Computers are literally (literally) magic. Take a rock, use light to inscribe it with arcane runes, then infuse it with lightning and recite the proper incantation to complete the spell.

I often wonder about a fantasy world where magic works like technology in the real world (like there is long arduous research to create new spells, not simply "being born with magical talent"). Would it become a popular fantasy setting?

Pretty much what you are describing about is Ra by qntm [1]. I would definitely recommend it!

[1] https://qntm.org/ra

Was going to recommend this

The Obsidian Trilogy (Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory) is set in such a world, though it also features "wild magic" (you petition the wild gods for an effect, and you probably get it, but you take on an open-ended obligation to do something for them at a later point) and demonic magic.

> you petition the wild gods for an effect, and you probably get it, but you take on an open-ended obligation to do something for them at a later point) and demonic magic

So.. technical debt and "hacks" ?:D

Sir Terry Pratchett often explored something similar to that in his Discworld novels but perhaps in reverse - who knows!

"Anthill Inside" 8)

A comedy series takes this literally. Magic 2.0 by Scott Meyer.

On some computers there's a mysterious file that has all of the (world/universe's)? object variables, such as a person/object's location or height, age, etc, and magic is performed by manipulating those via verbal macros.

New spells are researched by literally programming and debugging.

It's a fun series, but it feels the author's done about as much as he can with it.

I read a litrpg book that the main character got a power that was basically programming. He could modify objects to do certain things based on triggers.

It was quite entertaining. But most of what he did was either off-the-cuff, or the book hid the hours and hours of testing and research so that it wouldn't bore the reader.

Unfortunately, I couldn't find the name of the book in my reading history.

Now that you mention it I seem to remember a book where a programmer beams himself into a world where he can then live like a wizard because he can affect it with his programming. Also can't remember the title, but it was a fun read.

I found it!

Apocalypse: Generic System (Systems of the Apocalypse Book 1)

I haven't read the sequel yet, though.

That's basically how it works in Harry Potter. That's why you have to go to school for magic.

There is not a lot about discovering new spells, though? Possible exception Snape's remarks in his notebook on potion brewing.

And in HP people have the innate talent for magic.

People can have more or less talent at technology, although it's usually called "intelligence."

Recent Dr Strange has him learn how to forge magic items in a somewhat structured way after running into an alien who approaches magic pretty much like technology.

Wizard's Bane (1989) is a fun take on that.

The traditional extension of this joke is:

"Hey. Don't oversimplify. First you gotta hammer them flat and trap lightning inside them."

The energy that made those rocks warm, came from spinning other rocks really fast.

I might be missing the joke, but it mostly comes from burning rocks (coal), shining sunlight on rocks, water flowing downhill or wind/gas/steam spinning metal.

With the exception of photovoltaic cells, all the other ways we generate electricity ultimately generate the electricity by spinning a dynamo - directly for hydro and wind, and through boiling water to steam for fossil, most solar plants (which use mirrors to heat water in pipes), nuclear, geothermal. Not sure if fusion would generate the electricity directly or also heat up water to spin up some magnets.

Fusion uses the extreme heat generated by the fusion reaction to... boil some water and run it through a turbine.

All of those energy sources are then somehow converted into spinning rocks (magnets) really fast to convert them into electricity though.

All but one of them, though PV is quantum magic and rather more mind-bending for most people than non-euclidian geometry was for Lovecraft.

Electricity comes from spinning loadstones (magnets).

Big generators in power stations typically use field coils (electromagnets), not permanent magnets.

I’m not 100% sure, but I think the origin of that is https://twitter.com/daisyowl/status/841802094361235456?s=21

Love this gem, too.