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Fantastic Narratives Cover Image

Narracje fantastyczne
Fantastic Narratives

Contributor(s): Ksenia Olkusz (Editor), Krzysztof M. Maj (Editor)
Subject(s): Language and Literature Studies, Visual Arts, Studies of Literature, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Philology, Theory of Literature
Published by: Ośrodek Badawczy Facta Ficta
Keywords: fantastic;fantasy;fantasy fiction;fantasy genre;science fiction;science fiction literature;science fiction films;science fiction studies;fantastic art;fantastic chronotop;fantasy and horror;fantasy literature;fantasy and imagination;allotopia;allohistory;
Summary/Abstract: Książka Narracje fantastyczne pod wspólną redakcją Kseni Olkusz i Krzysztofa M. Maja jest piątym tomem serii „Perspektywy Ponowoczesności”, zbierającym na blisko siedmiuset stronach trzydzieści tekstów naukowych rozpatrujących szeroko pojętą fantastykę z perspektywy ponowoczesnej, transdyscyplinarnej i światocentrycznej zarazem. Z recenzji prof. dr hab. Anny Łebkowskiej (Uniwersytet Jagielloński): Tom „Narracje fantastyczne” to zbiór studiów poświęconych ważnym współczesnym zjawiskom obecnym w literaturze, filmie, grach komputerowych i szeroko rozumianym świecie kultury. Wśród jego wielu zalet wymienić należy na pierwszym miejscu opracowanie mocnych podstaw teoretycznych. Autorzy podważają paradygmat tekstocentryczny i opisują zjawisko zwrotu światocentrycznego, przekonująco je udokumentowując. Przedstawione w tomie studia pozwalają nie tylko usytuować współczesne narracje fantastyczne na tle przemian światopoglądowych, teorii filozoficznych i kulturowych, ale zarazem ukazać ich wyraźne powiązania z namysłem nad ponowoczesnością. Książka zaleca się także – między innymi – ważnymi głosami na temat sporów wokół współczesnego kanonu fantastyki, rozważaniami poświęconymi figurze cyborga w świetle teorii posthumanistycznych czy zagadnieniu transfikcjonalności. Zgodnie z przyjętą ramą światocentryczną w osobnej części tomu znajdziemy studia na temat przestrzeni: głównie miasta i społeczeństwa, ze szczególnym uwzględnieniem problemu utopii, a także rozprawy, których autorzy skoncentrowali się na kwestiach temporalnych (tu m.in. historie alternatywne). Rozległe spektrum badanych problemów dopełnione zostało przez – poparte gruntownymi analizami – interpretacje zjawisk obecnych w wielu mediach. Należy z całym przekonaniem stwierdzić, że tom oddawany do rąk czytelnika stanowi cenną inicjatywę badawczą.

Series: Perspektywy Ponowoczesności

  • E-ISBN-13: 978-83-942923-2-4
  • Page Count: 689
  • Publication Year: 2017
  • Language: Polish
Światy poza światem

Światy poza światem
(Worlds Beyond the World)

  • Author(s):Krzysztof M. Maj
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:15-59
  • No. of Pages:45
  • Keywords:world-building;allotopia;world-centered narrative;postclassical narratology;fictional world;theory of fiction
Fantasy i postmodernizm

Fantasy i postmodernizm
(Fantasy and Postmodernism)

  • Author(s):Piotr Stasiewicz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:63-79
  • No. of Pages:17
  • Keywords:fantasy;fantasy fiction;fantasy genre;fantasy literature;postmodern;postmodernism;postmodern theory;postmodernity;
  • Summary/Abstract:Piotr Stasiewicz’s opening chapter aims at analysing the best known contemporary theories of postmodernism and specifying the relationships between postmodern thought and fantasy fiction. The text describes Brian McHale’s theory that brings out a clear discrepancy between modernism, understood in epistemological paradigm, and postmodernism, emphasizing the ontological paradigm and manifesting in imagining fictional worlds. Stasiewicz proceeds then with presenting Linda Hutcheon’s claim accentuating an unavoidable textuality—and, thereby, subjectivity—of culture, and Bran Nicol’s opinions on metafiction as a key strategy of postmodernism. Correlations between fantasy and modernism and postmodernism are tackled in due course. As pointed out by researchers studying the problem, Brian Attebery and Jim Casey, fantasy, on the one hand, produces a dissonance against tendencies synchronically observable in mainstream fiction, and on the other hand, paradoxically, aligns with antirealistic and metafictional tendencies in postmodern culture. According to both scholars, the ongoing functioning of fantasy as a genre proves the growing late-twentiethcentury predilection towards abandonment of the poetics of representation and socially- dependent literature in favour of accepting goals typical for postmodernism: world creation, world-building irony, and play with convention.
Narracje transfikcjonalne na przykładzie serialu Once Upon A Time"

Narracje transfikcjonalne na przykładzie serialu Once Upon A Time"
(Transfictional Narratives: A Study of "Once Upon A Time")

  • Author(s):Ksenia Olkusz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Visual Arts, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:81-113
  • No. of Pages:67
  • Keywords:transfictionality;postclassical narratology;narrative studies;transfictional narratives;Disney;Disney storyworld;One Upon A Time
  • Summary/Abstract:The chapter by Ksenia Olkusz examines a TV show "One Upon a Time" (ABC Studios 2011-now) in terms of so-called transfictional world-building. As Richard Saint-Gelais has observed, a transfictional relation occurs when “two (or more) texts share elements such as characters, imaginary locations, or fictional worlds”, at least as long as there are no direct intertextual indication of this connection. This “one world-many texts” relation, as Marie-Laure Ryan terms transfictionality, seems to be inevitable when one can explore a fictional world in a manner proposed by the writers of OUAT who decided to take characters from a multitude of fairy tales, legends, and, particularly, Disney animations so as to assemble them all in the one coherent multiverse. What really matters in OUAT is a “transfictional impulse” that attracts addressees not necessarily with an engaging plot but by concealing intertextual links to the source material which remains clouded by retelling, renarration, or cross-over strategies. Therefore, ABC series clearly demands a specific kind of foreknowledge which makes the TV series particularly appealing for seasoned (pun intended) viewers—those able and willing to enjoy retold or redefined fictional biographies, clashes of aesthetically inconsistent worlds (or word dimensions), or even mash-ups of childhood fairy tales with contemporary franchised universes. The latter of the mentioned phenomena has even gotten beyond a TV show storyline when those transfictional qualities were embedded in posters advertising succeeding OUAT seasons—all designed to evoke a familiar aesthetics of not only Disney movies (like for instance, Frozen or Brave), but also mainstream movies (such as a Black Swan) or other TV shows and literary fiction (The Song of Ice and Fire in particular). The chapter explores all the aforementioned phenomena, delivering one of the first meticulous renditions of transfictional theory in Poland.
O miłości cyborgów w filmach "Uncanny" i "Sight" oraz serialach "Black Mirror" i "Westworld" w świetle wybranych teorii posthumanistycznych

