''Inne pieśni'' (''Other Songs'') is a

novel A novel is an extended work of narrative fiction usually written in prose and published as a book. The word derives from the for 'new', 'news', or 'short story (of something new)', itself from the , a singular noun use of the neuter plural of ...

written in 2003 by

Jacek Dukaj Jacek Józef Dukaj (pronounced: ; 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 a ...

, Polish science fiction writer. It was published in Poland by

Wydawnictwo Literackie Wydawnictwo Literackie (abbreviated WL, lit. "Literary Press") is a Kraków-based Polish publishing house, which has been referred to as one of Poland's "most respected". Company history Since its foundation in 1953, Wydawnictwo Literackie has ...

. The novel is a mixture of

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

alternate history Alternate history (also referred to as alternative history, allohistory, althist, or simply A.H.) is a subgenre of speculative fiction in which one or more historical events have occurred but are resolved differently than in actual history. As ...

and

science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...

, and has been described as belonging to the genre of

philosophical fiction Philosophical fiction is any fiction that devotes a significant portion of its content to the sort of questions addressed by philosophy. It might explore any facet of the human condition, including the function and role of society, the nature and ...

as well. The novel was well received by reviewers and critics, who commented on its original theme - an alternate Earth where the laws of physics, and philosophy, are different from that of ours. The novel received the prime Polish award for sci-fi literature, Janusz A. Zajdel Award, in 2003. The book was translated to Russian (2014) and Bulgarian (2015).

Universe

The universe of the book is similar to ours with one major exception: instead of

laws of physics Scientific laws or laws of science are statements, based on repeated experiments or observations, that describe or predict a range of natural phenomena. The term ''law'' has diverse usage in many cases (approximate, accurate, broad, or narrow) ...

as known to us, the universe is ruled by

Aristotle Aristotle (; 384–322 BC) was an Ancient Greek philosophy, Ancient Greek philosopher and polymath. His writings cover a broad range of subjects spanning the natural sciences, philosophy, linguistics, economics, politics, psychology, a ...

metaphysics Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that examines the basic structure of reality. It is traditionally seen as the study of mind-independent features of the world, but some theorists view it as an inquiry into the conceptual framework of ...

, and to a lesser extent by

Hegel Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (27 August 1770 – 14 November 1831) was a 19th-century German idealism, German idealist. His influence extends across a wide range of topics from metaphysical issues in epistemology and ontology, to political phi ...

ian

philosophy Philosophy ('love of wisdom' in Ancient Greek) is a systematic study of general and fundamental questions concerning topics like existence, reason, knowledge, Value (ethics and social sciences), value, mind, and language. It is a rational an ...

. There are no

atoms Atoms are the basic particles of the chemical elements. An atom consists of a nucleus of protons and generally neutrons, surrounded by an electromagnetically bound swarm of electrons. The chemical elements are distinguished from each other ...

or other

particle In the physical sciences, a particle (or corpuscle in older texts) is a small localized object which can be described by several physical or chemical properties, such as volume, density, or mass. They vary greatly in size or quantity, from s ...

s, just five elements. All Matter is composed of those five elements, mixed in proportions determined by the Form. Every Substance is fulfilling its ideal Form, ''morphe'', which "exists" separately from the Matter, ''hile'', but appears only in Substance. There's no

evolution Evolution is the change in the heritable Phenotypic trait, characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. It occurs when evolutionary processes such as natural selection and genetic drift act on genetic variation, re ...

in nature. Nature is

teleological Teleology (from , and )Partridge, Eric. 1977''Origins: A Short Etymological Dictionary of Modern English'' London: Routledge, p. 4187. or finalityDubray, Charles. 2020 912Teleology. In ''The Catholic Encyclopedia'' 14. New York: Robert Applet ...

and has a purpose. The Sun and all the planets are circling Earth, and they move not in

vacuum A vacuum (: vacuums or vacua) is space devoid of matter. The word is derived from the Latin adjective (neuter ) meaning "vacant" or "void". An approximation to such vacuum is a region with a gaseous pressure much less than atmospheric pressur ...

but in aether. Diseases are the signs of mind's insanity, the weakness of Form. Forms determine Matters, and human

will Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

can change Forms. Thus, the

human mind The mind is that which thinks, feels, perceives, imagines, remembers, and wills. It covers the totality of mental phenomena, including both conscious processes, through which an individual is aware of external and internal circumstances, ...

is able to shape reality in an indirect way, to some degree, and the most powerful minds have a large area effect — their ''anthos'' (auras, fields of influence) can affect entire lands. The Earth is divided into dozens of dominions, each under the pressure of Form of ''kratistos'' (man) or ''kratista'' (woman): individuals having the most powerful Forms; their ''anthos'' influences culture, language, law of whole nations, even biology of animals and plants there. Having entered the domain of ''kratistos'', one gradually finds it more and more natural to behave like him, to look like him, to think like him — to be him. People with a weaker form can be easily dominated by those with a more powerful Form. In the aura of a despot everyone is a little more egoistic and harsh; in the aura of a

hedonist Hedonism is a family of philosophical views that prioritize pleasure. Psychological hedonism is the theory that all human behavior is motivated by the desire to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. As a form of egoism, it suggests that people ...

everyone is a little prettier and sensual. Travelers will be affected by the ''anthos'', acquiring attributes of the land they enter, up to and including its language. People can try to train their ''anthos'', and there are specializations of personal auras — for example in the presence of ''ares'' — a natural born warrior — everything is a deadly weapon and an accidental punch can be a devastating blow.

