The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy
The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy is a 1996 anthology of Polish speculative fiction, edited and translated by Wiesiek Powaga and published in the United Kingdom by Dedalus Books in their Dedalus Books of Fantasy series of European literary fantasy anthologies.
The anthology features twenty short stories spanning two centuries of Polish literature, written by authors including Witold Gombrowicz, Stefan Grabiński, Sławomir Mrożek, Władysław Reymont, Bruno Schulz, and Jacek Dukaj.
The collection's unifying theme is the exploration of evil, often personified in the devil or another demonic entity or entities. The genres include Gothic, surrealism, dystopian satire, even science fiction.
The anthology has been praised for its thematic coherence, its portrayal of "the reality of evil", and its demonstration of how the Polish literary tradition differs from Western European approaches to similar themes.
Contents
Some of the stories have here been translated into English for the first time. The stories' unifying theme is the concept of a devil – who appears in many of the stories – or of demons: that is, personifications of evil.The book's editor, Wiesiek Powaga, writes that "In choosing the stories for this anthology I tried to do justice to the devil and various strands of tradition which account for his presence in Polish fantastic fiction", which he sees as a unique genre of its own, related to but distinct from wider European fiction: "Stranded between West and East, forever suspended between damnation and redemption, between Satan and the Messiah, Polish fantastic stories possess a unique and distinctive voice."
The book's cover incorporates a painting by the Polish symbolist painter Jacek Malczewski.
The stories
Sources:- Sławomir Mrożek, "Co-Existence"
- Andrzej Szczypiorski, "The Lady with the Medallion"
- Marek S. Huberath, "'"
- Tadeusz Miciński, "Father Faust"
- , "Strange Street"
- Władysław Reymont, "The Vampire"
- Lucjan Siemieński "The Shadow of Queen Barbara"
- Jan Barszczewski, "The Head Full of Screaming Hair"
- Henryk Rzewuski, "I Am Burnin'!"
- Stefan Grabiński, "The Grey Room"
- Stefan Grabiński, "The Black Hamlet"
- Kornel Makuszyński, "The Gentleman with a Goatee"
- Witold Gombrowicz, "Dinner at Countess Kotłubay's"
- Bruno Schulz, "Father Experiments"
- Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz, ""
- Bruno Jasieński, "'"
- Wiktor Woroszylski, "The White Worms"
- Andrzej Bursa, "Dragon"
- Jacek Dukaj, ""
Reception
George Hydge reviewed the book for The Times Literary Supplement. He writes that the anthology's unifying theme is the "reality of evil", and he notes that the stories span many genres, including "confessional, Gothic, travelogue, dystopian satire"). He comments on their specifically Polish view: "the English reader will look in vain for even a hint of a Freudian rationalization of evil. The Polish Devil operates with what Poles like to call 'disinterested malice.'"Hydge writes of Gombrowicz's short story, "Dinner at the Countess Kotłubay's", that it "has a diabolic whiff of madness and brimstone about it" and that its focus on "the stuffy, crazy, hypertrophied social manners of the marionette-like dinner guests" anticipates Gombrowicz's later novel, Trans-Atlantyk.
Florence Waszkelewicz Clowes reviewed the book for the Polish American Journal. She writes that the book surveys the treatment of evil personified through centuries of Polish literature, beginning with the folk story of Pan Twardowski and becoming "more fantastic, absurd and surrealistic", the newest works being "paranormal" and "futuristic".
Chris Gilmore reviewed the anthology for the British fantasy and science fiction magazine Interzone. He writes that the stories show a "strong if isolated literary tradition" that may be unfamiliar to most English readers. As an example of "the chief difference between the Polish tradition and those of western Europe and America" he points to Marek S. Huberath's story, noting the seriousness of its theology.
Gilmore comments that the collection spans over two centuries of Polish literature, ranging from "a couple of surrealist and expressionist pieces which now seem dated" to a modern space opera. He concludes that "the quality is high" and that "the unifying theme of temptation and fall is realized with a bravura variety matched only by the protean forms which the Devil may take." Gilmore also notes a few minor problems with translation. He concludes that "this is a fat collection and excellent value – one to keep".