O miłości cyborgów w filmach "Uncanny" i "Sight" oraz serialach "Black Mirror" i "Westworld" w świetle wybranych teorii posthumanistycznych
(On Cyborgs’ Love in Films "Uncanny" and "Sight" as well as in TV Series "Black Mirror" and "Westworld" in the Light of Selected Posthuman Theories)

  • Author(s):Joanna Łapińska
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Philosophy, Visual Arts, Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Aesthetics
  • Page Range:115-136
  • No. of Pages:22
  • Keywords:cyborg;cyborgisation;cyborgs;science fiction;science fiction films;science fiction studies;posthuman ethics;
  • Summary/Abstract:Joanna Łapińska proposes an analysis of several affectionate relationships of contemporary cyborgs in the latest Anglo-Saxon science fiction films and television series. The contemporary cyborg in science fiction cinema is no longer just a hypermasculine “terminator”, a “robocop”, or a ruthless female killing machine like Eve VIII from Eve of Destruction. Cyborgisation is now a much more complex and ambiguous phenomenon and, with progress in biotechnology permeating many areas of life, it raises the question of distinguishing between a “natural human being” and an “artificial” one. Today’s cyborg has become more and more like a human being living in a postmodern or, soon to be, posthuman society. Mankind is now entering into realtionships that are difficult to define and to name with technology. These relatioships include love, intimate and erotic relations. Łapińska looks at the several love relationships of contemporary cyborgs from the science fiction films, Uncanny (2015) and Sight (2012) and the television series, Black Mirror (2011) and Westworld (2016). Her intention is meant to indicate possible ways of interpreting cyborg lovers on screen. In the analysis, she utilizes, therefore, cultural theories emphasizing the breakdown of classical, coherent, humanistic, phallogocentric subjectivity of humans and those attempting to replace this notion with “posthuman” subjectivity—which is inconsistent, dispersed, and relational. These are the most important theories that she recognizes. However, there are others that Łapińska recognizes; the pioneer concept of the cyborg by Donna Haraway, the concept of posthumanism by Rosi Braidotti, as well as select contemporary affection theories. Contemporary science fiction cinema participates in showcasing the departure from the paradigm of humanity as essentially defined by problematizing the issue of emotion/affection as not belonging exclusively to the humans, but possibly to the robot or the cyborg as well. The current envisionment of the cyborg, especially with its edgy and transgressive qualities, is the product of “nature-culture” dichotomy—man and machine living in symbiosis. This will not always be an easy shift in paradigms but it remains unavoidable and undeniable today.
Larp "College of Wizardry" jako produkt i platforma aktywizmu społecznego

Larp "College of Wizardry" jako produkt i platforma aktywizmu społecznego
(LARP "College of Wizardry" as a Product and Platform for Social Activism)

  • Author(s):Michał Mochocki
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Anthropology, Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Customs / Folklore, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Sociology of Culture
  • Page Range:137-158
  • No. of Pages:22
  • Keywords:larp;game;game studies;role-playing;role-playing games;College of Wizardry;Harry Potter;Harry Potter storyworld;WIzarding World;social activism;
  • Summary/Abstract:"College of Wizardry" (2014) is presented in Michał Mochocki’s chapter as an activist live action role-playing game and, at the same time, a product of social activism. This is a product that brings social justice into the gaming community with the aim to create inclusivity and acceptance for underprivileged or marginalized groups. Using extensive online communications, all scenerios and character roles were created by a huge collective of players, game creators and spokespersons for the activist groups. This effort was put together to meet the expectations expressed by the representatives and spokespersons of the underprivileged and marginalized. The official game packaging and contents include a design document with commentaries and explanations are of an ideological in nature, e.g., statements concerning gender and the LGBTQ equality. Adding a new region, new school and 20 years of recent history to the Potterverse, the creators highlighted inequalities and social tensions that underpin the discourse against privilege and
Radykalne głosy, marginalne spojrzenia

Radykalne głosy, marginalne spojrzenia
(Radical Voices, Marginal Perspectives)

  • Author(s):Jędrzej Burszta
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Customs / Folklore, Sociology of Culture, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:159-174
  • No. of Pages:16
  • Keywords:fan activities;fan communities;fan studies;canon;canonicity;fantasy;science fiction;
  • Summary/Abstract:Jędrzej Burszta’s chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the political and ideological dimensions of the process of canon-forming within the field of science fiction studies. The points of reference are the recent controversies surrounding the 2015 Hugo nominations and the online campaign of the groups “Sad Puppies” and “Rapid Puppies”. In the text, Burszta discusses the connection between defining science fiction and creating a canon of “proper” science fiction texts through “selective tradition”— a perspective that ultimately leads to creation of different, subjective canons of science fiction that are often, if not always, influenced by ideological choices. The author argues that the science fiction new wave movement in the 1970s has had a long-lasting impact on the way that it is defined by most science fiction scholars. Furthermore, the essay attempts to prove that contemporary heated debates on the political nature of science fiction (especially in the context of American science fiction) should be taken into consideration by science fiction scholars as important examples of the on-going “cultural war” and the politics of representation.
Kobiety, które budzą niepokój – kategoria fantastyki w działaniach kreatywnych Alexandra McQueena

Kobiety, które budzą niepokój – kategoria fantastyki w działaniach kreatywnych Alexandra McQueena
(Women Who Disturb Others—the Categories of the Fantastic in Creative Activities of Alexander McQueen)

  • Author(s):Michał Wójciak
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Sociology of Culture
  • Page Range:176-188
  • No. of Pages:13
  • Keywords:fashion;haute couture;fantastic;magic realism;Alexander McQueen
  • Summary/Abstract:Michał Wójciak’s chapter is devoted to Alexander McQueen, considered one of the most important designers of the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. Thanks to his consistency in his work, McQueen gained a reputation as a visionary. His genius ability to break boundaries and to propel fashion closer to the category of art was validated in his exhibition, "Savage Beauty", organized in 2015 at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. This was to be the first and largest European retrospective of McQueen’s work. BBC journalist Lindsay Baker once examined the work of British designer in the context of fairy tales written by the Brothers Grimm, which was the source of inspiration for McQueen. He designs silhouettes of warrior princesses and shapeshifters in his creative collections. Alexanders’ collections also make references to the past utilizing the aesthetics of the Victorian era horror. He envisioned the future through what he called the prism of the mythical Atlantis. This was to be Alexander McQueen’s final and complete collection which he named, “Plato’s Atlantis”. The untimely death and suicide of Alexander McQueen in 2010 ushered-in the end of an era in the fashion industry where many designers willingly created uncompromising, fantastical theatrical shows devoid of his creative vision and fashion genius.
Fantastyczny tygiel

Fantastyczny tygiel
(A Fantastic Crucible)

