“ In the end only three things matter: how much you loved, how gently you lived, and how gracefully you let go of things not meant for you. ” ― Anonymous
Table of contentsIntroduction 1988 essay by David G. HartwellHarrison Bergeron 1961 story by Kurt Vonnegut JrForgetfulness 1937 story by John W. Campbell JrSpecial Flight 1939 story by John BerrymanChronopolis 1960 story by J.G. BallardTriceratops 1974 st
KatarAmerykański kandydat na kosmonautę, któremu alergia przeszkadza w zrobieniu kariery w wybranej profesji, wysłany zostaje do Włoch ze skomplikowaną misją natury kryminalnej: ma wyjaśnić zagadkę śmierci starzejących się mężczyzn - którz
The year is 3149, and a vast paper destroying blight-papyralysis-has obliterated much of the planet's written history. However, these rare memoirs, preserved for centuries in a volcanic rock, record the strange life of a man trapped in a hermetically seal
Ijon Tichy is the only human who knows for sure whether the self-programming robots on the moon are plotting a terrestrial invasion. But a highly focused ray severs his corpus collosum. Now his left brain can’t remember the secret and his uncooperative
These fourteen science fiction stories reveal Lem’s fascination with artificial intelligence and demonstrate just how surprisingly human sentient machines can be. “Astonishing is not too strong a word for these tales” (Wall Street Journal). Translat
Written in the style of a detective novel, The Chain of Chance is classic Lem: a combination of action, hard science, and philosophical investigation. An ex-astronaut is hired to look into the death of several wealthy businessmen. The authorities suspect
The planet Quinta is pocked by ugly mounds and covered by a spiderweb-like network. It is a kingdom of phantoms and of a beauty afflicted by madness. In stark contrast, the crew of the spaceship Hermes represents a knowledge-seeking Earth. As they approac
In A Perfect Vacuum, Stanislaw Lem presents a collection of book reviews of nonexistent works of literature--works that, in many cases, could not possibly be written. Embracing postmodernism's "games for games' sake" ethos, Lem joins the contest with hila
A six-man crew crash-lands on Eden, fourth planet from another sun. The men find a strange world that grows ever stranger, and everywhere there are images of death. The crew's attempt to communicate with this civilization leads to violence and to a cruel
