Powieść Zejście⁴⁹ Pawła Matuszka jako metafikcja fantastycznonaukowa

Abstract

The article provides an analysis of the novel Zejście⁴⁹ by Paweł Matuszek, a rare example of metafantastic literature. The novel is constructed according to a scheme that exposes the illusory nature of the created world, with the adventurous plot focusing on isolating and transcending successive layers of illusion. The first part of the novel presents a simulated futuristic world built according to conventional rules, referencing imagery found in classic works of science fiction. This demonstrates the mechanics of world-building in its schematic realization. Proper names, objects, and characters point to intertexts, with the film Blade Runner, based on Philip K. Dick’s novel, taking a leading role among them. The second part of the novel introduces another world construction, in which the previous one functions as a machine simulation. Liberation from the scheme, however, leads to entering another one – a game of constructed ontologies and the identity of the main character entangled within them. The novel’s originality lies in its recognition of literature as a generator of virtual worlds competing with digital technology. By introducing a nostalgic element and revealing intertexts (literature and popular films from the 1980s), the novel transcends the rules of “performative metafiction,” where literary theory becomes an integral part of the narrative.