  • Author(s):Sylwia Borowska-Szerszun
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:189-208
  • No. of Pages:20
  • Keywords:urban fantasy;Ben Aaronovitch;London;syncretism;fantasy studies;genology;
  • Summary/Abstract:The chapter, by Sylwia Borowska-Szerszun, explores generic and cultural syncretism in Ben Aaronovitch’s cycle Rivers of London. Having defined urban fantasy, the author proceeds to place emphasis on the overwhelming heterogeneity adapted within the genre, which suggests its openness to various influences, transformations and modifications. In this particular case the elements of urban fantasy and the criminal novel have been successfully incorporated to create a harmonious whole. The cycle also relies on a hybrid ethnic identity of the protagonist and his dialogic relationship with a more experienced wizard, a representative of the former imperial order, to suggest that peaceful cooperation is possible despite differences in ethnic, social and class background. Examining the vision of a city as a melting pot, the author argues that the fantastic level of the text has been construed as just one more component of a multicultural London in which different cultures, nationalities and religions meet. The cycle breaks the predominance of whiteness in the fantasy genre, and introduces instead social and cultural diversity, which reveals the potential of urban fantasy to deal with difficult issues of our times and provide a valid commentary about contemporary reality.
"Koralina" Neila Gaimana w realizacjach teatru lalek w Polsce

"Koralina" Neila Gaimana w realizacjach teatru lalek w Polsce
(Neil Gaiman’s Coraline in Polish Puppet Theatres Performances)

  • Author(s):Maria Janus
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Comparative Study of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:209-221
  • No. of Pages:13
  • Keywords:horro fiction;young adult horror;Neil Gaiman;Coraline;puppet theatre;
  • Summary/Abstract:Maria Janus focuses on theatrical adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s "Coraline" in Polish puppet theatre. The analysed performances were directed by Włodzimierz Fełenczak in Teatr Miniatura in Gdańsk with a stage design by Mikołaj Malesza (opening 2009) and in the Białostocki Teatr Lalek with a stage design by Joanna Braun (opening 2011) and directed by Karolina Maciejaszek in Teatr Pinokio in Łódź with a stage design by Anna Chadaj (opening 2013). In addition, the Author discusses the performance of Rozalinda, written and directed by Krystyna Jakóbczyk in the Teatr Dzieci Zagłębia in Będzin (opening 2012), which was inspired by Gaiman’s novel. Janus presents this performance in the context of copyrights and difficulties of obtaining licenses for use of texts written by popular authors (especially from the Anglo-Saxon region). The author compares the adaptations of Neil Gaiman’s novel written by Fełenczak, Maciejaszek and the translation of the novel’s narration by Jakóbczyk (theatrical situations and visual narration vs. the narration performed live on-stage). Maria Janus also highlights theatrical references from the novel considering meta-theatrical elements that enhance the performance. Janus compares theatrical media used in performances from Gdańsk, Białystok and Łódź with special consideration to the stage design and puppetry techniques. In the second part, the author focuses on the popularity of Neil Gaiman’s Coraline among theatrical directors despite little interest in horror fiction. Puppet theatres in Poland do not produce performances based on modern epic literature, especially those nbased on fantasy. Classical fairy-tales and modern dramaturgy containing fairy-tale motives are still more popular. Furthermore, Janus reflects on the possibility of a change of the herein discussed situation. She further refers to the arguments of Bruno Bettelheim, Stanisław Grzelecki and Katarzyna Slany considering young spectator benefits from the contact with theatrical representation of youth horror literature.
"Pan Lodowego Ogrodu" Jarosława Grzędowicza, czyli o (nie)możliwości utopii

"Pan Lodowego Ogrodu" Jarosława Grzędowicza, czyli o (nie)możliwości utopii
("The Lord of the Ice Garden" by Jarosław Grzędowicz: An Argument on the Impossibility of Utopia)

  • Author(s):Anita Całek
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:225-252
  • No. of Pages:28
  • Keywords:fantasy;science fantasy;utopia;utopia and dystopia;utopian studies;allotopia;Jarosław Grzędowicz;Pan Lodowego Ogrodu
  • Summary/Abstract:The chapter by Anita Całek makes illustrative attempts to demonstrate how the literary utopia has shaped Jaroslaw Grzedowicz’s novel, "The Lord of the Ice Garden", and why this utopia is created in the context of its primary meaning—a “non-place”. An analysis of the dystopian features of the four countries; The Ice Garden, The Garden of Earthly Delights, The Amitraj and the Valley of the Lady of Sorrows, delves into their subversive nature towards the utopian intentions of their authors. Without exhausting the material of analysis, the ease of world-building is further revealed. An unlikely candidate-world for a utopia-in-the-making is the isolated planet, Midgaard, which happens to be subjected to quarantine by terrestrials. This planet can not only make the realization of any dreams possible but is also adaptable to new paradigms. These planetary characteristics create a utopian impulse amongst the scientists working on the research station. These scientists must tread carefully because they are well aware that they do not know under whose influence they are operating nor who the important movers and shakers of this planet really are.
Czym są gnostyckie dystopie?

Czym są gnostyckie dystopie?
(What are Gnostic dystopias?)

  • Author(s):Fryderyk Kwiatkowski
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Philosophy, History of Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Social Philosophy, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:253-274
  • No. of Pages:22
  • Keywords:gnosticism;gnostic anthropology;gnostic dystopias;dystopia;dystopian discourse;dystopian society;dystopian studies;dystopian film
  • Summary/Abstract:The inquiry delivered in Fryderyk Kwiatkowski’s chapter of possible affinities between ancient Gnosticism, perceived as an interpretative and heuristic category, and utopian/ dystopian texts has not been performed in comparative studies. The aim of this article is therefore to fill this void to demonstrate that gnostic thought is replete with notions that may have served as the verifiable pre-modern source of the constructive characteristics of utopias and dystopias. Alex Proyas, the author, examines "Dark City" (1998) as his primary case study for his investigative research on gnostic thought characteristics in utopias and dystopias. Other sources of his substantive research include twenty-first century American film. It is worthy to note that Proyas classifies all of his research sources as “gnostic dystopias”. Proya’s notion of “gnostic dystopias” refers to texts embedded with structural and narrative traits of classical examples of dystopias. Novels such as the likes of "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley or "Nineteen Eighty- Four" by George Orwell can be construed as being literarily consistent with gnostic ideals.
Widmowy status utopii w klasycznym Hollywoodzie

Widmowy status utopii w klasycznym Hollywoodzie
(The Spectral Status of Utopia in Classical Holywood Cinema)

