The collective perception of fantasy shifted with the successive premieres of Peter Jackson\u2019s \u201cThe Lord of the Rings\u201d trilogy between 2001 and 2003, which garnered a total of 17 Academy Awards. The transition of cinematic fantasy \u201cfrom ghetto to mainstream\u201d \u2013 to borrow the title of Katarzyna Kaczor\u2019s book \u2013 was cemented a few years later by the early seasons of \u201cGame of Thrones,\u201d based on George R. R. Martin\u2019s \u201cA Song of Ice and Fire\u201d series. Although the show\u2019s quality noticeably declined over time (and ultimately plummeted), one cannot deny the significant role it played in television history.<\/strong> The creators of \u201cGame of Thrones\u201d demonstrated that televised tales of imaginary worlds could be produced with the same meticulousness and attention to detail as ambitious historical series.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In recent years, however, fantasy\u2019s position has been visibly weakening, with small-screen productions in this genre often accused of reverting to their inglorious roots from the 1990s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend:<\/strong> How to Design Cities? Urban Planning Beyond Human Inhabitants<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n Today, the most controversial issues surround screen adaptations of renowned literary<\/a> works, which often introduce significant modifications to plots, worlds, or character appearances familiar from the original books. For example (spoiler alert), one might recall the infamous second season of Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Witcher,\u201d based on Andrzej Sapkowski\u2019s prose. In the \u0141\u00f3d\u017a writer\u2019s books, the Witchers\u2019 stronghold \u2013 Kaer Morhen \u2013 is described as a place located in inaccessible mountains, known only to a select few. In Netflix\u2019s series, however, the characters residing in the castle throw a feast, inviting prostitutes from a nearby brothel. On other occasions, protagonists traverse vast distances in mere days (without teleportation or other magical means of transport), and the main character\u2019s friend \u2013 the witcher Eskel \u2013 is transformed into a monstrous leshy, generating further, rather unfortunate discrepancies between the series and the books.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Similar examples abound, not only concerning the adventures of Netflix\u2019s White Wolf, which, incidentally, are set to conclude with the fifth season. Criticism has also been leveled at Amazon\u2019s production \u201cThe Rings of Power,\u201d loosely based on J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s works, and \u201cThe Wheel of Time,\u201d adapted from Robert Jordan\u2019s novel series of the same name. Their greatest sin, however, is not merely deviating from the original books, but a glaring lack of logic and narrative coherence. Such accusations could be easily dismissed if they pertained to low-budget productions.<\/strong> However, we are discussing costly adaptations like the aforementioned \u201cThe Rings of Power,\u201d whose production reportedly cost a billion dollars.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the case of contemporary fantasy series, a staggering budget often fails to translate into artistic quality.<\/strong> Although exceptions to this rule exist \u2013 such as HBO\u2019s \u201cHouse of the Dragon\u201d or Netflix\u2019s \u201cCastlevania: Nocturne\u201d \u2013 many creators of fantasy seem to believe that tales of imaginary worlds need not adhere to rules of internal plausibility and authenticity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one chapter of \u201cAllotopias: Topography of Fictional Worlds,\u201d Krzysztof M. Maj \u2013 a literary theorist and game studies scholar from the AGH University of Science and Technology in Krakow \u2013 drawing on the findings of American academic Linda Hutcheon, describes the phenomenon of realistic imperialism. The researcher applies this term to the long-standing dominance of realism in Western literature, art, and academic discourse. Consequently, many literary scholars and critics valued only works that depicted the real world and real people, such as non-fiction and post-realist novels. Fantasy was either dismissed as an element of mass culture or attempts were made to make it more realistic by categorizing individual works into genres such as magical realism<\/a>.<\/strong> Conservative literary critics, however, overlooked that realism \u2013 like fantasy \u2013 is also a convention that does not fully capture the truth about reality, but presents it from the creator\u2019s socially and culturally determined point of view.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although fantasy literature is viewed much more favorably today than at the beginning of the 21st century, certain aspects of realistic imperialism have permeated popular series of recent years set in the magic and sword convention. The example of Netflix\u2019s \u201cThe Witcher\u201d shows that producers and showrunners often treat source material in a domineering manner. They subordinate the adaptation to the realistic paradigm, according to which stories about fictional worlds should primarily provide simple entertainment for mass audiences. Contrary to their literary originals, these productions usually present an extremely simplified vision of the world with a classic division between good and evil.