A könyv két részből áll. Az első rész népmeseszerű kiszólásokkal teli „tanulságos mesékre” hasonlít, míg a második rész Trurl és Klapanciusz, a két tudós mérnök versengéséről és találmányaikról, kalandjaikról szól Stanislaw Lem utánozhatatlan stílusában. Lem humora kitűnő, miközben novellái filozófiai mélységeket járnak be könnyed hangvétellel. Lem a klasszikus értelemben vett sci-fi szabályait félretéve kalandozik az időben, hihetetlen leleményességgel ötvözve a régmúlt idők életének napi eszközeit a távoli jövő technikai vívmányaival, és így érdekes matematikai, fizikai fogalmak fűszerezte történetekben szórakozhatunk a kardot forgató robotok nagyon is emberi történetein.A mű keletkezési idejét figyelembe véve kijelenthető, hogy az író filozófiai alapgondolatai örök érvényességgel bírnak: megmutatja, hogy az idők és a díszletek változnak ugyan, maga az Ember azonban nem.

Die Kyberiade (Originaltitel Cyberiada) ist ein Zyklus von fünfzehn Erzählungen des polnischen Autors Stanisław Lem, die vom Ende der 1950er bis zum Anfang der 1970er Jahre entstanden. Die Erzählungen der Kyberiade spielen in einem zukünftigen, kybernetischen Zeitalter. In eigentümlicher Verbindung der literarischen Gattungen Märchen und Science Fiction werden die abenteuerlichen Taten und Reisen des Konstrukteurduos Klapauzius und Trurl in einem vorwiegend von Robotern bevölkerten Kosmos geschildert. Die zentralen Themen der in einem heroisch-komischen Ton gehaltenen philosophischen Fabeln sind die Auseinandersetzung und die Vermischung von Ethik und Technik sowie das Scheitern eines damit verbundenen absoluten Fortschrittsglaubens.Die Kyberiade gehört zu den populärsten und auch von der Kritik am meisten gelobten Werken Lems, die vier ersten Auflagen in polnischer Sprache allein erreichten 110.000 Exemplare. Lem selbst wünschte, dass sie vor allen anderen seiner Schriften ihn überleben möge.

The pieces in this book — the two Voyages of Ijon Tichy, his reminiscences, his open letter — all appeared in the 1971 Polish edition of Dzienniki gwiazdowe (The Star Diaries) but were not included in the British and American editions titled The Star Diaries and published in 1976. The present book, in effect, constitutes the second volume of Lem’s work of that name.

“The best science fiction writer working today in any language.”— NewsweekIn this widely acclaimed sequel to The Star Diaries, Ijon Tichy, space traveler of future centuries, discovers that “out there” isn’t very different from “down here.” Especially when he finds a galactic society over which the Plenum Moronicum presides, which appoints as ruler a ruthless Machine; the inhabitants, docilely cooperating in their own destruction, go by the name of Phools.Tichy seems to attract inventors of splenetic genius, such as the madman who has invented the soul, or another who invents kitchen appliances so good at their jobs they might as well be wives or slaves. Throughout these nine wild adventures, surprise follows witty surprise for the discerning reader of riotously imaginative fiction.STANISLAW LEM, who “knows science well enough to be playful about it” (Time), lives in Poland and is the author of books translated into nearly thirty languages, including Tales of Pirx the Pilot and His Master’s Voice.* * *In this sequel to The Star Diaries, Ijon Tichy, space traveler of future centuries, discovers that “out there” isn’t very different from “down here.” Throughout these nine wild adventures, surprise follows witty surprise.Line drawings by the Author.

“The best science fiction writer working today in any language.”— NewsweekIn this widely acclaimed sequel to The Star Diaries, Ijon Tichy, space traveler of future centuries, discovers that “out there” isn’t very different from “down here.” Especially when he finds a galactic society over which the Plenum Moronicum presides, which appoints as ruler a ruthless Machine; the inhabitants, docilely cooperating in their own destruction, go by the name of Phools.Tichy seems to attract inventors of splenetic genius, such as the madman who has invented the soul, or another who invents kitchen appliances so good at their jobs they might as well be wives or slaves. Throughout these nine wild adventures, surprise follows witty surprise for the discerning reader of riotously imaginative fiction.STANISLAW LEM, who “knows science well enough to be playful about it” (Time), lives in Poland and is the author of books translated into nearly thirty languages, including Tales of Pirx the Pilot and His Master’s Voice.* * *In this sequel to The Star Diaries, Ijon Tichy, space traveler of future centuries, discovers that “out there” isn’t very different from “down here.” Throughout these nine wild adventures, surprise follows witty surprise.Line drawings by the Author.

In this bold and controversial examination of the past, present, and future of science fiction, internationally acclaimed grand master Stanislaw Lem informs the raging debate over the literary merit of the genre with ten arch, incisive, provocative essays. Lem believes that science fiction should attempt to discover what hasn’t been thought or done before. Too often, says Lem, science fiction resorts to well-worn patterns of primitive adventure literature, plays empty games with the tired devices of time travel and robots, and is oblivious to cultural and intellectual values. An expert examination of the scientific and literary premises of his own and other writers’ work, this collection is quintessential Lem.

