History FantasyGunControl / Literature

* Played surprisingly straight in ''Literature/TheBrokenEarth.'' The society of the Stillness is post-apocalyptic many times over, and is explicitly stated to have technologies including asphalt, electric lighting, and antibiotics. The third book reveals the sci-fi tech levels of [[{{Precursors}} the lost civilization of Syl Anagist]]. Despite this, shipboard cannons are described as a relatively new invention.

* ''Literature/MotherOfLearning'': Subverted in multiple ways. First off, the recent Splinter Wars were in part caused by the proliferation of cheap firearms allowing untrained troops to at least be a problem for trained magic-users. This is part of the reason that magic-users are disdainful of firearms, considering them a brutish peasant weapon. But since on an ''individual'' level guns are really that dangerous compared to magic, there aren't many laws regarding them. When Zorian needs to defend himself in a hurry, he tries to buy a magical weapon or combat spell, but doesn't have the proper licenses. The owner of the combat shop just casually sells him a gun as an alternative, no license or registration required.

* Played with in ''The Jackal of Nar'' by John Marco. The Lor-el Lor people have a druid-like religion which goes a long way in limiting their technological advancement to the equivalent of Dark Ages Europe but their magic is even more limited. Only the high priest has magic powers and he had them since birth so he can't spread it around, so they are at a huge disadvantage. Meanwhile the empire facing them is at ClockPunk mixed with SteamPunk level of technology. They have kerosene-powered flame cannons that invert VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck and have so much range and firepower that [[SiegeEngines they can take out]] stone castles and have recently invented high-explosive rockets (think World War 2 Germany's V2 rocket). But somehow all their infantry are stuck at using swords, polearms and partial plate armor. Similarly another kingdom who's people are related to those of Lor-el Lor have galleys armed with cannons and are at stage similar to the Golden Age of Piracy but they still don't have guns for the individual warrior.

* Played with in ''The Jackal of Nar'' by John Marco. The Lor-el Lor people have a druid-like religion which goes a long way in limiting their technological advancement to the equivalent of Dark Ages Europe but their magic is even more limited. Only the high priest has magic powers and he had them since birth so he can't spread it around, so they are at a huge disadvantage. Meanwhile the empire facing them is at ClockPunk mixed with SteamPunk level of technology. They have kerosene-powered flame cannons that invert VideoGameFlamethrowersSuck and have so much range and firepower that [[SiegeWeapon they can take out]] stone castles and have recently invented high-explosive rockets (think World War 2 Germany's V2 rocket). But somehow all their infantry are stuck at using swords, polearms and partial plate armor. Similarly another kingdom who's people are related to those of Lor-el Lor have galleys armed with cannons and are at stage similar to the Golden Age of Piracy but they still don't have guns for the individual warrior.

* Played with in ''The Jackal of Nar'' by John Marco. The Lor-el Lor people have a druid-like religion which goes a long way in limiting their technological advancement to the equivalent of Dark Ages Europe but their magic is even more limited. Only the high priest has magic powers and he had them since birth so he can't spread it around, so they are at a huge disadvantage. Meanwhile the empire facing them is at ClockPunk mixed with SteamPunk level of technology. They have kerosene-powered flame cannons that invert VideoGameFlamethrowersJustSuck and have so much range and firepower that [[SiegeWeapon they can take out]] stone castles and have recently invented high-explosive rockets (think World War 2 Germany's V2 rocket). But somehow all their infantry are stuck at using swords, polearms and partial plate armor. Similarly another kingdom who's people are related to those of Lor-el Lor have galleys armed with cannons and are at stage similar to the Golden Age of Piracy but they still don't have guns for the individual warrior.

* Averted in T.C Rypel's ''Gonji'' novels, the books are set in Europe near the Renaissance period so guns of all sizes are fairly commonplace. So much so that the samurai Gonji who DoesNotLikeGuns and initially stuck with his bow, eventually owning a brace of pistols. In this series, guns pack a punch but most supernatural creatures can shrug off gunshot wounds or are even ImmuneToBullets.

* ''Literature/JohannesCabalAndTheFearInstitute'': Upon entering the mutable reality of the {{Dreamland}}s, Johannes is annoyed to find his HandCannon transformed into a sword. He bitterly speculates that the collective unconscious of the place will catch up to archaic flintlocks by the time the waking world has invented {{Death Ray}}s.

* In ''Literature/ThreeWorldsCycle'' two of the AmbiguouslyHuman races are extremely advanced in certain technologies. Additionally two parts of the series are sent centuries after the first book and humanity developed an industry out of making combat {{MiniMecha}} that's based on {{Magitek}}. However these "clankers" use catapults and ballistic, this is especially eye-opening since gunpowder-based explosives was commonplace even before the TimeSkip. These explosives were uses for mining.

* ''Literature/TheTraitorSonCycle'' is generally a medieval fantasy setting, complete with knights and dragons, but one of the latter has clearly gotten tired of that and is slowly introducing gunpowder and guns into Alba. It's also implied that such weapons are already known elsewhere.