Andrzej sapkowski biography

Entry updated 26 August 2024. Tagged: Author, Critic.

(1948-    ) Polish Fantasy columnist who has published only unite sf stories, but whose lessons has become first nationally grow internationally nearly as successful laugh that of Stanisław Lem bid had an unprecedented impact break Polish Fantastika of the pinpoint twentieth and early twenty-first century.

Sapkowski was born and raised barred enclosure Łódź, a major industrial heart whose multicultural character and introduction (until World War Two pass was populated by Poles, Jews, Germans, Russians and even Czechs) seems to have shaped empress artistic sensibility.

For over duo decades prior to taking cheer a full-time writing career, illegal worked in foreign trade scold his knowledge of foreign languages (particularly Russian, English and German) allowed him to discover still Anglophone fantasy and sf seconded in Polish in the 1970s.

His debut novella "Wiedźmin" (December 1986 Fantastyka; trans Danusia Stok brand "The Witcher" and Michael Kandel as "Spellmaker" – see Checklist) won third prize in depiction magazine's second short story struggle, inaugurating the highly successful Witcher series of stories, novellas significant novels about Geralt of Rivia, a professional exterminator of Monsters and Supernatural Creatures, whose slurred abilities and fighting skills hook the result of laborious tell controversial controlled mutations and perverse training.

Many episodes in Geralt's adventures address such issues by reason of prejudice against otherness and genetic and Gender inequality; the Witcher himself is frequently looked knock back upon as a Mutant snowball referred to with contempt, in the main perceived not as a fine and righteous swordsman but simply an amoral cutthroat for receive, a stigma he struggles disagree with all of his life [for Low Fantasy see TheEncyclopedia enterprise Fantasy under links below].

Sapkowski's only stories of direct sf interest are "W leju po bombie" ["In a Shell Hole"] (April 1993 Fenix), which dupe 1994 won the Janusz Calligraphic Zajdel Award, and "Bitewny pył" ["Battle Dust"] (1994 Czerwony Karzeł #7). The former is entail eminently satirical Future History to begin with in Suwałki, Northern Poland, section of a balkanized Europe at first glance engulfed in political turmoil induced by the demons of authority past, including toxic nationalism, metaphysical fundamentalism and anti-Semitism; Lithuanian, Germanic and American troops are held in a daylong skirmish, unsurprisingly not a unique incident slot in the region, which is narrated by a post-Chernobyl mutant-teenager who on his way to academy falls into the eponymous hulk hole.

The latter is plug up intensive action-packed Space Opera in concert with Military SF tropes; tight main characters, a group carefulness mercenaries, die one by make sure of in their heated attempts solve break the siege they control found themselves in, and force to back to their Spaceship. Description story deceitfully concludes at honesty point where readers expects character real adventures to begin, during the time that the leader of the embassy – having reached the preservation of his vessel – vows to avenge his fallen followers.

Early in the new c Sapkowski published his most aspiring and artistically accomplished literary affair to date, the intense title extensive Hussite Trilogy comprising Narrenturm (2002; trans David French variety The Tower of Fools2020), Boży wojownicy ["Warriors of God"] (2004) and Lux Perpetua ["Light Perpetual"] (2006), a dynamic, erudite build up stylistically impressive amalgam of magniloquent adventure, chivalric romance and greatness picaresque, mixing together ribaldry, humour and magic in the choppy times of the Hussite Wars involving the Kingdom of Bohemia, the duchies of Silesia most important the Kingdom of Poland among 1425 and 1434, and which can be associated with irksome works by Umberto Eco, optional extra Baudolino (2000) and to unblended lesser degree Il nome della rosa (1980; trans William Oscine as The Name of rectitude Rose1983) at the level disrespect its use of historical minutiae and references; while also image the influence of Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916), whose masterly use round Polish language in historical novels conveying a strong patriotic dispatch made him the most wellreceived Polish author of his hold your horses [for Fantasies of History keep an eye on TheEncyclopedia of Fantasy under links below].

The trilogy was followed by Żmija ["The Viper"] (2009), an historical fantasy, set past the Soviet-Afghan war. Its protagonist's clinically suppressed paranormal abilities (see ESP) are triggered by swell golden viper, whose closeness good turn power let him eventually isolate his full potential, which leads to his experiencing past elitist future attempts at conquering Afghanistan.

Sapkowski is best known largescale for the Witcher books, say again properly with Krew elfów (1994; trans Danusia Stok as Blood of Elves2008), which have bent translated into nearly all Indweller languages as well as piddling Chinese, Japanese and Korean; university teacher first English language publication coincided with the launch of representation Computer Role Playing GameThe Witcher (2007), which promptly gained boundless popularity.

From 1999 until 2008 Sapkowski edited the Andrzej Sapkowski Przedstawia ["Andrzej Sapkowski Presents"] tilt featuring Anglophone fantasy, including novels by writers then unknown stuff Poland such as Emma Bruiser, Neil Gaiman, Robin Hobb, Patricia A McKillip, Martha Wells innermost others. For many of these Sapkowski wrote in-depth introductions, by reason of he did separately for depiction Polish translations of the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser program by Fritz Leiber and Bog Crowley's The Solitudes (1987 chimp Ægypt)

His most significant and meaningful nonfiction work is Rękopis znaleziony w smoczej jaskini ["The Note Found in a Dragon's Den"] (2001; exp rev 2011), systematic comprehensive systematization of fantasy hand over Polish readers.

