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Science, Technology and Magic in The Witcher

A Medievalist Spin on Modern Monsters

Kristine Larsen author Donald E Palumbo editor CW Sullivan III editor

Format:Paperback

Publisher:McFarland & Co Inc

Published:28th Feb '23

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Science, Technology and Magic in The Witcher cover

As Andrzej Sapkowski was fleshing out his character Geralt of Rivia for a writing contest, he did not set out to write a science textbook--or even a work of science fiction. However, the world that Sapkowski created in his series The Witcher resulted in a valuable reflection of real-world developments in science and technology. As the Witcher books have been published across decades, the sorcery in the series acts as an extension of the modern science it grows alongside.

This book explores the fascinating entanglement of science and magic that lies at the heart of Sapkowski's novel series and its widely popular video game and television adaptations. This is the first English-language book-length treatment of magic and science in the Witcher universe. These are examined through the lenses of politics, religion, history and mythology. Sapkowski's richly detailed universe investigates the sociology of science and ponders some of the most pressing modern technological issues, such as genetic engineering, climate change, weapons of mass destruction, sexism, speciesism and environmentalism. Chapters explore the unsettling realization that the greatest monsters are frequently human, and their heinous acts often involve the unwitting hand of science.

“...a timely must read for anyone interested in not only these stories but in the wider world of fantasy, the cultural history of science, medievalisms and the works of Tolkien and Martin, all of which are brought together in this detailed study.”—Marcus Harmes, Associate Professor, University of Southern Queensland
“...a foundational text for English-language studies in the world of The Witcher across all three of the represented media, effectively contributing to the study of literature, television, and video games in equal measure.”—Jason C. Cash, Associate Professor, SUNY Delhi
“Very approachable even for audiences with a less than encyclopedic knowledge of the source material… a worthwhile read for any author interested in the confluence of medieval knowledge systems, the history of science, and popular culture…fascinating…Larsen does an admirable job of synthesizing her literary analysis with analysis of the real-world history of science.”—H-Net.

ISBN: 9781476683850

Dimensions: unknown

Weight: 148g

277 pages