  • Author(s):Rafał Szczerbakiewicz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Sociology of Culture, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Sociology of Politics
  • Page Range:275-292
  • No. of Pages:22
  • Keywords:capitalism;Hollywood;Hollywood film;King Vidor;Ayn Rand;utopia;utopianism
  • Summary/Abstract:Rafał Szczerbakiewicz’s chapter looks at the intriguing aspects of the subtle utopianism of the main trends in classic Hollywood cinema. During the thirties, forties and fifties of the twentieth-century and at the peak of liberal modernity there was an omnipresent yet transparent capitalist paradigm. This was a time in cinema where the theme of utopia was obscure. Utopia, in cinema, was more a symptom of a frame of mind and the background to a social state of awarenesss. Within the supportive or critical portrayals of capitalism, the utopian/dystopian elements were notable signs as to the filmmaker’s attitude. Amongst films, the utopian impulse is merely an understatement. However, there is one film with an overt utopian stance. This film is based on the novel, "Fountainhead" (1949) by King Vidor. It was tranformed into a memorable screen adaptation by the enthusiast and theorist, Ayn Rand. In this surprising constructionist vision, the socio-architectural utopia is explicitly portrayed giving the utopian impulse the direction towards what would, years later, come to be known as individualistic neoliberalism.
Metropolis Fritza Langa jako pierwowzór i inspiracja współczesnych filmowych dystopii

Metropolis Fritza Langa jako pierwowzór i inspiracja współczesnych filmowych dystopii
(Fritz Lang’s Metropolis as a Framework and Inspiration for Contemporary Cinematic Dystopias)

  • Author(s):Paweł Aleksandrowicz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Film / Cinema / Cinematography
  • Page Range:293-305
  • No. of Pages:13
  • Keywords:cinema;film;Fritz Lang;Metropolis;dystopia;dystopian city;dystopian studies
  • Summary/Abstract:Paweł Aleksandrowicz focuses in his chapter on Fritz Lang whi has become the avantgarde of the cinematic film industry with his dystopian creation, "Metropolis". The film has gone on to become the first ever dystopian film in cinematic history and a great fait accompli by Fritz Lang. Such has been the impact and influence in the industry that it has gone on to become a cinematic and artistic model for subsequent film directors. Much of the influence and impact on succeeding films pertain to Lang’s artistic style in the dystopian subgenre. In his unique artistic genius, Lang uses the principle of decorum together with his film style that has become synonymous with the themes of his films. He incorporates visual harmony, geometry and symmetry unto his film shots as soothing aesthetics for the dystopian scenes. Such stylistic genius can be classified as “covert dystopia” where the dystopian nature of the setting and scenes are masked by directorial and film-technique aesthetics. Lang’s harmonious stylistics of “covert dystopias” have also given rise to the antithesis of his style. The antithetical subgenre of “overt dystopias” has been created without the aesthetics used by Lang. The style of “overt dystopias” utilizes shots full of chaos, destruction and maelstrom. "Metropolis" has been the true source of inspiration for many succeeding cinematic dystopias and moving picture films. The stylistics, the plot devices and the production standards that were created by Fritz Lang have been imitated by his successors many times over and have, over the years, become a cinematic creative force of the subgenre inspiring many contemporary dystopias. As an aside, "Metropolis" has gone as far as defining what a future dystopian city should look like in cinematography. The introduction of revolutionary production standards to the science-fiction genre is another artistic merit attributed to Fritz Lang. The director has placed great emphasis on special effects and set design, thus making his film a visual tour-de-force and birthing the modern science-fiction film. On a final note, "Metropolis" developed upon the plot devices created by Lang’s literary predecessors while simultaneously introducing new ones.
Nowoczesność i zagłada w filmowej dystopii Brunona Gamulina "Sedma kronika"

Nowoczesność i zagłada w filmowej dystopii Brunona Gamulina "Sedma kronika"
(Modernity and Holocaust in Bruno Gamulin’s "Sedma kronika" Dystopian Film)

  • Author(s):Anna Boguska
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Sociology of Culture, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Sociology of Politics
  • Page Range:307-321
  • No. of Pages:15
  • Keywords:Croatian film;Bruno Gamulin;Sedma kronika;holocaust;dystopia;dystopian film;dystopian studies;utopian studies;Zygmunt Bauman;
  • Summary/Abstract:The chapter by Anna Boguska attempts to define (or rather—specifying) the modern dystopia of the 20th century which emerges from totalitarian experiences, based on the Croatian film "Sedma kronika" by Bruno Gamulin. The film recounts the story of Tito, a prisoner and an escapee from his prison on the island Goli Otok. The author makes references to Zygmunt Bauman’s definition of modernity in the context of a project of total ordering (compare: "Modernity and the Holocaust", "Liquid fear"), and indicates the effects of implementation that type of utopia, based on the film. Furthermore, she also highlights the role of fear which accompanies man in the created space of (quasi)paradise.
Media w światach dystopijnych

Media w światach dystopijnych
(Media in Dystopian Worlds)

  • Author(s):Krzysztof Gajewski
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Media studies, Studies of Literature, Sociology of Culture, Sociology of Politics
  • Page Range:323-340
  • No. of Pages:18
  • Keywords:dystopia;dystopian fiction;media;George Orwell;Aldous Huxley;Karel Čapek;dystopian studies;
  • Summary/Abstract:Krzysztof Gajewski’s text aims at examining the role of communications media in dystopian fiction stories. First, some terminological conventions are invoked that determine how the notion of dystopia will be understood in this text. The research perspective is the theory of new media. Analyses are carried out on three sample literary works—all regarded as classic dystopian representations—"R.U.R." by Karel Čapek, "Brave New World" by Aldous Huxley and "Nineteen Eight-Four" by George Orwell. Additional consideration is given to how media technologies are portrayed in fictional worlds including their functionality. Socio-historical context may also influence the methods in which media technology is presented. The closing statement of the article discerns between the progressive saturation of new communication media within the literary works, herein analyzed, and the parallel processes that lead to the development of real-world communication technology
Miasta-światy

Miasta-światy
(Cities-Worlds)

  • Author(s):Monika Rawska
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Social Sciences, Language and Literature Studies, Visual Arts, Film / Cinema / Cinematography, Theory of Literature, Sociology of Politics
  • Page Range:341-384
  • No. of Pages:43
  • Keywords:utopia;utopia and dystopia;utopia and heterotopia;dystopian film;dystopian city;topography;urban space;urban space and place;
  • Summary/Abstract:Monika Rawska’s chapter focuses on two modern movies "Equilibrium" (dir. Kurt Wimmer, USA 2002) and "Inception" (dir. Christopher Nolan, USA—Great Britain 2010) with an analysis of the city spaces depicted in these films. Progress is the basis of the analysis. Progress is the impulse pervasive in utopias and it is an important motivator for human actions presently perceived as negative—imperialism, colonialism, racism. Margaret Mead’s notion that Utopia should be seen as a historical category while revealing an essential ambivalence is well summarized in her work, “One man’s dream is another man’s nightmare”. This is also represented in select films depicting a new society with a visual representation of order. For example, in Libria and architect’s city both of which were created with a positive and beneficial premise, though over time they became a burden for the characters. Change in perception of reality is one of the significant elements in dystopian narratives, that are also present in film adaptations, in what Ludmiła Gruszewska-Blaim calls a „utopiacrime”. Libria is depicted as the only city in the world in the film, "Equilibrium". Libria is a dystopian cityfortress contrasted with the surrounding Nether and an appropriated enclave space of Offenders. It functions as a simulacrum of the past at a time before the war. The film vision of the future is an intertextual collage of conventional representations of the totalitarian organization of both space and society. Dream city is the creation of an architect couple in the film, "Inception". It is a very different space, imagined and fictional and it perfectly captures the impossibility of utopia as revealed by its very name that means non-space. Reality, which the couple created for themselves, demonstrates an interesting tension between the architectural utopia and the solitary eutopia as well as a conflict of planner vs. wanderer (as described by Michel de Certeau). In both movies the city space becomes a threat in spite of its projected function as a safe and/or familiar space. In "Equilibrium", it imposes on and disciplines its inhabitants as tools of the state. In Inception, the city is the accumulation of the protagonists’ entire world and it turns unto its own ruin, a memory maze swallowed by the sea.
Wampir nie potrafi żyć na odludziu

