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Broszkiewicz, Jerzy

Entry updated 19 August 2024. Tagged: Author.

(1922-1993) Polish journalist and writer whose sf works for younger readers have been credited with revitalizing Polish youth literature in the 1960s. He debuted in 1945 as a writer and critic. His first works were not related to sf or fantasy; throughout his life he wrote several dozen dramas and novels, the latter often in the historical or sf genres.

Of direct interest are his sf novels for younger readers, of which the most significant was his sf debut novel Wielka, większa i największa ["Great, Greater and Greatest"] (1960). Its protagonists, a pair of teenagers (Ika and Groszek), guided by sentient Machines (in particular, a talking car) experience the three titular adventures – first they save a kidnapped child in Poland, next they rescue survivors of a plane crash in Africa, and finally they travel in space, meeting Aliens and making the diplomatic case for humanity's right to exist.

Wielka, większa i największa is arguably Broszkiewicz's most influential sf work, and perhaps his most enduring work of any kind. It was enthusiastically received by its intended audience, young Polish readers (it had over a dozen editions in Poland and about as many translations, though not into English). It was also well received by critics and in 1979 was honoured by the IBBY; for many years it was an obligatory reading for schoolchildren in Poland. Critics praised the work for its contemporary setting (a novelty in Polish youth literature of that era), as well as for its positive outlook at youth and the future (which would become a common theme in Broszkiewicz's works). It has been credited with revitalizing Polish youth literature in the 1960s, and to this day remains one of the very few sf works that have made it into the Polish educational literary canon. The novel can also be read as a criticism of the Cold War and atomic warfare: in the "greatest" adventure, the young protagonists have to make the case, both through their words and actions, that still violent and warring humans will not pose a danger to the peaceful galactic community. The same characters appear in a loose sequel, Długi deszczowy tydzień ["Long Rainy Week"] (1966), a detective novel with no significant sf or fantasy elements.

Broszkiewicz soon followed Wielka, większa i największa with his first full-fledged sf tale (still aimed, like all his similar fiction, at young readers): Ci z Dziesiątego Tysiąca ["Those from the Ten Thousand"] (1962), followed by a sequel, Oko Centaura ["Eye of the Centaur"] (1964). In the first novel, in the year 862 "of the first cosmic era", the young protagonists are visiting their parents, researchers at a Space Station in the Asteroid belt, whom later they rescue when a Disaster strikes; in the sequel, the protagonists are a part of a manned interstellar expedition (see Space Flight; Starship) to Proxima Centauri, and take part in First Contact. The first part received several editions and translations, with critics praising in particular the supporting character of the caretaker Robot Robik as an extremely sympathetic portrayal of robots. Broszkiewicz's other foray into classic sf territory was Mój księżycowy pech ["My Lunar Bad Luck"] (1970), which features a young protagonist in the Near Future, where travel between Earth and Moon is commonplace enough for school trips to our satellite.

A common theme noticed by critics in Broszkiewicz's works set in the near future (see Future Histories) was his optimism. Devoid of political propaganda, these works portray a peaceful, pacifist world, where humans have effectively forgotten conflicts of the past; a female teenage protagonist of Oko Centaura at one point finds it hard to believe that humans of the past could wage Wars and intentionally seek to harm one another. This setting is reminiscent of the peaceful era from the early period of Larry Niven's Known Space series.

The young protagonists of Broszkiewicz's novels were also universally praised for being sympathetic and courageous role models, who at the same time are realistic, imperfect and not preachy. They are often portrayed as partners and even saviours (both physically and morally) of their elders, and the hope for mankind's future.

Some sf and fantasy elements appear in Broszkiewicz's other works. Kluska, Kefir i Tutejszy ["Kluska, Kefir and The Local"] (1967) features Time Travel and extensive breaking of the fourth wall; Mister Di ["Mr. Di"] (1972) features a body-swapping demon (see Gods and Demons; Identity Transfer); and futuristic gadgets including another robot appear in Bracia Koszmarek, magister i ja ["Brothers Nightmare, Magister and Me"] (1980). These works did not generate much critical attention.

Broszkiewicz's fame in Poland has diminished over the years, and his place in the country's literary and sf canons, is less widely studied. However, the fact that Wielka, większa i największa, with its large sf element, was a required reading for generations of Polish schoolchildren, and for some, likely the first (and for some, the only) exposure to the sf genre, is worth noting. [PKo]

Jerzy Broszkiewicz

born Lviv, Poland [now Ukraine]: 6 June 1922

died Kraków, Poland: 4 October 1993

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