Trzecia brama (The Third Gate) is an anthology of Polish speculative fiction short stories, published in 1987 as part of the Fantastyka polska series by Wydawnictwo Literackie.
[1] The collection features 15 texts selected by a five-member jury from 689 entries submitted to a contest held by the magazine Fantastyka.
According to Antoni Smuszkiewicz [pl], this anthology "records the 'struggles of national imagination'" from the 1980s and represents the best works of its time as a result of the contest (rather than the decision of a single editor).
[2] Robert Klementowski states that the volume presents "works unafraid of linguistic experimentation; an ecological trend appears, alongside fantasy, with authors drawing inspiration from mysticism, surrealism, and romanticism".
Some of the shortcomings of these stories are representative as well – such as the lack of respect for fine writing, something shared by the whole generation (...) [but also] their strengths: wide-ranging interests, reflective nature, ties to many currents of culture and literature, breaking away from the conventions of traditional science fiction, literary seriousness in dealing with real problems, and inventiveness.