Wampir nie potrafi żyć na odludziu
(A Vampire Cannot Live in the Outskirts)

  • Author(s):Barbara Szymczak-Maciejczyk
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Philology, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:385-402
  • No. of Pages:18
  • Keywords:New Orleans;Anne Rice;gothic fiction;weird fiction;vampire;vampire novel;
  • Summary/Abstract:The chapter by Barbara Szymczak-Maciejczyk delivers an analysis of the creation of eighteenth-century Paris and nineteenth-century New Orleans as cities that become lairs for covens of vampires. The American writer describes, in a very picturesque manner, the atmosphere and the operations of erstwhile cities while embedding monsters of an undead nature. The text addresses several issues. There is the labyrinth of the Gothic space; Rice writes of gothic features that include secret passages, abandonedcemeteries, secret rooms, dead-end towers and catacombs which are homes to the Parisian vampires. The author of the paper uses the term “labyrinth” which was coined by Agnieszka Izdebska. The article explores the solitude of an individual in a metropolis. It expounds on the culmination of that solitude with the transformation of a mortal man into the immortal vampire (e.g. kidnapping Lestat, Louis being in dangerous places, leaving Claudia by her dead mother). It also tackles the issue of mirror imagery between the mental state of the characters and the condition of the city and their location at any given moment. The author also points out that the vampires’ desire is not merely driven by hunger and bloodlust but also by a desire for the accumulation of wealth including freely participating in the exchange of money for goods and services. The paper highlights the differences in the understanding of economic issues from the perspectives of a citizen of the Old Continent and the New World. Furthermore, it aims to identify Rice’s methods of creating space with a confined and dangerous element. These literary aesthetics include crossing of barriers to a home’s threshold and a temple and multiple labyrinthine structures. Other vivid imagery includes urban landscapes, e.g., side-streets, stone walls, crumbling stairways—all used as the living, breathing sarcophagus and feeding grounds for undead creatures that hunger and thirst for human blood. The combination of these elements reveals creative and novel methods in Gothic writing and it provides a more modern adaptation for the character of the vampire.
Subwersywny potencjał wypartego

Subwersywny potencjał wypartego
(Subversive Potential of the Repressed)

  • Author(s):Aleksandra Łozińska
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Comparative Study of Literature, Philology, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:403-421
  • No. of Pages:19
  • Keywords:fantasy;new weird;postmodern fantasy;postmodern fiction;subversion;Neil Gaiman;China Miéville;Megan Lindholm
  • Summary/Abstract:In the chapter, Aleksandra Łozińska analyses the ways in which the authors of these novels refer to the issues of contemporary cities and the marginalization that occurs within them. The fantastic worlds created in these works are marked by much different constructs. These constructs include binary divisions of cities into official parts that converge with commercial images of the cities and areas hidden from the perspective of the former. These areas are built of redundant matter, inhabited by people marginalized in their own society and governed by practices that deviate from the confines of the official city narratives. This chapter expounds on the ways that these constructs allow for the re-evaluation of marginalized groups and elements (places, objects, fragments of history). Furthermore, methods of opposing exclusionary practices are included by penning subversive practices for the use of urban areas; and—in the case of Gaiman’s and Miéville’s works—by addressing the subject of economic stratification among the inhabitants of London (where metropolitan prosperity is dependent on citizens on the fringes of the social hierarchy). All three novels include characters whose lives are set outside of the mundane culture of consumerism (the life-source of all cities. Their social status becomes an exclusionary barrier to the circle of consumers around them. Thus the author approaches these threads as a type of project in flânerie (in contrast to the common understanding of his contemporaries) while maintaining its relevant critical potential. Against all odds and hardships, the situation of the protagonists is transformed into a positive, beneficial experience by bestowing upon them certain privileges, access to places and the ability to commit practices that are unattainable to the people living within the official sphere of the metropolis / social order. This aligns with the Bell-Hook margin theory therefore it will serve as the looking glass for the analysis of this subject matter.
Oniryczna kreacja zatopionego miasta w "Bestiarium" Tomasza Różyckiego

Oniryczna kreacja zatopionego miasta w "Bestiarium" Tomasza Różyckiego
(Oneiric Creation of Flooded City in Tomasz Różycki’s "Bestiarium")

  • Author(s):Elżbieta Pietluch
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Polish Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:423-435
  • No. of Pages:13
  • Keywords:poetry after 1989;Polish poetry after 1989;oniric experience;city;urban space;Tomasz Różycki;Bestiarium
  • Summary/Abstract:Elżbieta Pietluch’s chapter presents a reflection on the oniric creation of the sunken city in "Bestiarium"—the debut novel by Tomasz Różycki. There are various issues related to the city-theme in Różycki’s entire oeuvre that are the starting point for Elżbieta Pietluch’s further reflections. These reflections focus on the impact of postmemory on third-generation expatriate immigrants from Kresy. Postmemory is an original concept created by Marianne Hirsch. This term describes how the perception of the world depends on the traumatic stories spoken by ancestors. Intensive and traumatic memories and the perception of historical injustice incite an aversion to the city which is portrayed a culturally foreign place where the poet’s family feels out of place. The author of this chapter introduces three models for dealing with trauma. The third model reflects on a catastrophic vision of the destruction of the city presented in Różycki’s text. An opinion is presented stating that natural disaster is related to the mythological concept of the purge (Mircea Eliade) and the biblical account of Noah and the great flood. The deluge catastrophe is substanbtiated in the contemporary history of Opole (The Great Flood) and its interpretation is confirmed by the location and date of the events in the novel. Furthermore, the author introduces the category of the oneironaut who experiences lucid dreaming, hence the narrator of the story participates in the adventures interpreting situations of the absurd in a parallel world. In Paweł Huelle’s opinion the image of the city is similar to the organization of space in Bruno Schulz’s Sanatorium Under the Sign of the Hourglass. Różycki uses a surreal narrative in the construct of his plot. A city simultaneously located at the junction of the real and the imaginary and Różycki’s descriptions of a warped world filled with irony and the grotesque.
Co narracja postapokaliptyczna może powiedzieć o społeczeństwie?

