The Truth and Other Stories
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- USD 18.99
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- USD 18.99
Descripción editorial
Experience a sci-fi master at his finest in this collection of 12 science fiction short stories from 1956 to 1993—many now presented in English for the very first time!
“A brilliant introduction to Lem’s science fiction.” —Wall Street Journal
Discover the full range of Stanislaw Lem’s intense curiosity about scientific ideas—and his sardonic approach to human nature—in this unforgettable collection of 12 short stories.
In “The Truth,” a scientist in an insane asylum theorizes that the sun is alive.
“The Journal” appears to be an account by an omnipotent being describing the creation of infinite universes—until, in a classic Lem twist, it turns out to be no such thing.
In “An Enigma,” beings debate whether offspring can be created without advanced degrees and design templates.
Other stories feature a computer that can predict the future by 137 seconds, matter-destroying spores, a hunt in which the prey is a robot, and an electronic brain eager to go on the lam . . .
Of these 12 science fiction short stories, only 3 have previously appeared in English, making this the first “new” book of fiction by Stanislaw Lem since the late 1980s. Featuring scathing humor, artificial intelligences, insane theories of cosmology and evolution, and so much more, The Truth and Other Stories is a multifarious a collection of mad scientists as any science fiction reader could wish for.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Nine of these 12 outstanding stories from international sci-fi superstar Lem (1921–2006) make their English-language debut in this treasure trove of a collection. Lem's prose shines in suspenseful chase sequences ("The Hunt") and dense philosophical tracts produced by artificial intelligences ("The Journal") alike, with a dry wit that manages to fit comfortably alongside the flashes of cosmic horror in pieces like "Darkness and Mildew." In the satiric social commentary "The Invasion," Lem posits an alien invasion of Earth by billion-year-old seeds simply looking for a place to germinate, while in "Lymphater's Formula," the planet is doomed by humanity's inexorable if unwitting efforts to replace itself. Readers with a wry outlook will find many kindred spirits among Lem's protagonists, like the unorthodox robot priest of "An Enigma" who stoutly maintains that brains made of jelly can indeed think, in defiance of "the rigid opinion of the Holy Office." This collection shows off Lem's range and further solidifies his place in the speculative firmament.
