Krzysztof Boruń(23 November 1923 – 22 May 2000) was a Polish physicist, journalist andscience fictionwriter. As an author of a number of essays, articles and novels, he was an important popularizer of science. By his contemporaries, Boruń was described as the "visionary of space travel"[1]
Krzysztof Boruń | |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 November 1923 Częstochowa,Poland |
| Died | 22 May 2000(aged 76) Warsaw,Poland |
| Occupation | Writer, Teacher ofphysics,Journalist |
| Nationality | Polish |
| Period | 1953–2000 |
| Genre | Science fiction (hard SF) |
| Subject | Popular science,sciencetextbooks,essays,psychology,astronomy,astronautics |
| Notable works | TheZagubiona przyszłośćSeries |
| Spouse | Maria Staszewska Boruń |
Biography
editEarly life and World War II
editKrzysztof Boruń was born on 29 November 1923 in the Polish town ofCzęstochowa.Between 1943 and 1945, he worked as a teacher ofphysicsandmathematics.DuringWorld War IIhe was a member of the Polish resistance movementArmia Krajowaand he took part in theWarsaw Uprising.During the uprising he fought as a crew member of the improvised armored carKubuś.
Postwar era
editAfter the war he would work as a journalist for the daily newspaper "Ilustrowany Kurier Polski"and the weekly"Tygodnik Demokratyczny".
Boruń became a member of thePolish Writers' Association.During his work as a journalist, he wrote articles mainly concerning the subjects of psychology, physics,sociology,astronomy,parapsychology,cyberneticsandfuturology.
He started his career as a science fiction writer in 1953 with the novelZagubiona przyszłość(Polish:"Lost future" ), co-authored withAndrzej Trepka.The novel was first printed as a series in the daily newspaperIlustrowany Kurier Polski.Later in 1954 a somewhat revised version of the novel was published as a standalone hardcover edition. The success ofZagubiona przyszłość,sparked two follow-up novelsProximaandKosmiczni bracia(Polish: "Space brothers" ) that together form a trilogy.
An active popularizer of science, he wrote articles for the astronautics and astronomy sections for the popular science periodical "Kto, Kiedy, Dlaczego"(Polish:" Who, When, Why "). His articles in the periodical expressed careful criticism of theSoviet space program,in particular the decision not to bringLaika,the first dog in space, safely back to earth.[2]
Two of Boruń's novels written in the 1960s –Próg nieśmiertelności(Polish: "Edge of immortality" ) andÓsmy krąg piekieł(Polish: "8th circle of Hell" ) were first published inRussianandUkrainian,they have not been published in Poland until the 1970s. His works have also been translated toJapanese,German,Czech,Hungarianlanguages.
Between 1982 and 1984 he was editor-in-chief of the periodicalsAstronautykaandPostępy Astronautyki,both dedicated to astronautics and space research.
Personal beliefs
editHe was anatheistsince the age of 12, but later in life he drifted towardsagnosticism,arguing for the possibility of the existence of aGod.In a number of publications he discussed matters of faith, parapsychology, religion,reincarnationand life after death. He remained open to multiple interpretations of reality, admitting that some events cannot be fully explained by contemporary science. Nevertheless, he remained convinced that further scientific discoveries will eventually provide all the answers to the issues that remain a mystery to his contemporaries.
Selected bibliography
editNovels
edit- Zagubiona przyszłość,(coauthor:Andrzej Trepka), (1954).
- Proxima,(coauthor:Andrzej Trepka), (1956).
- Kosmiczni bracia,(coauthor:Andrzej Trepka), (1959).
- Próg nieśmiertelności(1975).
- Ósmy krąg piekieł(1978).
- Małe zielone ludzikiI & II(1985).
- Jasnowidzenia inżyniera Szarka(1990).
Short story collections
edit- Spadkobiercy(1958) - ananthologythat included short stories by Boruń.
- Antyświat i inne opowiadania fantastyczno-naukowe(1960)
- Toccata(1980).
- Człowiek z mgły(1986).
Other publications
edit- Księżyc zdobyty(1956)
- Tajemnice parapsychologii,(coauthor: S. Manczarski), (1982)
- Mały słownik cybernetyczny(1973)
- Kto, kiedy, dlaczego?- (a popular science periodical, Boruń wrote for the astronautics section)
- Ossowiecki - zagadki jasnowidzenia,(coauthor: Katarzyna Boruń-Jagodzińska) (1990)
- W świecie zjaw i mediów. Spór o duchy(1996)
- Na krawędzi zaświatów. Sporu o duchy ciąg dalszy(1999)
References
edit- ^"Plan deorbitacji pierwszej generacji satelitów Iridium".2014-09-20.
- ^Krzysztof Boruń (December 1958). "Astronautyka".Kto, Kiedy, Dlaczego.Vol. 2, no. 1. Państwowe Wydawnictwo "Iskry". pp. 330–331.