Co narracja postapokaliptyczna może powiedzieć o społeczeństwie?
(What Post-apocalyptic Fiction Can Tell Us about a Society?)

  • Author(s):Wojciech Lewandowski
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Political Theory, Sociology of Politics
  • Page Range:439-455
  • No. of Pages:17
  • Keywords:dystopia;dystopian society;dystopian studies;V for Vendetta;post-apocalypse;Alan Moore;David Lloyd;
  • Summary/Abstract:Periods of brinkmanship and crisis encourage the rise of apocalyptical thinking in modern society.The second half of the twentieth century witnessed the rapid development of post-apocalyptic fiction, whose authors examined the human condition in the face of extinction. The development of nuclear weapons and the subsequent dropping of the atom bomb on Hiroshima became of the inspiration of numerous comic book writers to exploit nuclear war anxieties of societies still reeling from the carnage of World War II. Furthermore, comic books became a forum for the presentation of social, political and philosophical discourses. The aim of Wojciech Lewandowski’s chapter is to present, accordingly, an exposition on comics, as media, are capable visionaries of complex philosophical discourses. Another vector is the graphic novel that presents a forum to communicate political ideas without being perceived as a propaganda tool. The presentation of political ideas occurs explicitly in the textual sphere. Furthermore, they can be presented in more sublte ways by the use of symbols that are presented in the visual layer. It is therefore, the capabilities of political discourse that have led me to research the graphic novel, "V for Vendetta". In "V for Vendetta", author’s Alan Moore and David Lloyd, write of a dystopian post-apocalyptic Great Britain. Through the fictional dystopian narrative of the plot one can discern its great potential as a forum of social and political discussion on the contemporary problems of the real-world.
Gdy zabrakło bohaterów, zostali tylko stalkerzy

Gdy zabrakło bohaterów, zostali tylko stalkerzy
(When Heroes are Gone, Stalkers Remain)

  • Author(s):Adam Orlik
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature
  • Page Range:458-475
  • No. of Pages:18
  • Keywords:post-apocalypse;post-apocalyptic fiction;stalker;
  • Summary/Abstract:Adam Orlik’s chapter is dedicated to the analysis of the significance of the dark, stalker figure of contemporary popular culture. From literature to film to video games, the enigma of the stalker figure has taken hold. This figure has taken many roles in ourculture. In the Strugatsky brothers’ short novel, Roadside Picnik, the stalker is depictedas a type of science fiction hero. This was then followed by the 1979 film Stalkerby the famous Soviet film-maker, Andrei Tarkovsky. Stalker won a few internationalfilm awards and it brought recognition to the stalker figure in popular culture. The chapter introduces the reader to the so-called “stalkers’ universes” featuring a new andenigmatic hero—the stalker. He is a seeker, much like the trackers of the old WildWest, able to seek out and find anything any one needs in the most difficult, inaccessibleand dangerous terrains. The stalker has many facets. An adventurer, an explorer,a traveler who ventures into landscapes marred and destroyed by nuclear war andother catastrophies. In this post-apocalyptic world, the stalker is the one who goes beyondthe boundaries of the known frontier and human knowledge. It is he who fillsthe white voids on the map. This unlikely hero is also a warrior, forced into combatwith fierce creatures, mutants and other humans residing in this post-apocalypticworld. Thus, the stalker character in post-apocalyptic fiction works comes to resemblethe figure of the cowboy in westerns. The stalker is associated with uninhabited openspaces, adventure and discovery of the “New World”. However, there are inherentrisks which may either culminate in great rewards or, quite the contrary, sudden death.Above all, the stalker embodies the vision of the “stranger from unknown lands” who,more often than not, becomes the reluctant hero.
Rycerz przyszłości czy ożywiona zbroja?

Rycerz przyszłości czy ożywiona zbroja?
(Knight of the Future or the Animated Armour?)

  • Author(s):Maciej Gaździcki
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Fine Arts / Performing Arts, Visual Arts, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:477-499
  • No. of Pages:23
  • Keywords:RoboCop;chivalry;chivalry romance;medievalism;knighthood;chansons de geste;
  • Summary/Abstract:Maciej Gaździcki’s chapter deconstructs "RoboCop"—the eponymous knightly hero of Paul Verhoeven’s original film and subsequent installments in the franchise—including the world he exists in, through a medievalist perspective. Gaździcki discerns between Robocop’s role as either a futuristic knight or merely caricaturesque animated armour. Relevant and explicit similarities are made and analyzed between Verhoeven’s crime-fighting hero and the characters from Chansons de Geste, Arthurian legends, and hagiographic stories (otherwise known as loricati). The author also includes connections to works based on medieval chivalric epics. Concluding, Gaździcki attempts at finding parallels between the latest incarnation of Robocop and the Middle Ages.
Świat i historia – "Monastyr: Fabularna gra dark fantasy"

Świat i historia – "Monastyr: Fabularna gra dark fantasy"
(World and History – "Monastyr: Dark Fantasy Role-Playing Game")

  • Author(s):Aleksandra Mochocka
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):History, Theatre, Dance, Performing Arts, Language and Literature Studies, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:501-517
  • No. of Pages:17
  • Keywords:TRPG;RPG;role-playing game;Monastyr;historical fantasy
  • Summary/Abstract:The central analysis of "Monastyr: Fabularna Gra Dark Fantasy" TRPG is on the history of gaming systems. Throughout gaming system history, role playing has served as an important backdrop for the actions of the characters.which constitute indispensable elements for the lives of the characters and their sources of power. Without knowledge and awareness of history, human beings can lose their identities or fall victims to exploitation. However, with knowledge in history, humanity can fight against deprivation and nothingness. But this knowledge is not without its contradictions— history can also be a burden, a challenge and even a source of conflict. The notable point of Aleksandra’s Mochocka chapter is that history must never be forgotten, “whitewashed” or outright erased. Whether nations or fctions of people, if any commit an atrocity against humanity, it is the historical record or even the victims’ knowledge that will never allow the perpetrators to escape the consequences of their actions. The embedded history in the framework of Monastyr evokes these feelings and perceptions for the player provoking, what Mary Flanagan coined as, “critical play” during the playing sessions. All of these elements make Monastyr an extremely unique experience in role playing gaming. Although this game was not intenteded to be a purveyor of historical knowledge, it does raise much awareness for the players as to the role of humanity throughout history as well as other potential historical and critical issues.
Historia jako parodia. "Saga o Wiedźminie" Andrzeja Sapkowskiego

Historia jako parodia. "Saga o Wiedźminie" Andrzeja Sapkowskiego
(History as a Parody. Andrzej Sapkowski’s "The Witcher Saga")

