If you haven't read anything by Lem and you like to be intellectually
stimulated and/or amused, I strongly recommend that you read some of his
books. Stanislaw Lem is definitely the most cerebral and brilliantly
intelligent author that I have ever read. He is also a truly great
master of the Polish language (which luckily is very well reflected in
English translations of his works done by Michael Kandel; see for
example "The Cyberiad" - a masterpiece!). Lem has been rather unfortunately
classified as a science fiction writer, but in reality he is a philosopher
and a visionary. His range is amazing. There is simpy no fiction
and non-fiction genre that this guy cannot tackle and achieve superb results.
He IS the One! He deserves his own action figure! But seriously:
Stanislaw Lem's works made me want to become a scientist and to learn more
about the world. He is also responsible for some of the strongest attacks
of laughter I've had in my life, mostly thanks to his dazzling linguistic
invention. Again seriously: if there is a Polish author who deserves the
Nobel Prize in literature, it is Lem. He is one of the true giants. Try
some of his books; you won't be disappointed. But first follow the links
below to learn about his books: his books are so diverse that it's very
difficult to recommend the one to start with. It all depends on what you
like. You can choose amusing but thought-provoking tales (e.g. "The Cyberiad",
"The Star Diaries"), more traditional (but deep and intelligent) science
fiction (e.g. "Peace on Earth", "Tales of Pirx the Pilot", "Solaris", "Return
from the Stars", "The Invincible") or go for his ingenious introductions/reviews
of non-existing books ("Imaginary Magnitude", "A Perfect Vacuum"). If you
like mysteries with elements of probability and chaos theories, try "The
Chain of Chance": this one will not leave you dissatisfied. Look around
first. There is much more to choose from!
The Cyberiad, Fables for the Cybernetic Age - review of "The Cyberiad".
Math and Science Poetry Page - a hilarious poem from "The Cyberiad", translated by Michael Kandel (it preserves the character of the original very well).
Lem: Cyberiad - a serious literary review of "The Cyberiad".
Stanislaw Lem - some quotes from Lem's works.
Stan Lem - more Lem links
Vitrifax: On Stanislaw Lem - Introduction - a very good page containing reviews and classification of most of Lem's books; also links to other Lem pages.
Review: "The Futurological Congress" (Stanislaw Lem)
Summa Technologiae - one of Lem's most serious, visionary works partially translated (translation in progress) into English by Frank Prengel. Written in the sixties (the first version), it contains quite a few prognoses that are slowly becoming reality. There is no official English translation published, as far as I know.
Dialogs - a partial (in progress) translation of another more serious (philosophical) book, also by Frank Prengel. No official English translation was published, if I'm not mistaken.
Stanislaw Lem - a short bioghraphical info.
Study Guide for Stanislaw Lem: Solaris (1961) - a thorough analysis of Lem's most famous book.
Stanislaw Lem: The Problem of Communication - an attempt to summarize most important themes encountered in Lem's books.
Review of Stanislaw Lem in Print and Film - valuable reviews of a few books and the Tarkovsky's movie (the movie is to be avoided at all costs in my humble opinion). Worth reading.