Jacek Dukaj

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Jacek Józef Dukaj (pronounced: Template:IPAc-pl; born 30 July 1974) is a Polish science fiction and fantasy writer. His fiction explores such themes as alternate history, alternative physics and logic, human nature, religion, the relationship between science and power, technological singularity, artificial intelligence, and transhumanism. He is regarded among the most popular Polish contemporary science fiction authors.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He is the recipient of numerous national and international literary prizes including the European Union Prize for Literature, Janusz A. Zajdel Award and European Science Fiction Award.

Career

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Jacek Dukaj (right) and Anna Kańtoch (left) - laureates of the 2010 Janusz A. Zajdel Awards

He was born on 30 July 1974 in Tarnów. He graduated from High School No. 3 in Tarnów and subsequently studied philosophy at the Jagiellonian University in Kraków.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He made his literary debut at the age of 16 when he published his short story "Template:Ill" ("The Golden Galley") in the Fantastyka science-fiction monthly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 1997, he published his first novel Xavras Wyżryn. His texts and short stories were featured in such science fiction and fantasy magazines as Nowa Fantastyka, Template:Ill, Template:Ill, Fenix, Science Fiction and Template:Ill.<ref name=":12">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

His short stories have been translated into English, German, Russian, Czech, Slovak, Macedonian, Italian, Bulgarian, Hungarian, Ukrainian and Bosnian.<ref name=":2">Template:Cite web</ref> His first story, "The Golden Galley", was translated into English by Wiesiek Powaga and published in The Dedalus Book of Polish Fantasy (1996).<ref name=":1">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Michael Kandel's translation of "Template:Ill" has been published in A Polish Book of Monsters (2010)<ref name="rev">Template:Cite journal</ref> and his translation of fragments of Template:Ill into English is available online.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Cathedral served as the basis for the 2002 Academy Award-nominated science-fiction short film of the same name directed by Tomasz Bagiński.<ref name=":12" />

In 2007, he published one of the most successful of his novels entitled Ice for which he won the Janusz A. Zajdel Award,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> European Union Prize for Literature<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and Kościelski Award.<ref name=":2" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, he published Wroniec whose action takes place in the background of the 1981 martial law in Poland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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Dukaj (right) at the Literary Heights Festival, 2022

The Apocrypha of Lem, a mock-review in Lem's tradition, written as an afterword for reedition of Lem's A Perfect Vacuum, was published in "Lemistry", translated by Danuta Stok.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

The Old Axolotl (2015) is the first book of Dukaj to be published in English.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was only published digitally, and uses devices that are typical in electronic literature such as hypertextual links and multimedia components.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite journal</ref> The Old Axolotl tells the story of a neutron wave that destroys all life, however some humans have managed to upload themselves to robots and other devices.<ref name=":0" /> The novel inspired a 2020 Netflix-original Belgian TV series Into the Night.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2017, English language rights to Ice were acquired by London-based publisher Head of Zeus. Publication is due on 6 November 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

As of 2021, Jacek Dukaj is also involved in business, being main shareholder and CEO of Nolensum company, founded to produce video games based on his stories and original ideas,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as shareholder and member of Board of Directors of Bellwether Rocks, an investment fund with focus on gamedev industry and new technologies like tokenization, NFTs, crypto and similar.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

In 2023, he was awarded the European Science Fiction Award conferred by the European Science Fiction Society (ESFS) in the Best Author category.<ref name=":3">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Style and themes

His works frequently feature elements of cyberpunk, alternative history, and horror stories. He was an early representative of klerykal fiction, a subgenre of Polish fantasy and science fiction characterized by the use of religious themes, which remains one of the most distinctive features of Dukaj's novels. They were already present in The Golden Galley, his literary debut. The author is also known for undertaking literary experiments manifesting themselves in the combination of elements of fantasy with science fiction as is the case with The Iron General (2015).<ref name=":4">Template:Cite web</ref>

Dukaj has stated that creating a cohesive vision of the universe in a particular work is the basis of any good fantasy or science fiction book. Hence his books scrupulously describe the scientific aspects governing this universe and make use of elaborate scientific terminology. The realism in presenting the boundaries of human understanding might be inspired by the works of Stanisław Lem, which introduce the theme of the wear and tear of future inventions. The secret relationship between science and power is also explored in Dukaj's works, most notably in Black Oceans (2001), which is reminiscent of Lem's His Master's Voice (1968).<ref name=":4" />

Bibliography

Novels

Awards and nominations

Sources

References

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