Plot introduction

Twelve centuries have passed since the

fall of Rome The fall of the Western Roman Empire, also called the fall of the Roman Empire or the fall of Rome, was the loss of central political control in the Western Roman Empire, a process in which the Empire failed to enforce its rule, and its vast ...

; fewer since the death of Kristos (

Christ Jesus ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Christianity, central figure of Christianity, the M ...

). Hieronim Berbelek was once a powerful ''strategos'' (a natural born leader whose form makes other people listen to him or her), but when he was defeated by one of the ''kratistoses'', known as the Warlock, his Form and spirit were broken, reduced to those of a lowly merchant, a sad, small man, easily molded by others with stronger Forms. However, a chain of events sets him off on a journey — first to

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

, and later into many new lands, from the depths of Warlock's domain, through the fabled

Library of Alexandria The Great Library of Alexandria in Alexandria, Egypt, was one of the largest and most significant libraries of the ancient world. The library was part of a larger research institution called the Mouseion, which was dedicated to the Muses, ...

and mysterious flying city, to the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It Orbit of the Moon, orbits around Earth at Lunar distance, an average distance of (; about 30 times Earth diameter, Earth's diameter). The Moon rotation, rotates, with a rotation period (lunar ...

colony, and on this journey he may have a chance of regaining his Form…

Influence and interpretation

Dukaj's primary influence have been the philosophical concepts of

, such as his conjectures on Form and Matter. Greek vocabulary, or vocabulary inspired by Greek language, is heavily used in the work. The work is also heavily influenced by the ideas of

Witold Gombrowicz Witold Marian Gombrowicz (August 4, 1904 – July 24, 1969) was a Polish writer and playwright. His works are characterised by deep psychological analysis, a certain sense of paradox and absurd, anti-nationalism, anti-nationalist flavor. In 1937, ...

's '' Ferdydurke''. Coupled with his experiences in

, the resulting book is hard to put into any normal

genre Genre () is any style or form of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other fo ...

, leading many to describe it as a kind of '

'. Philosophical, because Dukaj introduces an overwhelming array of philosophical concepts, but also fiction: the book has no essays or lengthy monologues, it is full of action and colorful characters. Aleksandra Klęczar noted that the book deals with the concept of otherness, as while it is set in the somewhat recognizable history, it portrays a world functioning according to a different set of physical and philosophical rules than ours. Among the influences, she counted classic science fiction form of

Jules Verne Jules Gabriel Verne (;''Longman Pronunciation Dictionary''. ; 8 February 1828 – 24 March 1905) was a French novelist, poet and playwright. His collaboration with the publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel led to the creation of the ''Voyages extraor ...

, comparing his style to Dukaj's, particularly in the context of both descriptions and character's dialogues, focused on describing the fantastical world present. Other influences she noted, particularly in the context of the exploration and adventure subplot, were those of

Henryk Sienkiewicz Henryk Adam Aleksander Pius Sienkiewicz ( , ; 5 May 1846 – 15 November 1916), also known by the pseudonym Litwos (), was a Polish epic writer. He is remembered for his historical novels, such as The Trilogy, the Trilogy series and especially ...

and

Joseph Conrad Joseph Conrad (born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski, ; 3 December 1857 – 3 August 1924) was a Poles in the United Kingdom#19th century, Polish-British novelist and story writer. He is regarded as one of the greatest writers in the Eng ...

. She also noted that the novel is closer to fantasy genre than science fiction.

Reception

The novel received the prime Polish award for sci-fi literature, Janusz A. Zajdel Award, in 2003, as well as the for that year. It also received a special mention at the . It was nominated for

Paszport Polityki Paszport Polityki (Polityka's Passport) is an annual Polish cultural award presented by the weekly magazine '' Polityka'' since 1993. It is presented in six major categories: literature Literature is any collection of Writing, written wor ...

and

Nautilus Award Nautilus Award was a Polish science fiction and fantasy award created by Robert J. Szmidt of the ''Science Fiction magazine''. The award is named after the cephalopods of that name (nautilus A nautilus (; ) is any of the various species wi ...

. Reviewing the book for ' in 2003, Eryk Remiezowicz called it the most refined work of Dukaj's to date. He called it a "perfect puzzle", with every mystery having a logical solution, and every hint eventually fitting into the wider picture. He praised the world building, calling it a seamless creation with no plot holes. Also that year,

Wojciech Orliński Wojciech Orliński (born 24 January 1969 in Warsaw) is a Polish journalist, writer, and blogger. In the 1990s, he was a member of the Polish Socialist Party. Between 1997 and 2021, he was a regular columnist for Gazeta Wyborcza. From 2011 to ...

reviewed it for the

Gazeta Wyborcza (; ''The Electoral Gazette'' in English) is a Polish nationwide daily newspaper based in Warsaw, Poland. It was launched on 8 May 1989 on the basis of the Polish Round Table Agreement and as a press organ of the Solidarity (Polish trade union), t ...

newspaper. Orliński praised Dukaj for his novel ideas, for vivid description of the portrayed world, and described the main character as the most interesting protagonist created up to this point by Dukaj. He concluded that this is the best work Dukaj has written so far. Klęczar in 2004 called the work a proof that Dukaj is the most imaginative of contemporary Polish writers when it comes to world building, and in the context of originality and profundity of the new ideas, compared this book to Le Guin's ''Left Hand of Darkness''. She concluded that the work is exemplary and deserves to be recognized as a classic of Polish literature. Jarek Rusak, who reviewed it for ' portal in 2013, described the book as challenging, but worth the effort, and praised the author's for the work's originality.

References

External links