Commander Pirx, who drives space vehicles for a living in the galaxy of the future, here faces a new series of intriguing adventures in which robots demonstrate some alarmingly human characteristics.ReviewFive more tales featuring Pirx — a bumbling rookie in the original Tales (1979), now a seasoned and level-headed (but coolly cerebral) space jockey. The first three pieces are short, ironic, and somewhat thin on ideas: Pirx fails to intercept a drifting alien hulk thanks to a shipboard comedy of errors; he searches for a robot that has inexplicably cut loose to go mountain climbing; and he survives a close encounter with a berserk mining robot. The two long yarns, unfortunately, are not so much fiction as rather pedantic reflections on the nature of artificial intelligence: a choppy and overinvolved Turing test, in which Pirx must identify (and foil the murderous plans of) the robot among his crew as they fly through the rings of Saturn; and a talky, motionless analysis of why an intelligent computer aboard an experimental ship went neurotically haywire and crashed on Mars. A ruminative, often discursive bunch, wanting in urgency and drama — without the mature idea-wrestling of last year’s Memoirs of a Space Traveler. (Kirkus Reviews)

Commander Pirx, who drives space vehicles for a living in the galaxy of the future, here faces a new series of intriguing adventures in which robots demonstrate some alarmingly human characteristics.ReviewFive more tales featuring Pirx — a bumbling rookie in the original Tales (1979), now a seasoned and level-headed (but coolly cerebral) space jockey. The first three pieces are short, ironic, and somewhat thin on ideas: Pirx fails to intercept a drifting alien hulk thanks to a shipboard comedy of errors; he searches for a robot that has inexplicably cut loose to go mountain climbing; and he survives a close encounter with a berserk mining robot. The two long yarns, unfortunately, are not so much fiction as rather pedantic reflections on the nature of artificial intelligence: a choppy and overinvolved Turing test, in which Pirx must identify (and foil the murderous plans of) the robot among his crew as they fly through the rings of Saturn; and a talky, motionless analysis of why an intelligent computer aboard an experimental ship went neurotically haywire and crashed on Mars. A ruminative, often discursive bunch, wanting in urgency and drama — without the mature idea-wrestling of last year’s Memoirs of a Space Traveler. (Kirkus Reviews)

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).

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). Translated and with an Introduction by Michael Kandel.

Stanislavas Lemas gimė Lvovo mieste, tuo metu priklausiam Lenkijai (dabar — Ukrainai), Sabinos Woller ir Samuelio Lemo šeimoje. Lemas buvo žydų kilmės, tačiau auginamas kaip katalikas, o vėliau save laikė ateistu. Lvovo universitete 1939–1941 m. studijavo mediciną. Per Antrąjį pasaulinį karą ir nacių okupaciją Lemas išvengė persekiojimo dėl savo kilmės, nes turėjo netikrus dokumentus. 1946 m. Stanislavas Lemas persikėlė iš Sovietų Sąjungos okupuotos teritorijos į Krokuvą ir tęsė medicinos studijas Jogailos universitete. Kad išvengtų karo gydytojo tarnybos, Lemas nelaikė baigiamųjų egzaminų, todėl tik gavo pažymėjimą, kad studijas baigė. Dirbo asistentu mokslinėje institucijoje ir laisvu laiku ėmė rašyti. 1946 m. Stanislavas Lemas debiutavo kaip poetas, taip pat išleido keletą romanų. 1951 m. išleido pirmąjį mokslinės fantastikos romaną — „Astronautai” (Astronauci). 1956 m. išleistas kitas romanas — „Magelano debesis” — paties autoriaus vėliau buvo vertinamas kaip menkavertis, tačiau tuo pačiu tai buvo kūrinys, pastūmėjęs Stanislavą Lemą ir toliau rašyti. 1957 m. Stanislavas Lemas išleido pirmąją negrožinę filosofinę knygą „Dialogai" (Dialogi), o po ketverių metų, 1961-aisiais, pasaulį išvydo pats žymiausias Lemo darbas — „Soliaris”. Tačiau tarptautinės šlovės pirmiau susilaukė kitas Stanislavo Lemo veikalas — trumpų apsakymų serija „Kiberiada”, pasakojantis apie pasaulį, valdomą robotų ir kitų intelektualių mašinų.1977 m. Stanislavas Lemas tapo Krokuvos garbės piliečiu, o 1981 m. gavo garbės laipsnį iš Vroclavo Politechnikos, vėliau iš Opolės, Lvovo ir Jogailos universitetų. 1981 metų gruodžio mėnesį Lenkijos Liaudies Respublikoje įvedus karinę padėtį, Stanislavas Lemas išvyko į Berlyną, o paskui išvažiavo į Vieną ir grįžo tik 1988-aisiais.