''Miasto grobów. Uwertura'' (''City of Graves. Overture'') is a

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 ...

short story A short story is a piece of prose fiction. It can typically be read in a single sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the old ...

Wit Szostak Dobrosław Kot better known by his pen name Wit Szostak (born 1976) is a Polish fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, im ...

published in 2007 in the second volume of the anthology ''Księga strachu'' (''The'' ''Book of Fear'') by the . The story is classified under the genres of

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 ...

urban fantasy Urban fantasy is a subgenre of fantasy, placing supernatural elements in a contemporary urban area, urban-affected setting. The combination provides the writer with a platform for classic fantasy tropes, quixotic plot-elements, and unusual charac ...

, and horror.

Plot

The story depicts events in an

where, following the fall of communism in Poland, the country becomes a monarchy. The narrator is the secretary to the Polish king.

Reception

In 2008, the story was awarded the Janusz A. Zajdel Award for the previous year. Szostak put the statuette he won for the story up for auction in 2013. In a review of the anthology on the ' portal, Tymoteusz Wronka considered this story to be the best in the collection (the anthology ''Księga strachu''). On the same portal, Adam Ł. Rotter praised the story for its intriguing ideas, especially the "universal ... theme of the national funeral", but criticized it for excessive use of special effects and a "trite, mediocre ending". Conversely, in a review of the anthology on the ''Paradoks'' portal, Agnieszka Krzyżewska rated the story as one of the best in the collection, calling it "another excellent story with an interesting idea". In 2009, the story was ranked 18th on the list of ''100 Best Polish Fantastic Short Stories'' in the

zine A zine ( ; short for ''magazine'' or ''fanzine'') is, as noted on Merriam-Webster’s official website, a magazine that is a “noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject ...

'. The reviewer praised the story for its original format (''a recording of fictional, unedited mp3 files''), its avoidance of ideological disputes, and described it as "wise, beautiful, and moving". The previous year, in the same zine, Konrad Wągrowski wrote in his review of the anthology that the story was "charming", seemed like a prelude to something greater, and was "one of the most evocative texts in the entire collection, original and memorable".

Analysis

In the zine ''Esensja'', the story is described as "a personal tale of an exceptional and isolated individual due to their uniqueness, avoiding clichés about alienation, combined with imaginative, urban fantasy tinged with horror. It also delves into reflections on Polishness and Polish (and human) mentality, as well as the author's fascination with music and architecture". Some reviewers suggest that the theme of the national funeral in the story was inspired by the funeral of

John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

in 2005.{{Cite web , date=14 November 2007 , title=Premiera "Księgi Strachu" t. 1 i t. 2 , trans-title=Premiere of "The Book of Fear" Volumes 1 and 2 , url=https://paradoks.net.pl/read/5264-premiera-ksiegi-strachu-t-1-i-t-2 , access-date=2024-09-07 , website=Paradoks , language=pl

References

Polish speculative fiction short stories Science fiction short stories 2007 short stories Alternate history Works set in Poland