History Main / SchizoTech

** [[WesternAnimation/HowToTrainYourDragon The first movie]] has [[https://howtotrainyourdragon.fandom.com/wiki/The_Mangler the Mangler]] - essentially a humongous shnapper[[labelnote:note]]An arbalet with a barrel to shoot bullets instead of arrows[[/labelnote]] that shoots bolas.

** Kakyoin carries around a [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]] and [[UsefulNotes/NintendoDS DS]] during the 1980s. They both break.

* In ''WebVideo/AtopTheFourthWall'', Linkara lives in a typical 21st century home. He also has a RobotBuddy, working tricorders, sonic screwdrivers, cybermats, and power morphers. He also has a spaceship so advanced that sometimes the government asks HIM to check things out. Most of the devices are actually replicas he's made work via magic, while the ship was taken from an interdimensional villain. His other tech is provided by a MadScientist version of himself from a AlternateUniverse.

* ''Script/C0DA'', written by former ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls'' series writer/designer Creator/MichaelKirkbride, takes place in the far distant future of ''TES'' universe. To note some instances of the trope:
** Refugees from a HighFantasy world have traveled to and settled on a moon. A MechanicalAbomination HumongousMecha terrorizes them. They also have MechaMook "servitors" and there are significant SteamPunk[=/=]ClockPunk technologies. Despite this, armor made from bone and insect chitin is still in use, as are melee weapons like spears and swords.
** Pulse Plaza, a "Neo-Victorian" version of Times Square being invaded by The Intellective. [[MindScrew It's best just to let the text describe it]]:
--> ''"More than half of the people have TELEVISION SETS for heads, and these are chasing the others. The TELEVISION SET HEADS are only unified in their strange, replaced heads; otherwise, they are people from all walks of life: businessmer, construction workers, tourists of all stripes and races, vagrants. The speaking TELEVISION SET HEADS are spaced around the panel, each one chasing an uninfected CITIZEN. Their SPEECH BALLOONS are static-laden and jagged at the edges."''

Compare AdventureFriendlyWorld, AnachronismStew, CultureChopSuey, SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology, WeaponKitchenSink, and FantasyKitchenSink. TechnologyLevels is what this trope averts. As well as MedievalEuropeanFantasy, of course. If the old stuff proves as effective as the new stuff, you've also got an ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge. It may also be the byproduct of a RetroUniverse. Contrast DaysOfFuturePast. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] tech used by schizophrenics.

Compare AdventureFriendlyWorld, AnachronismStew, CultureChopSuey, SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology, and FantasyKitchenSink. TechnologyLevels is what this trope averts. As well as MedievalEuropeanFantasy, of course. If the old stuff proves as effective as the new stuff, you've also got an ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge. It may also be the byproduct of a RetroUniverse. Contrast DaysOfFuturePast. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] tech used by schizophrenics.

[[folder:Magazine]]
* ''{{Magazine/Analog}}'': One very representative example is a short story in an issue of ''Analog'', in which the most advanced two species in the universe can use black holes as a source of energy and have more {{Wave Motion Gun}}s than you can imagine, but are surprised and, for one of the two species (both flew around in gigantic spaceships), destroyed by a lucky shot from a device consisting of a long tube, a titanium coated projectile, and an explosive, i.e., a gun. Apparently, [[HumansAreBastards only humans are brutish enough]] to come up with the idea.

[[folder:Podcast]]
Podcast/TheAdventureZoneBalance: Magic can explain its use to some extent, but the setting is ''somewhat'' medieval but includes elevators, steam trains, spacecraft, powerful computers, and [[ArsonMurderAndJaywalking styrofoam]]. And despite all that, apparently a safe method of curdling milk to make cheese hasn't been discovered at the beginning of the game.

