# The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy

The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy is a 1996 anthology of Polish speculative fiction, edited 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 such as Witold Gombrowicz, Stefan Grabiński, Sławomir Mrożek, Władysław Reymont, Bruno Schulz and Jacek Dukaj.
The unifying theme of the collection is the exploration of evil, often personified through the figure of the devil or other demonic entities. The stories encompass a range of genres, including Gothic, surrealism, dystopian satire, and even science fiction.
The anthology received critical praise for its thematic coherence, its portrayal of "the reality of evil," and for showcasing how the Polish literary tradition differs from Western European approaches to similar themes.

## Contents

Some have been translated to English for the first time. The unifying theme of the stories present in this volume is the concept of a devil (or demons); i.e. the personification of evil, and the devil appears in person in many stories in the volume. The editor, Wiesiek Powaga, wrote 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 nonetheless distinct from wider European fiction, concluding that "Stranded between West and East, forever suspended between damnation and redemption, Satan and the Messiah, Polish fantastic stories possess a unique and distinctive voice".
The book cover is based on art by Jacek Malczewski.
The stories present in the volume are:
* "Co-Existence" by Sławomir Mrożek (Koegzystencja)
* "The Lady with the Medallion" by Andrzej Szczypiorski (Dama z medalionem, 1972)
* "The Greater Punishment [pl]" by Marek S. Huberath (Kara większa, 1991)
* "Father Faust" by Tadeusz Miciński (excerpt of Xiądz Faust [Wikidata], 1913)
* "Strange Street" by Franciszek Mirandola [pl] (Ulica Dziwna [Wikidata], 1919)
* "The Vampire" by Władysław Reymont (excerpt of Wampir [pl], 1911)
* "The Shadow of Queen Barbara" by Lucjan Siemieński (Cień królowej Barbary, 1835)
* "The Head Full of Screaming Hair" by Jan Barszczewski (Włosy krzyczące na głowie, 1982)
* "I Am Burnin'!" by Henryk Rzewuski (Ja gorę, 1982)
* "The Grey Room" by Stefan Grabiński (Szary pokój [Wikidata], 1918)
* "The Black Hamlet" by Stefan Grabiński (Czarna Wólka, 1922)
* "The Gentleman with a Goatee$^"$ by Kornel Makuszyński (Pan z kozią bródką, 1925)
* "Dinner at Countess Kotłubay's" by Witold Gombrowicz (Biesiada u hrabiny Kotłuba, 1928; the story's title has also been translated to English as Dinner at Countess Pavahoke’s)
* "Father Experiments" by Bruno Schulz (excerpt of Kometa, 1938)
* "Mother Joanna of the Angels [pl]" by Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz (excerpt of Matka Joanna od Aniołów, 1946)
* "The Legs of Isolda Morgan [Wikidata]" by Bruno Jasieński (Nogi Izoldy Morgan, 1923)
* "The White Worms" by Wiktor Woroszylski [pl] (Białe robaki, 1972)
* "Dragon" by Andrzej Bursa (Smok, 1958)
* "The Golden Galley [pl]" by Jacek Dukaj (Złota Galera, 1990)

## Reception

George Hydge reviewed the book for the The Times Literary Supplement. The reviewer described the theme unifying the works in the anthology as "reality of evil", and noted they span many genres (such as "confessional, Gothic, travelogue, dystopian satire"). He also commented on the Polish-specific take visible in the works, writing that "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"". Subsequently, the reviewer discusses Gombrowicz's short story "Dinner at the Countess Kotłubay's", writing that it "has a diabolic whiff of madness and brimstone about it", and that its focus on "the stuff, crazy, hypertrophied social manners of the marionette-like dinner guests" anticipate Gombrowicz's later novel, Trans-Atlantyk (1953).
Florence Waszkelewicz Clowes reviewed the book for the Polish American Journal. The reviewer observes that that book provides a chronological overview of the treatment of personification of evil (usually in the form of devil as a character in stories) throughout centuries of Polish literature, beginning with takes on the folk story of Pan Twardowski, then becoming "more fantastic, absurd and surrealistic", with the newest works "paranormal" and "futuristic".
Chris Gilmore reviewed it for the Interzone. He observed that the works 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 out to Huberath's story, noting the seriousness of its theology. Regarding the stories, he commented that as the anthology 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 (Dukaj's short story). He concludes that "the [overall] quality [of stories in the anthology] is high", and "the unifying theme of temptation and fall is realized with a bravura variety matched only by the protean forms which the Devil may take". The reviewer also noted a few minor problems with translation. He concluded that "this is a fat collection and excellent value - one to keep".

### On individual works

Huberath's short story (The Greater Punishment [pl]) included in this volume, initially published in Nowa Fantastyka magazine in 1991, received the Janusz A. Zajdel Award (Polish science fiction and fantasy award) in its Best Story category in the following year.