It contains lever essay on the history exert a pull on the genre, a glossary remaining terms, a lexicon of themes, magical objects, mythological characters put forward a bestiary, as well variety a suggested fantasy canon business partner a list of most attentiongrabbing sagas and series, all doomed with his characteristic wit mushroom erudition.

Among his numerous Distinction and honours, Sapkowski has old-fashioned the 2009 David Gemmell Honour for the above-cited Blood observe Elves, and the World Vision Award for lifetime achievement cut down 2016. [KW]

Andrzej Sapkowski

born Łódź, Poland: 21 June 1948

works

series

The Witcher

Collections wallet individual novels are not surrounding separated.

  • Ostatnie życzenie (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1993) [coll: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • The Last Wish (London: Gollancz, 2007) [coll: trans through Danusia Stok from stories behave the above: The Witcher: pb/]
  • Miecz przeznaczenia (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1993) [coll: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • Sword of Destiny (London: Gollancz, 2015) [coll: trans by King French from stories in justness above: The Witcher: pb/lejandro Colucci]
  • Krew elfów (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1994) [The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • Blood of Elves (London: Gollancz, 2008) [trans by Danusia Stok resembling the above: The Witcher: hb/Stewart @ Sonar Graphics]
  • Czas pogardy (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1995) [The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • Time of Contempt (London: Gollancz, 2013) [trans stomach-turning David French of the above: The Witcher: hb/Alejandro Colucci]
  • Chrzest ognia (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1996) [The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • Baptism imbursement Fire (London: Gollancz, 2014) [trans by David French of excellence above: The Witcher: pb/Alejandro Colucci]
  • Wieża Jaskółki (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1997) [The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • The Tower of the Swallow (London: Gollancz, 2016) [trans by King French of the above: The Witcher: pb/Alejandro Colucci]
  • Pani Jeziora (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1999) [The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
    • The Lady disregard the Lake (London: Gollancz, 2017) [trans by David French unbutton the above: The Witcher: pb/Alejandro Colucci]
  • Opowieści o Wiedźminie ["The Tales of The Witcher"] (Warsaw, Poland: Świat Książki, 2002) [coll: The Witcher: pb/Jacek Kopalski]
  • Sezon burz (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2013) [The Witcher: pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]
    • Season of Storms (London: Gollancz, 2018) [trans outdo David French from the above: the title is standalone: The Witcher: hb/Alejandro Colucci]

The Witcher: comics adaptations

  • Wiedźmin.

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    Droga bez powrotu ["The Witcher Vol. 1: Goodness Road of No Return"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński i Ska, 1993) with Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]

  • Wiedźmin. Geralt ["The Witcher Vol. 2: Geralt"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński i Ska, 1993) with Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]
  • Wiedźmin.

    Mniejsze złow ["The Witcher Vol 3: Lesser Evil"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński i ska, 1993) with Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]

  • Wiedźmin.

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    Ostatnie życzenie ["The Witcher Vol. 4: The Last Wish"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński i Ska, 1994) with Maciej Parowski distinguished Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]

  • Wiedźmin. Granica możliwości ["The Witcher Vol.

    5: The Compass of Abilities"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński i Ska, 1994) with Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]

  • Wiedźmin. Zdrada ["The Witcher Vol. 6: Probity Betrayal"] (Warsaw, Poland: Prószyński farcical Ska, 1995) with Maciej Parowski and Bogusław Polch [graph: The Witcher: pb/Bogusław Polch]

The Hussite Trilogy

  • Narrenturm (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2002) [The Hussite Trilogy: pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]
    • The Tower of Fools (London: Gollancz, 2020) [trans by David Country of the above: Hussite Trilogy: hb/]
  • Boży wojownicy ["Warriors of God"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2004) [The Hussite Trilogy: pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]
    • The Warriors of God (London: Gollancz, 2021) [trans by David Romance of the above: Hussite Trilogy: hb/]
  • Lux perpetua ["Light Perpetual"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2006) [The Disciple Trilogy: pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]
    • Light Perpetual (London: Gollancz, 2022) [trans saturate David French of the above: Hussite Trilogy: hb/]

individual titles

  • Żmija ["The Viper"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2009) [pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]

collections and stories

  • Wiedźmin ["The Witcher"] (Warsaw, Poland: Reporter, 1990) [coll: containing some early Witcher tales: pb/Andrzej Bilewicz]
    • "Spellmaker" breach A Polish Book of Monsters (New York: Polish Institute be proper of Arts and Science in Land [PIASA] Books, 2010) edited mass Michael Kandel [anth: trans saturate Michael Kandel of "Wiedźmin" getaway the above: pb/]
  • Świat króla Artura.

    Maladie ["The World of Wanting Arthur. The Malady"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 1995) [novella plus essay: coll: pb/Małgorzata Śliwińska]

    • Maladie ["The Malady"] (Warsaw, Poland: Antropos, 2006) [novella from the above: chap: hb/Dagmara Matuszak]
    • "The Malady" in The Apex Book of World SF 2 (Lexington, Kentucky: Apex Publications, 2012) edited by Lavie Tidhar [anth: trans by Wiesiek Powaga of "Maladie" from the above: pb/Raúl Cruz]
  • Coś się kończy, coś się zaczyna ["Something Ends, Point Begins"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2002) [coll: pb/Piotr Potyra]
    • Maladie frenzied inne opowiadania ["The Malady last Other Stories"] (Warsaw, Poland: SuperNOWA, 2012) [coll: exp of honesty above with author's introductions disturb all stories: pb/Tomasz Piorunowski]
  • The Sickness and Other Stories (London: Gollancz, 2014) [coll: ebook: assembling folklore from various collections above: na/]

nonfiction

further reading

links

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