Science, Technology and Magic in The Witcher: A Medievalist Spin on Modern Monsters

by Kristine Larsen, Donald E. Palumbo (Editor), C.W. Sullivan III (Editor)

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476648170
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Incorporated Publishers
Publication date:	02/02/2023
Series:	Critical Explorations in Science Fiction and Fantasy , #83
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	290
File size:	3 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Kristine Larsen is a professor of astronomy at Central Connecticut State University, where her teaching and research focus on the intersections between science and society. Her publications include numerous articles and book chapters on J.R.R. Tolkien’s uses of astronomy in his writings.
Kristine Larsen is a professor of astronomy at Central Connecticut State University, where her teaching and research focus on the intersections between science and society. Her publications include numerous articles and book chapters on J.R.R. Tolkien's uses of astronomy in his writings.

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Preface: Science and the Serpent
Introduction: Science and Secondary Worlds
 1. Science and Magic
 2. Finding the Facts in Folklore, Superstition, and Memories
 3. Navigating Time and Space
 4. Mad Mages and Suspect Scientists
 5. Uneasy Alliances: Science, Religion, and Politics
 6. Evolution and Environmentalism
 7. Science and Pseudoscience of Racism and Speciesism
 8. Human Experimentation and Genetic Engineering
 9. Technology and Weapons of Mass Destruction
10. The Witcher as ­Cli-Fi
Conclusion: STEAM, Symbiosis, and Sturgeon’s Law
Abbreviations
Works Cited
Index

Editorial Reviews

...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

From the Publisher