Return from the Stars
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- £13.99
Publisher Description
An astronaut returns to Earth after a 10-year mission and finds a society that he barely recognizes in science fiction novel by the Solaris author, whose works “make our weary universe seem pale and undistinguished by comparison” (The Washington Post).
Stanisław Lem’s Return from the Stars recounts the experiences of Hal Bregg, an astronaut who returns from an exploratory mission that lasted ten years—although because of time dilation, 127 years have passed on Earth. Bregg finds a society that he hardly recognizes, in which danger has been eradicated. Children are “betrizated” to remove all aggression and violence—a process that also removes all impulse to take risks and explore. The people of Earth view Bregg and his crew as “resuscitated Neanderthals,” and pressure them to undergo betrization. Bregg has serious difficulty in navigating the new social mores.
While Lem’s depiction of a risk-free society is bleak, he does not portray Bregg and his fellow astronauts as heroes. Indeed, faced with no opposition to his aggression, Bregg behaves abominably. He is faced with a choice: leave Earth again and hope to return to a different society in several hundred years, or stay on Earth and learn to be content.
With Return from the Stars, Lem shows the shifting boundaries between utopia and dystopia.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Lem's thought-provoking, reissued 1961 classic explores the questionable utopia that has emerged on a vivid future Earth through the eyes of an astronaut recently returned from the Fomalhaut star system, 23 light years away. Due to time dilation, 127 years have passed on Earth when Hal Bregg returns from what he experienced as a 10-year mission. Through a series of intense vignettes, Bregg learns about the changes that have arisen in his absence: wall-size televisions, spray-on clothes, new slang, and, to Bregg's horror, government-imposed "betrization," a biological process that suppresses violent impulses. The unintended consequence is a nearly emotionless populace averse to risk-taking, exploration, and even sports. Though Bregg rejects his superiors' suggestion that he attend a reorientation program, he struggles to reintegrate into society, becoming increasingly disturbed. Bregg is especially shocked by the behavior of women, who innocently invite him home with them. Aggression unchecked, he abducts a married woman, Eri, who is too passive to fight back. The racial and sexual politics have not aged well, and Lem's language is often misogynous, but the moral dilemmas and exploration of complacency and violence still resonate. This will appeal to readers who like heady science fiction laced with social commentary.