* ''WebVideo/VaguelyRecallingJoJo''
** Jonathan uses a laser blaster (Metal Silver Overdrive) during the 19th century

** Kakyoin carries around a PSP and DS during the 1980s. They both break.

* In ''Franchise/WonderWoman'', Paradise Island is an interesting case. In [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1942 Pre-]]ComicBook/{{Crisis|OnInfiniteEarths}}, despite a [[SufficientlyAdvancedBambooTechnology love of ancient Greek aesthetics]], the Amazons had both magic ''and'' advanced technology -- for instance, they built the [[CoolPlane Invisible Jet]]. Since they had a magic scrying device that let them observe developments on the outside world at will, and they were a scholarly culture with nothing but time on their hands to invent things, [[JustifiedTrope this actually makes perfect sense.]] However, [[ComicBook/WonderWoman1987 Post-Crisis]], this was [[ViewersAreMorons deemed confusing,]] and the Amazons were cast solidly back into the Bronze Age.

** Even before the ''ComicBook/CivilWar'', [[ComicBook/IronMan Tony Stark]] tried letting the U.S. government use some low-powered suits of PoweredArmor a few times. Inevitably, the armor ended up getting used for purposes that were evil or stupid and Tony ended up regretting the decision. That said, the U.S. government has Mandroids, [[note]](one of the above-mentioned evil-and-stupid uses of Stark Tech; have we ever seen the Mandroids used for anything ''good?'')[[/note]] Sentinels, portable energy weapons and all kinds of other ridiculous tech -- none of which they even bother to keep secret! Bizarrely, the general public never seems to question any of this, not even when 50 foot tall killer robots are standing guard at the White House!

[[quoteright:350:[[Wiki/{{Uncyclopedia}} https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/tactical_flintlock.jpg]]]]

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Nimona}}'' The film's world is initially presented as a classic fairytale kingdom with princesses and knights, but it also has more contemporary and futuristic elements such as lasers, flying vehicles, holographic displays, television sets, and wireless headphones.

* ''Website/{{Neopets}}'': The world of Neopia is based in a [[http://www.neopets.com/ntimes/index.phtml?section=editorial&issue=527 "pre-industrial period"]], where this trope is dependent on region. There's sticks and stones in [[OneMillionBC Tyrannia]], the various {{Fantasy Counterpart Culture}}s have the tech level you'd expect, Moltara is SteamPunk, while Neopia Central is closest to real life but has nothing like computers, cars, or any sort of electronic technology. And orbiting the planet, there's the Virtupets Space Station and moon colony on Kreludor, although they were created by a scientist from outer space.

* ''WebAnimation/{{RWBY}}'': Remnant is a world where fantasy monster-slayers and sword-wielding nobility co-exist with portable music players and tablets with holographic displays. At least one country has developed humanoid combat robots, tiltjet aircraft and [[spoiler:a HumongousMecha]]. It's mentioned that, even though Remnant's level of technology is far beyond that of our world, they have never developed a space program because [[{{Unobtainium}} Dust]] doesn't work the moment it leaves the planet, and the people of Remnant have never bothered to look for an alternative fuel source. While they have an Internet on Remnant, it's not based on satellites and instead is based on four massive terrestrial communications towers. This eventually bites everyone in the ass: [[spoiler:when one of these towers is knocked out in the finale of Volume 3, the resulting communications blackout combined with the last images being relayed from Vale being those of Beacon's Huntresses inflicting grave harm on their fellows and Atlesian robots attacking innocent people, it's enough to discredit both Beacon and Atlas in one swoop and drive the Kingdoms to the brink of war. [[AllAccordingToPlan Just as Cinder planned]].]]

[[AC:For added atmosphere, listen to [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prFk3bLlLMU this]] while reading.]]

Compare AdventureFriendlyWorld, AnachronismStew, CultureChopSuey, and FantasyKitchenSink. TechnologyLevels is what this trope averts. As well as MedievalEuropeanFantasy, of course. If the old stuff proves as effective as the new stuff, you've also got an ArchaicWeaponForAnAdvancedAge. It may also be the byproduct of a RetroUniverse. Contrast DaysOfFuturePast. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] tech used by schizophrenics.