Lecture: The Witcher - the new GoT? at MAGICCON

Tolkien film – what is true?

23. January 2020

Gawain – Lichtfalke

1. February 2020

Published by Robert Eiba at 25. January 2020

MagicCon 4 | Vortrag | The Witcher - das neue GoT? | by Betty Finke

The Witcher is one of the great cross-media fantasy phenomena of our time, whether as a computer game, a book series or more recently as a TV series. Especially the current film version invites comparison with Game of Thrones, as it is aimed at the same viewers who are looking for new “food”.

In fact, there are some clear parallels even in the literary models. But there are just as big differences, especially in the way Sapkowski and Martin deal with their common inspirations – history, legends and fairy tales, Tolkien. In my lecture I would like to show both the similarities and the differences, especially in the books, with the focus on what distinguishes Sapkowski as a particularly “European” (as opposed to English-speaking fantasy) author.

A lecture by Betty Finke at MagicCon 6.

Lecturer: Betty Finke

Duration: 45 min - The Lecture will be held in: german

Who or what am I? A trained literary scholar, studied to become a teacher, but fortunately escaped this fate and instead works as a freelance author and translator. Fantasy fan since my school days, with a broad spectrum of interests without specific fandom affiliation, but with certain focal points (Tolkien, Harry Potter, Lovecraft, Scheibenwelt, Game of Thrones, Witcher).

Member of the German Tolkien Society and RingCon/HobbitCon/MagicCon visitor from the first hour. In the past years I have given numerous lectures on all three cons, which were very well received. My aim is to illuminate the motives of fantasy and its origins in an entertaining way and to introduce the audience to contexts and authors they may not know yet.