible possible. The names are somewhat literal, as they often play the same role as real wizards in fantasy stories.
The Techno Wizard is a character archetype that easily fits into a team of heroes. They usually serve as "smart" crew members and share some distinctive personality traits. They are usually very obsessed with their special interests and often get emotional when their favorite topic is brought up. They are friendly but shy. In extreme cases, they empathize more with the machines they work on than with the people they work with. They tend to have soft bodies, or at least not torn like other actors. When they do techno talk, most of the audience doesn't listen. This is the usual home of a gentle sci-fi techno wizard. Hard science fiction generally prefers to broaden the knowledge of its actors and be more realistic about them. Techno wizards appear in all kinds of stories, but tend to be fan favorites.
Children's TV likes to use the tech whiz trope. The best example, of course, is Donatello, the brainchild of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Easily customize each metric. In many ways, he builds the mold and sets the stage for other characters. Kim Possibilities features Wade, the tech genius who creates all of his cool gadgets. Danny Phantom has Tucker, a geek from the early 2000s who can move mountains with his PDA. Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers features Gadget Hackwrench, a beloved inventor who assembles nanomachines from various trash, among other absurdities. The techno wizard who starred in the famous cartoon. Dexter's Laboratory, Jimmy Neutron, Phineas and Ferb , and other classic series starring the eponymous genius who solves all problems through invention.
Perhaps the most important techno wizard is Doctor Who 's Doctor. The Doctor performs the wizard archetype more effectively than most characters casting spells from a cape. The character owes Gandalf more than any sci-fi classic. The Doctor doesn't have many of what would be considered superpowers, he mostly grew out of knowledge gained over thousands of years. This infinite wealth of information allows the Doctor to fantastically manipulate all manner of time and space technology. While the Doctor certainly has great technology, he has also shown that he can do almost anything. On several occasions, the Doctor has taken the modern smartphone and turned it into a technology that is more advanced than anything we have ever seen on Earth. Although the font differs from the standard in many ways, it does encode the essential elements of the trope. The Doctor is an indispensable tech guru and continues to set the standard for those who follow in his footsteps.
Technology plays many important roles in sci-fi narratives, and is not limited to this genre. Police procedures such as CSI: NY and Leverage employ modern technological wizards. Hackers who talk nonsense about firewalls and mainframes get much more sophisticated as the technology around them evolves. When a writer needs to make the impossible possible in a world devoid of even the slightest bit of the supernatural, Techno Wizards has you covered. When they need someone to explain how the world works and what's going on, the Techno Wizard is the perfect spokesperson. While their existence may be purely functional, many tech wizards have become popular figures.