Andrzej Sapkowski: The Witcher's Grumpy Wizard Just Wants You To Read A Book (And Not Ask About Witcher 4)
AI Gaming News Author · Polygon ·
Andrzej Sapkowski, the wonderfully blunt author of The Witcher, has a new prequel book coming, but remains delightfully disinterested in the games and TV show that made his series a global phenomenon, famously telling readers to simply 'mature and discover books' in their own time.
Right, so everyone's buzzing about *The Witcher 4*, eh? New saga, new protagonist (potentially Ciri, which is cool as hell), whole new engine, all that jazz. The rumour mill is churning faster than a ghoul after a particularly spicy goulash. And naturally, when there's a new Witcher book on the horizon, journalists — bless their eager little hearts — flock to the source, the progenitor, the grand wizard himself: Andrzej Sapkowski.
You know that feeling when you cast a spell and it works a bit too well? That's what Sapkowski did with *The Witcher* books, only to find himself perpetually hounded by questions about CD Projekt Red's glorious games and Netflix's... well, Netflix's *things*. And honestly, mate, he's had enough of it.
I've been tinkering with this story all morning, and bloody hell, it's wilder than it first appeared, mainly because Sapkowski remains utterly, beautifully, unapologetically *Sapkowski*.
If you've played the games, or (dare I say it) actually *read* the books, you know Geralt of Rivia isn't one for beating around the bush. He says what he means, often to the detriment of his social standing, but always with a certain gruff honesty. Turns out, the apple doesn't fall far from the elder tree. Andrzej Sapkowski, the man who conjured Geralt into existence, is similarly, wonderfully blunt.
He's not interested in flattery, he's not keen on dissecting his writing process for public consumption, and he's *certainly* not about to pretend he's a gamer just because his creation exploded into a global video game phenomenon. Fair dinkum, you've got to respect that kind of unwavering conviction, even if it does make for some hilariously awkward Q&As.
Now, the actual reason Polygon managed to pin him down for a 'brief email Q&A' (and honestly, that sounds like trying to catch a particularly elusive fey with a fishing net) is because he's got a new book out Sept. 30th: *The Witcher: Crossroads of Ravens*. It's a prequel, exploring a younger Geralt's first big adventure, where he's offered an apprenticeship under a veteran Witcher named Holt.
When asked what made him return to the series, Sapkowski’s answer was classic: 'Put the blame on the Muse.' Apparently, she just flew over his head and gave him 'that spark.' See? No grand strategic plan, no corporate synergy meeting, just the capricious whims of creative inspiration. Reckon we can all relate to that, even if our muses usually just whisper 'eat another biscuit' rather than 'write 800 pages of epic fantasy.'
On exploring a younger Geralt and adding depth, his response was a delightful shrug in textual form. 'Let's leave the judgment to the readers,' he basically said. 'I could try to give a character the depth of the Pacific Ocean, but if a reader sees it as a puddle, then it's a puddle.' A clever observation, that. The magic, or lack thereof, is truly in the eye of the beholder. It's a healthy dose of authorial humility mixed with a dash of 'my job's done, you lot decide.'
And Holt? His new mentor for young Geralt? The plot demanded him, apparently. 'The plot is the queen,' Sapkowski declared. No room for Vesemir here. It’s all about what the story needs. A true craftsman's approach, focusing on the internal logic of the narrative over fan service or established character beats. That’s a lesson many game narratives could probably learn, eh?
Then, inevitably, the interview drifted towards the topic gamers are actually *dying* to hear about: *The Witcher 4*. Have CDPR been asking him for advice? 'I don't recall. Maybe.' Brilliant. Just absolutely stone-cold brilliant. The man who birthed this universe treats its digital offspring with the casual disinterest of a wizard who's lost his favourite sock.
And his hopes for *The Witcher 4*, especially with its rumoured shift to Ciri? Oh, mate, you already know the answer. 'I can't respond because I don't know the topic. As I've mentioned on various occasions, I don't play games. Any games.' He then clarified, just in case anyone thought he was throwing shade at gamers, that he has 'nothing against games as such,' but they're just not his 'form of entertainment.' He prefers 'other ways to spend his free time.' Translation: 'I'm a grown-up, I read books, you lot play with your pixelated nonsense. Good for you.'
It's a familiar tune, isn't it? This isn't new Sapkowski, this is *peak* Sapkowski. And while some might find it a tad arrogant (and fair enough, some of the Polygon comments certainly did), there's something genuinely refreshing about an artist so utterly unconcerned with pandering to the wider, adapted audience. He's a wizard who cares about his own spells, not how others interpret them in a holographic projection.
His thoughts on the Netflix series? 'My thoughts vary depending on the situation and the specific matter at hand.' Again, pure gold. No effusive praise, no vitriolic condemnations, just a pragmatic, nuanced, and utterly unrevealing statement. It’s the kind of answer you get from someone who knows the score and isn't about to give anyone a soundbite they can twist.
Now, this is where Sapkowski really lays down the gauntlet to the adaptation-first crowd. When asked what he'd tell fans who discovered his worlds through games/TV to encourage them to pick up the novels, he didn't mince words. True book lovers, he reckons, already know the 'value of books and their advantage over visual adaptations.' The written word, he states, 'always and decidedly triumphs over images.'
For the 'devoted fans of visual media' or the 'TL, DR' (Too Long, Didn't Read) crowd, he believes it's 'futile to try' to convince them. His grand, slightly dismissive, but utterly consistent solution? 'We simply need to wait for them to mature and discover books in their own time. And they surely will, eventually.'
Bloody hell, mate! That's a brave statement to make, especially when the games are arguably the biggest reason his books became global bestsellers in the first place. You can almost hear the collective gasp of gamers everywhere. On the one hand, he's got a point about the unique power of imagination when reading. No adaptation, however faithful, can fully capture the world you build in your own head. That's the magic, isn't it?
But then, to suggest that people need to 'mature' to appreciate books? That's a bit of a spicy one, isn't it? Loads of us, myself included, jumped into the books *because* of a cracking game or a surprisingly good TV show. It's not a sign of immaturity; it's a different entry point into a fantastic world. It's like finding a hidden portal in a game that leads to an entirely new, rich zone. Does it matter how you got there, as long as you're enjoying the adventure?
This isn't about 'visual media bad, books good.' It's about different forms of storytelling, each with their own strengths. And let's be fair, Sapkowski himself benefited immensely from the exposure these 'lesser' forms of entertainment provided. Without them, would *Crossroads of Ravens* be on the global radar? Highly unlikely. It's a symbiotic relationship, even if one half of the pair is a grumpy old wizard who thinks the other half needs to grow up.
So there you have it. Andrzej Sapkowski, the blunt, brilliant, book-focused wizard who accidentally conjured a gaming empire. He's got a new book coming, he's still not playing games, and he genuinely thinks you'll come around to the written word eventually. Perhaps he's right. Perhaps the allure of diving deeper into a world without the constraints of a screen is an inevitability. Or perhaps, like a particularly tricky spell, some of us just prefer our magic a bit more interactive.
Either way, his unique brand of creative integrity, however prickly, is a rare thing in an industry often swimming in PR-speak. Go read his new book, if you're keen. Just don't ask him about *The Witcher 4*. Seriously. Don't.
Tags: The Witcher, Andrzej Sapkowski, Gaming Culture, Book Adaptations, CD Projekt Red
Original article: Polygon