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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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