  • Author(s):Krzysztof Uniłowski
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):History, Language and Literature Studies, Cultural history, Studies of Literature, Comparative history, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:519-533
  • No. of Pages:15
  • Keywords:Andrzej Sapkowski;The Witcher;fantasy;postmodern fantasy;new historicism;postmodernity;
  • Summary/Abstract:In this chapter, Krzysztof Uniłowski analyzes the function of historical allusions in Sapkowski’s pentateuch on the adventures of Geralt the Witcher and his companions. The saga is said here to allude to the Second World War, but also to the Germanic invasion of Britain in the fifth and sixth century, including the colonization of North America by Europeans. In addition, the series is viewed as featuring clear literary references to the historical novels of Henryk Sienkiewicz, Arthurian tradition, or texts based on Indian Wars. All these allusions defy Sapkowski’s allotopia and emphasize— just like the creative irony of Romanticism—the dependence of allotopian world on the writer’s creativity. At the same time, history functions like a prop room with plenty of motives, threads, and figures. From this perspective, fantasy literature confirms Fredric Jameson’s thesis that western societies have lost a sense of history. Nevertheless, in the light of peripheral character of the Polish culture, it can also mean freeing from the burden of history, or, to speak more precisely, from phantasmal imaginations. As an author, Sapkowski is conscious that we have lost the historical experience from our perceptive horizon as the most traumatogenic events of the twentieth century did not teach us anything. He further points out that what has been repressed, may always return. And it returns even in the frames of fantastic convention.
Polska niezwyciężona

Polska niezwyciężona
(Invincible Poland)

  • Author(s):Magdalena Wąsowicz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:532-552
  • No. of Pages:21
  • Keywords:counterfactuality;alternate history;counterfactal fiction;Polish counterfactual fiction;allohistory
  • Summary/Abstract:Magdalena Wąsowicz’s chapter provides an analysis of Polish novels that propose an alternate history to War War II. The author focuses on the way in which these novels change the course of history and reflect on current politics and culture. Three novels are analysed: "Wallenrod" by Marcin Wolski, "Powroty (Coming back)" by Adam Pietrasiewicz and Wojciech Bogaczyk, and "Burza. Ucieczka z Warszawy ‘40 (The Tempest. The Withdrawal from Warsaw ‘40)" by Maciej Parowski. The first two novels display similar sets of images relating to events in World War II and they both focus on the military aspects of the possible victory for Poland. In contrast, "Burza Ucieczka z Warszawy ‘40", demonstrates the power of the Polish spirit and the greatness of the culture of the Second Polish Republic. As a result, a utopian vision of Poland emerges—a vision which can now only be considered nostalgia. Maciej Parowski’s novel is thus a nostalgic retrospection of the perfect, lost world that can become a source of inspiration for future generations.
"Ikaromenippos" – starożytny dialog o locie na Księżyc i do niebiańskiej siedziby bogów

"Ikaromenippos" – starożytny dialog o locie na Księżyc i do niebiańskiej siedziby bogów
("Ikaromenippos": an Ancient Dialogue on the Flight to the Moon and the Celestial Seat of the Gods)

  • Author(s):Dominika Budzanowska-Weglenda
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:557-571
  • No. of Pages:15
  • Keywords:Lucian of Samosata;Ikaromenippos;voyage imaginaire
  • Summary/Abstract:Dominika Budzanowska-Weglenda’s chapter proposes an analysis of the Ikaromenippos or Voyage in Space, which is one of dialogues of Lucian of Samosata and probably the first literary description of the human trip to the Moon. The main character takes on this journey because of his aversion to philosophy. Lucian’s Ikaromenippos is a fantastic dialogue: a philosopher, probably the cynic, and satirist Menippus of Gadara, flies here “through the stars”. He takes two wings of large birds: the wing of the vulture and the wing of the eagle, and performs an incredible feat, worthy of Icarus: he reaches the Moon (from where he looks at the people and their actions on Earth), and then flies to Heaven—to the gods, “in upper Zeus’ rooms”. The story of Menippus’journey is like a swift current of the river, full of jocular tone, with a fantastic plot. But it clearly carries a deeper message: it expresses criticism of human attitudes and actions (adulteries, murders, conspiracies, perjury, betrayals among the closest to ones, war, courtship, piracy), meanness, false and mercenary piety, especially when stigmatizing bad behavior of philosophers, without sparing the representatives of any philosophical school. According to Lucian’s narrative, philosophers are lazy, quarrelsome, bloated, angry, grotesque, tumultuous, surly, unworthy people. The author reinforces the accusations of philosophers with the deity’s words, as the goddess of the Moon, Selene, having been encountered by the traveler, complains about them as well. She believes that philosophers are impostors, leading a shameful nightlife behind the scenes: they commit adultery, steal, and commit any other evil deeds. Ikaromenippos belongs to Lucian’s satirical works featuring reflective comedy. Correspondingly, Lucian postulates the liberation from the practical cognitive pressure of the logical rules and from the philosophical logic of cognition of the universe.
Bułhakow czy Castaneda czasów popkultury?

Bułhakow czy Castaneda czasów popkultury?
(Bulgakov or Castaneda of Popular Culture?)

  • Author(s):Bogusław Olszewski
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Russian Literature, Philology
  • Page Range:573-585
  • No. of Pages:13
  • Keywords:Mikhail Bulgakov;Russian literature;Contemporary Russian literature;Victor Pelevin
  • Summary/Abstract:Bogusław Olszewski’s chapter discusses the influence of Mikhail Bulgakov’s works and writing style on the works of the contemporary Russian author, Victor Pelevin. Even though these two authors are frequently featured in comparative studies, seeking universal sources of literary inspiration in the classics, surrealist and postmodernist prose of Pielevin only remotely reminds the oeuvre of the author of Master and Margaret. Apart from the explicit influence of the Buddhist doctrine or shamanistic vision of the world, closely associated with the use of entheogens, the specific nature of the narrative and storyworld encourages the thesis that Pielevin’s fiction is largely pervaded by magical realism, maintained in the spirit of Carlos Castaneda’s.
Ofiara czy drapieżca? Kobieta-potwór w wybranych powieściach Aleksieja Szołochowa

Ofiara czy drapieżca? Kobieta-potwór w wybranych powieściach Aleksieja Szołochowa
(Victim or predator? Female Monster in Alexei Sholokhov’s Selected Novels)

