Sapkowski fantasy world

[username_3218976]

Sapkowski fantasy world

So... I'm preety sure 99% most of us here are fans of the game, This question though is for those who read the books.

Is the fantasy world Sapkowski created, Is it one of the best in your books?
Does he dethrone good ol' tolkien? H.P. Lovecraft? C. S. Lewis?

If you do think Sapkowski is one of the best writers you read than I'm really interested.
What in your opinion make his writing so unique, colorful dramatic and EPIC?

 

[Sandis]

I like a lot fantasy story's and especially medieval time, but wen for a first time i was playing The witcher, and than afterwards i found out about books, i start to read ''The last wish'' it just blow me away with that realistic and in same time converted fantasy world, i kept read til end... In several words MR Andrzej Sapkowski work is beautiful ART indeed...

 

[yuikami]

+LIKE to the thread xD!

I like Lovecraft!, but I like it more when the book is about medieval fantasy, not as nice and prettiful as Tolkien's so I'm settling down with Sapkowski's. It has all the dark and light side element, not just Orcs are the bad guy and simple destroy everything, but human are the real monsters, conspiracy, war, racist, it's just so realistic I can take a bite of. That's just super Epic!

The elves are not alllll glorious and beautiful~ I'm ok with it, but something I saw in LotR are just too sparkly for me. [My eyes!!] I mean, yes, the Elves in Sapkowski's were as glorious and sparkly once, but the human probably destroy everything since that's what human do, I love it! It just keep the balance with these 2 worlds.

Romance! Love is not suppose to be all beautiful... There's too many charming, heroic prince and beautiful elven princess... a monster slayer and a mood-swing sorceress is just pure interesting.

Another thing that really interest me is how the folklore and myth are applied. The story is also not only about adventure, journey to save the earth like heroes do with super powerful items... Just some task that matters to some big people. May be I'm just too negative for that. xD

OH oh! Also George R R Martin! I love it so much... except all the nice character tends to die... alot ;_;

 

[Charza]

Well, I read both the english translations (as well as a couple of fan translations) and what I like most about Sapkowski's fantasy is that instead of certain archetypes, sapkowski created very realistic characters.

Many of the characters are very real, and all of them have made mistakes in their past, some witch greater importance.
I also like that Geralt's adventures sometimes don't end with the happy ending kind of storyline that more traditional fantasy stories seem so full of sometimes.

So yes, in my opinion it is one of the better fantasy stories out there, even though I love lots of them.

 

[Sirnaq]

I have already read all witcher books, and must say that he is for me, the best of low fantasy writer out there.

 

[Babli.480]

As was mentioned before, its realism of the world and how it sucessfully portraits our own world and society of today in its fantasy setting. Also I love how everything supernatural has at least some explanation or theories, so everything has its purpose. And what a great characters. I wish Regis could make it into the game. Not just few mentiones, but at least in some flashback For me he is the best character in Witcher universe.

 

[ratiasu220]

I really love how this world has roots in reality yet it has reasonable fantasy elements. The way Sapkowski uses old myths and tales is just brilliant: I loved the curse of the black sun - princes come to the girls' rescue and ruined all the plans that others have made to keep those cursed girls away. I know the similar stories like Rapunzel. This perspective is just much better.

Though I'm not sure if his way of writing is my favourite. The world surely is.

 

[Sirnaq]

As was mentioned before, its realism of the world and how it sucessfully portraits our own world and society of today in its fantasy setting. Also I love how everything supernatural has at least some explanation or theories, so everything has its purpose. And what a great characters. I wish Regis could make it into the game. Not just few mentiones, but at least in some flashback For me he is the best character in Witcher universe.

Spoiler

RIP Regis ;_;7

 

[phamvan94]

To be honest, I never read the mainstream books, I always preferred the lesser known ones, Warcraft being an exception. (If were are talking only about fantasy)

Sapkowski and the Witcher world are very interesting because they break quite a lot of stereotypes. It is not one nation against another (orcs vs humans, elves vs everyone, etc) but its multiple races living together in kingdoms. Thank god dwarves still drink and cuss though That stereotype should never be broken.

It is also quite realistic, magic is reserved only for a select few, same as alchemy. Witchers have "super powers" but most of their skill still comes from training and natural sources. There is a lot of politics mixed in, which makes it only more interesting. And of course, bad things happen to the main characters quite a lot. I seriously felt bad/sorry for Ciri during the last 2 Chapters of Times of Contempt. And, the obvious answer, there is no "good" or "bad" character, no hero or villain, everyone is doing things for their personal gain, as in real life.

But then again, I'm a sucker for any good fantasy book (and sometimes even those not so good) so it may be just my natural love for the genre and books in general.

 

[pomor]

While I like Sapkowski, I don't think he is in the same league as Tolkien. Old JRR, among other things, created Fantasy as we know it today.
Sapkowski however can, in my opinion, successfully compete with the writers like David Eddings, George Martin or Roger Zelazny. I mention them, because these are the other writers, that I like the most.

 

[yayodeanno.831]

Let's not forget that Sapkowski takes his inspiration from human history: racism, pogroms, segregation, wars, it's all inspired by the real world. And Elves are in Sapkowski's world under many aspects the equivalent of native americans retreating from and then suicidally rebelling against the white colonizers.

 

[volsung]

While I like Sapkowski, I don't think he is in the same league as Tolkien. Old JRR, among other things, created Fantasy as we know it today.

Well they are very different authors, even if they both write some kind of fantasy (in a way, isn't all fiction fantasy too?). Tolkien did not create "fantasy" as we know it today, but he helped shape what now is known as "canon" by RE-CREATING a variety of scenarios and folk tales from different parts of Europe that serve as the basis for the standard high-fantasy setting.