<\/strong> In many respects, they resemble 18th-century pseudo-historical novels, whose authors treated the past solely as a backdrop for romantic plots, without concern for recreating the context of a given era.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend: <\/strong>The Dark Side of Sport. When Physical Activity Harms<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n As with historical fiction, a well-crafted fantasy world should possess its own distinct flavor, which is notoriously difficult to translate into other media. Tolkien\u2019s \u201cThe Lord of the Rings\u201d simply does not suit the irony typical of postmodern cinema, just as \u201cThe Witcher\u201d is ill-fitted for pathos and a lack of humor. Capturing this essence, however, requires an intimate knowledge of the adapted books and an ability to empathize with the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In an interview with VIP Multimedia, Jakub Szama\u0142ek \u2013 a crime<\/a> novelist and former scriptwriter for CD Projekt RED \u2013 recalled that while working on the third installment of \u201cThe Witcher\u201d game, he scoured Sapkowski\u2019s books for information on the types of stones used to build the walls of Novigrad \u2013 a city where a significant portion of Geralt of Rivia\u2019s in-game adventures unfold. This meticulous attention to detail contributed to the enthusiastic reception of \u201cThe Witcher 3\u201d among both industry critics and fans of the literary original, translating into financial success for the production. As Maj argues, the artistic quality of fantasy depends on immersion \u2013 the ability to imaginatively plunge into a story about a fictional world and, through suspension of disbelief, momentarily accept it as a tangibly existing reality. Paradoxically, the main sin of contemporary fantasy productions is thus a lack of authenticity in the unreal, peculiarly understood.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The hypothesis mentioned at the beginning of the article about deliberately stirring controversy among fans of adapted works finds only partial confirmation. Another, perhaps more straightforward explanation for the artistic crisis in fantasy productions lies in economic factors and the desire to reach a broader \u2013 primarily younger \u2013 audience. From an economic standpoint, the goal of media corporations is understandable. Adaptations are created to generate profits and maximize viewer interest.<\/strong> However, attempts to tailor source material to the sensibilities and interests of younger generations often come at the cost of infantilizing excellent literary originals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the most characteristic and harmful practices of corporations like Netflix or Amazon has become the phenomenon of \u201cchecklisting\u201d \u2013 casting minority representatives in secondary or tertiary roles in fantasy series. Although this practice may be seen as promoting inclusivity \u2013 bringing minorities into the center of cultural discourse \u2013 its practical implementation leaves much to be desired. This is perfectly illustrated by the oft-cited \u201cThe Witcher.\u201d In Netflix\u2019s series, characters with non-white skin color or those with disabilities usually serve as a picturesque background for the protagonists\u2019 actions. We do not learn these characters\u2019 histories; their differences are either not thematized or serve only as clumsy metaphors. Thus, checklisting appears as a caricature of inclusivity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We recommend: <\/strong>The Brain Likes What Is Known. Why Do We Regard People as Pretty or Ugly?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n The controversies surrounding contemporary fantasy productions are a result of economic and marketing factors, but fans of the literary originals also play a significant role. While they have the right to expect the best possible adaptations of their favorite works, they often approach the final products with excessive criticism, frequently devolving into hate. Leah Sava Jeffries \u2013 the young Black actress portraying Annabeth in Disney\u2019s \u201cPercy Jackson and the Olympians\u201d series \u2013 experienced this firsthand. Rick Riordan \u2013 the author of the literary original \u2013 came to her defense, not unjustly accusing \u201cfans\u201d of harassing and persecuting the teenage actress. Fan criticism often fails to consider the broader context in which individual productions were created, as was the case with Amazon\u2019s \u201cThe Rings of Power.\u201d Despite the staggering budget, the series creators were unable to secure rights to adapt J.R.R. Tolkien\u2019s entire \u201cSilmarillion.\u201d Discrepancies between the book<\/a> and screen versions of Middle-earth\u2019s history were thus inevitable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\u201cIt\u2019s Just a Made-Up World\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Realistic Imperialism and Fantasy Crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Flavor of Fantastical Worlds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The Economics of a New Audience. Is This Fantasy Crisis?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Fantasy Crisis. The Other Side of the Coin<\/h2>\n\n\n\n