Lemography is a unique collection of critical essays on Stanislaw Lem, writer and philosopher hailed on more than one occasion as a literary Einstein. Its aim is to introduce aspects of his work hitherto unknown or neglected by scholarship and evaluate his influence on twentieth-century literature and culture—and beyond. The book’s uniqueness is enhanced by the global makeup of the contributors who hail from Canada, United States, Great Britain, Belorussia, Poland, Croatia, Finland, and Hong Kong. In all cases, these are scholars and translators who for many years have pursued, and in some cas ... More

Lemography is a unique collection of critical essays on Stanislaw Lem, writer and philosopher hailed on more than one occasion as a literary Einstein. Its aim is to introduce aspects of his work hitherto unknown or neglected by scholarship and evaluate his influence on twentieth-century literature and culture—and beyond. The book’s uniqueness is enhanced by the global makeup of the contributors who hail from Canada, United States, Great Britain, Belorussia, Poland, Croatia, Finland, and Hong Kong. In all cases, these are scholars and translators who for many years have pursued, and in some cases defined, Lem scholarship. Rather than study Lem as a science fiction writer, each essay commands a wider sphere of reference in order to appraise Lem’s literary and philosophical contributions (the ‘philosophy of the future’). Each focuses on a different novel or a set of novels, examining them critically—i.e. with a view to his strengths and weaknesses. Between them, the essays shed light on virtually all phases of Lem’s multidimensional career, from his very first novel Man from Mars right down to the farewell Peace on Earth. In the process, Lemography marks several ‘firsts’ in English: the first overview of Lem’s life and work against the background of political events in postwar Poland; first-time translations from and critical assessments of Lem’s first three novels; a comprehensive analysis of Lem’s best known novel in the context of all of its cinematic adaptations; a sustained critique of Lem as a pioneer of futurology; a critical introduction to Lem’s supercomputer; and a comparative discussion of the last two novels he ever wrote.