It would be naive to imagine that Tolkien was the first to come up with a story about a ring of power, a dark lord, a legendary broken sword or even multiple races coexisting in a fantastic world. Many of the Lord of the Rings key elements actually derive from Scandinavian (and German) mythology and the Arthurian myth. Are you familiar with the saga of the Volsungs? The Nibelungenlied? Richard Wagner, the famed composer, was obsessed with it and wrote 4 very long musical dramas together called "Der Ring des Nibelungen". His re-telling of the scandinavian myth with heavy german influences is centered around a hero, Siegfried (Sigurd -of the Volsung clan in the norse myth) who ignoring his heritage is raised by a blacksmith, Alberich, who once enslaved the race of the nibelung dwarves to mine the gold of the rhine for him and forge a ring of power. This ring, after a commotion in Valhalla, is kept by the giant Fafnir who changes into the form of a dragon/serpent and hides in a cave. Alberich has Siegfried reforge his father's sword (gifted by Odin in the norse myth) to kill Fafnir and retrieve the ring for him, a ring for which Fafnir killed his own brother. And so on and so forth.

Look people, nothing is new anymore. All the fantasy we love and enjoy has the same recurrent themes that humanity is obsessed with, especially indoeuropeans (since that is the literature we're discussing here). Some of these themes are power, fate and predestination. All indoeuropean mythologies deal with predestination one way or another, exploring the idea that only the strongest, if any, are able to change their fate. This is particularly well exemplified by the Greek Moriae and the Norse Norns. These beings know past, present and future, and what they dictate comes to happen... or does it?

Now, I would rescue from Sapkowski's The Witcher universe that it presents predestination from a more... human, perspective. It's not about being a hero and changing your fate, but about the duality of choice-and-consequence versus simply accepting your destiny.

 

[guywithknife]

I've read The Last Wish and Blood of Elves.

I found the fantasy world portrayed in them to be very well thought out and, in many ways, a lot more realistic than some of the other fantasy classics. For example, very little is black and white in the world of The Witcher - take Geralt as the obvious example: hes good, but he often does bad things. The books are full of characters and situations like this - nothing is as clear cut as, say, in the Lord of the Rings. I find this to be very refreshing and also a lot more realistic. Good people sometimes do bad things and bad people sometimes do good things. It shows humanity.

Besides that, though, the world of the witcher is very detailed, with plenty of lore and history, sub plots and interesting characters. I think it definitely makes my list of favorite fantasy worlds, though I guess I'm probably a little biased, since I've become a bit of a Witcher fan since I played the games I'm tempted to buy the German (I know enough German that I'd be able to just about get by) books just so I can read more now, instead of waiting/hoping the other books will be translated to English.

tl;dr: The Witcher fantasy world is well designed and portrayed IMHO and the books are worth reading.

 

[eglard]

Somebody mentioned that some of Sapkowskis work has been translated by fans. Is this true? I would like to get my hands on those, since the only ones I have read are The last wish and Blood of the elves. If someone could post a link to the fan-translated books I would be very very happy.

Comparing Sapkowski to Tolkien or Lovecraft and especially Lewis is not valid. Sapkowskis stories have a strong political aspect, the main character seems to be in a deadly web where he is drawn despite of his efforts. The stories are not bizzare in the way Lovecrafts are, the characters have feelings, a past, different agendas unlike Tolkiens and the world is serious, dark and full of realism unlike Lewis. Above all Sapkowskis stories feature deep moral dilemmas. I'm not at all sure if I would agree with the choices Geralt makes in the books. He doesn't take sides but struggles on a fence, just like in TW 1. In TW 2 neutrality is somewhat out of the picture...

 

[Ranuncolo.107]

In my humble opionion, I think Andrzej Sapkowski is the real heir to Tolkien and Howard. He has taken the epic themes from the former and a style similar to the latter. He has created a perfect "suspension of disbelief", a great Fantasy world and unforgettable characters.

 

[username_3218976]

Somebody mentioned that some of Sapkowskis work has been translated by fans. Is this true? I would like to get my hands on those, since the only ones I have read are The last wish and Blood of the elves. If someone could post a link to the fan-translated books I would be very very happy.

Yes, There you go: http://www.gog.com/en/forum/the_witcher_2/fan_translation_of_the_witcher_stories_and_novels/page1

 

[GuyNwah]

I think comparisons with Tolkien are inevitable but unfortunate. Sure, they are similar in the incidentals of a world where kings, wizards, monsters, magic, alienated elves and debauched dwarves are standard fare. But Sapkowski is like taking a trip to Middle-Earth and encountering Dashiell Hammett, the Continental Op, and the lowlifes of Poisonville instead of Tolkien, Aragorn, and lovable Hobbits.

 

[eglard]

Yes, There you go: http://www.gog.com/e...nd_novels/page1

Thanks!

 

[username_2186574]

Also Times of Contempt has been translated and can be downloaded here:
http://www.mediafire...zvue4eo5l5nk0s9

 

[Yeiiow]

i readed all the 7 books(spanish edition) and i really really liked them, for me whats make the story and the author so unique, is the level of realism,the background stories(there is allways several stories going around at once) and the level of detail on the characters and the plot.

Sapkowski's boocks are not full of cliche like many otehr books, not saying taht they re bad, but u pretty much allways knows hot its gona end, and u have allways the clear imagen of A is good, B is bad.... A will win... ect ec while here u pretty much never know what to spect, also in my opinion Sapkowski's deals with more mature themes, and more dark stories, it show how how little decitions may bring hugge consecuences... it show how not everything is green and red(for not using the black and white example

those were just small examples of what in my op makes the story so interesting and unique, but there are much more examples... so in resume for me i could easely say that The Geralt of Rivia saga is one of the bets(if not the best) i have read so far....