  • Author(s):Anna N. Wilk
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Russian Literature, Philology
  • Page Range:587-602
  • No. of Pages:15
  • Keywords:Russian literature;Contemporary Russian literature;Russian fiction;Alexei Sholokhov
  • Summary/Abstract:Anna N. Wilk’s chapter delivers an analysis of novels by Alexei Sholokhov (Tyelo and Podval ) as an example of an updated vision of the dark side of femininity. Over the centuries, women have been accused of having magical abilities. Consequently, their physicality have been viewed as arousing both desire and fear of death, or loss of control over one’s life. Different varieties of female monsters survived in cultures aroundthe world as the antithesis of the usual “human” women, such as, for example, demonic lovers or vindictive, malicious ghosts. Despite the development of civilization and social changes leading to the empowerment of women in family, social, and professional life, the aforementioned concerns are still haunting the collective imagination. In Sholokhov’s novels, “women-monsters” focus their attacks on men, exhibiting outrageous brutality and sadism. Wilk’s analysis allows to demonstrate that the fear of the negative femininity is still an actual, timeless trope in popular culture.
Gotyckie figuracje Innego a problem winy, przemocy i braku solidarności w powieści "Przeklęci" Joyce Carol Oates

Gotyckie figuracje Innego a problem winy, przemocy i braku solidarności w powieści "Przeklęci" Joyce Carol Oates
(Gothic figurations of the Other and the Problem of Guilt, Violence and the Lack of Solidarity in Joyce Carol Oates’s "The Accursed")

  • Author(s):Magdalena Łachacz
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:603-622
  • No. of Pages:20
  • Keywords:Joyce Carol Oates;otherness;gothic fiction;new weird;solidarity;guilt
  • Summary/Abstract:In the chapter, Magdalena Łachacz proposes an in-depth analysis of the spectral characters of the child/woman and the bridegroom. These ghostly spectres make abrupt appearances at critical moments of the narrative set in the the Princeton community during the cusp year of 1905 into 1906 following traumatic and haunting events. The objectice of the introduction chapter is to place the novel within the confines of the American gothic genre with typical gothic motives. This particular genre delivers a disturbing experience with the dark and obscure aspects of American history with particular interest in the institution of slavery and its problems of racial and sexual abuse. In relation to the aesthetics of the American gothic, it is conceivable to associate the specters in Oates’ novel with the demonic protagonists of Charles Brockden Brown’s and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s fictional works—both pivotal writers of the genre. Hence there exists the possibility of looking at the spectre as the representation of the “Other” in typical American gothic oeuvres. Furthermore, one can perceive the relationship between the experiences of the “otherness” and the problem of guilt suffered by the protagonists of the privileged social class. Consequently, the scope of the analysis finds itself engrossed on the issue of the traumatic repressed experiences that may return by republication of postmodern slave narratives. Therefore, the question of language becomes imminent for the gothic-like representation of the figure of the “Other” in Oates’s novel. Nevertheless the text is permeated by cognitive pessimism. “The Accursed” seem to establish, thanks to the gothic convention, an idiosyncratic language capable of expressing the terror of the violent experiences within a community environment where there is a lack of solidarity with the victims. In effect, Oates’s novel can be approached as a step towards the aesthetic characterization of the “Other” in the recounting of the “unspoken crime” which remains the spectre that continues to haunt contemporary American culture.
Umierająca, rozwiązła, szukająca miłości. Przygody Alicji w XXI wieku

Umierająca, rozwiązła, szukająca miłości. Przygody Alicji w XXI wieku
(Dying, Dissolute, Searching for Love. Adventures of Alice in the Twenty-first Century)

  • Author(s):Anna Goworek
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Comparative Study of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:623-638
  • No. of Pages:16
  • Keywords:Lewis Caroll;retelling;renarration;Alice Adventures in Wonderland;Andrzej Sapkowski;Patrick Senécal;
  • Summary/Abstract:Anna Goworek reflects in this chapter on the rewriting of Lewis Carroll’s novel "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland". Lewis Carroll’s novels—"Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland" as well as its sequel, Through the Looking-Glass—are both multidimensional works, considered to be the beginning of fantasy literature and classic children’s novels. They became an inspiration for many modern writers, theater and film directors and game creators. This work focuses on recounting the problem in Carroll’s dilogy in relation to literature (Andrzej Sapkowski’s "Złote popołudnie" and Patrick Senécal’s "Aliss") and television series (Nick Willing, "Alice"). I will discuss the contemporary problems of identity that Alice must confront. By creating the character of the young, stray girl, Lewis Carroll forces self-determination unto Alice. However, Alice from the twenty-first century is an adult woman, who tries to find herself in male-female relationship, tries to reconcile with her father’s departure and tries to deal with addiction. In addition, there is a modification in the creation of Wonderland and the land on the other side of the mirror. In modern remakes there are often scenes of narcotics, violence and with new technologies. Modern authors making genuine stories about a girl lost in Wonderland are usually only focusing on a few threads from novels of the English mathematician. They experiment with Alice’s character, often targeting adults with their books including the experienced reader or recipient who are familiar with Carroll’s dilogy and his biography. With every successive rework of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, there are many intertextual questions raised that are worth investigating by researchers. Perhaps this is a way for modern authors to ward off the stereotypical perception of Lewis Carroll’s novels as merely children’s literature. Despite the countless revisions of the story, contemporary interpretations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have adapted to the trends of the reader.
Dwa starcia z Królową Elfów w prozie Terry’ego Pratchetta

Dwa starcia z Królową Elfów w prozie Terry’ego Pratchetta
(Two Encounters with the Queen of Elves in Terry Pratchett’s Fiction)

  • Author(s):Zofia Żółtek
  • Language:Polish
  • Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Studies of Literature, Theory of Literature
  • Page Range:639-654
  • No. of Pages:16
  • Keywords:fantasy;fantasy fiction;humorous fantasy;postmodern fantasy;Terry Pratchett
  • Summary/Abstract:In the last chapter, Zofia Żółtek analyses "Lords and Ladies" and "The Wee Free Man", fantasy novels from the author’s Discworld series. In both novels, elves attack the world of humans. The female protagonists must protect their land and their families. In order to do so, they need to fight the demonic Queen of Elves. The most important source of Pratchett’s inspiration mentioned in the essay is the folklore of the British Isles. The book’s portrayal of elves is based on the traditional Anglo-Saxon and Celtic imagery and beliefs. Apart from the similar characterization of elves in the book and in the folklore, the plot of both books is related to the sixteenth century Scottish ballad about Tam Lin, a young man captured by faeries and Janet, the girl who tries to save him while being pregnant with his child. The author also remarks on the changes in the culture and their influence on the plot, as viewed through comparative analysis of analogies between modern and Early Modern texts. She points out that Wee Free Man is a young adult novel, and therefore Pratchett omits the romantic and erotic plot that provides the tension in the original ballad. Terry Pratchett is known for using, transforming and parodying common cultural tropes. The author discusses the remarkable fidelity and gentleness with which he treats motifs taken from folklore. This is a result of both countercultural potential of the folklore itself, and the ideological position Pratchett takes. The English Folk Revival, as Georgina Boyes proves in her book Imagined Village, is typically connected with left wing political and social movements. The reinterpretation of Tam Lin ballad allows Pratchett to write about feminism in an original way.
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