In Stanisław Lem's Orbit

With the notable exception of his paleolithic feminism,1 Stanisław Lem (1921–2006) was a twenty-first-century writer writing in twentieth century. As early as 1960s, he anticipated much twenty-first century's information technology and biotechnology—tablets, personal computers, smart phones, eBooks, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, robotics, holograms, advanced prosthetics, human-machine interfaces. Yet also surmised that would have profound effect on human life culture—not all it foreseeable, not good—that could take logic its own, one portended catastrophic consequences for future civilization humankind. survivor Holocaust against odds, searching new forms, hybrid impure forms adequate to post-catastrophic world possible futures. The ushered are most conspicuous when examines works whole. His centennial has provided an impetus large body previously untranslated be published translation, allowing fuller picture emerge. Throughout, long articles appeared prominent journals notably from Jonathan Lethem (“My Year reading Lemmishly” London Review Books) Caleb Crain (“A Survivor's Hardboiled Science Fiction” New Yorker), bringing renewed attention works, while Roisin Kiberd chronicled many events anniversary York Times.2So indeed, there is more Lem.3 In ether, hard copy (approximately 40 million copies sold worldwide over 53 languages), social media (e.g., Instagram project foodLEMology). MIT Press eight editions, several them appearing English translation first time, including Dialogues (Dialogi 1957, 1971), translated by Peter Butko, 2022), Truth Other Stories (1956–1993, Antonia Lloyd-Jones, Master's Voice (Głos Pana, 1968, 2020 reissue Michael Kandel's 1983 translation), Highcastle: A Remembrance (Wysoki zamek, 1995 Invincible (Niezwyciężony, 1964, Bill Johnston, 2020), Return Stars (Powrót z gwiazd, 1961, 1980 Barbara Marszal Frank Simpson) Hospital Transfiguration (Szpital Przemienienia, 1955, William Brand's 1988 Memoirs Space Traveler: Further Reminiscences Ijon Tichy (a revised 2020, based 1982 Joel Stern Maria Swiecicka-Ziemianek). We should single out Joanna Zylinska's inspired Summa Technologiae, University Minnesota (2013), which garnered some thoughtful reviews, but alas never elicited broader public debate. Meanwhile, just being released video game (with female protagonist no less), with expansion audience holds potential expert scholar amateur alliances, dialogue, collaboration. official site satellite contains scholarly resources such Jerzy Jarzębski's introductions Lem's major works. time upon us can certainly prompt examine ourselves our civilization, reflect what lies ahead, look solutions problems we created.What knew life, other than highly selective sanitized, autobiographical reminiscences provides Remembrance,4 somewhat forthcoming, although deceptive remarks shares “Chance Order,” 1984 essay Yorker,5 came through two book-length interviews, Bereś, Polish literary critic academic, Tomasz Fiałkowski, journalist affiliated Kraków weekly Tygodnik Powszechny monthly Znak. Bereś held series conversations period November 1981 July 1982. These were initially German uncensored edition über [Lem Lem, 1986] before censored edition, Rozmowy ze Stanisławem Lemem [Conversations Lem] 1987, fall communism. till 2002 under title Tako rzecze [Thus spake contained additional chapters, born following 9/11.6 This restores passages recollections prewar Lwów those related martial law Poland.7 Fiałkowski had interviews Świat na krawędzi [The edge] 2000.8 followed 2016 Swirski's według Lema according Lem].9It until after death 2006 emerged climate conducive open discussion particular Jewishness wartime experiences, role they played fiction, even once this shift happened, remained done work establishing basic facts.10 extended family largely been killed Holocaust, leaving practically oral or written history. Much documentation pertaining function educational institutions part destroyed, easy find. Shifting boundaries created challenges, fragile geopolitical alliances needed judiciously navigated, tracking down source material archives. heavy lifting taken Agnieszka Gajewska, contributor present volume. 2016, Gajewska her pathbreaking monograph, Zagłada i gwiazdy: przeszłość w prozie Stanisława [Holocaust stars: past fiction], she interpreted corpus lens trauma, at times relying hints half-said earlier scholars Jarzębski, volume.11 monograph Katarzyna Gucio's 2021. same year, comprehensive 700-page biography Lem: Wypędzony Wysokiego Zamku; Biografia [Stanisław Exiled Highcastle; Biography],12 wealth added parents especial importance given 1941–1945, chronicling Lems’ move their well-appointed apartment city center ghetto, own employment Rohstofferfassung hiding “Aryan side.” Given gaps documentary testimonial evidence arrived method making plausible inferences about aspects childhood researching cultural commonplaces extant orbit family. Wojciech Orliński's 2017 biography, życie nie tej ziemi [Lem: Life another planet], sources, complements Gajewska's findings.13 Within studies, beginning discovered probed rich study memory postmemory.14Lem successful attracting both critical popular anglophone world. Kurt Vonnegut Ursula Le Guin strong advocates him work. translator, Kandel, served interpreter expositor ideas. Franz Rottensteiner, translator publicist, helped build up standing asserting presence European science fiction. Lech Keller, maverick champion amassed exhaustive bibliography works.15 key anthology introduced perspectives around oczach krytyki światowej eyes global critics, 1989] edited Jarzębski.16 Among North American who made substantial contributions studies are: N. Katherine Hayles, Istvan Csicsery-Ronay, John Rothfork, Swirski, Fredric Jameson, Darko Suvin.17 Of these, only latter enjoyed honor cast co-conspirators fiction Philip K. Dick. Infamously, September 2, 1974, Dick wrote paranoid letter FBI implicating Suvin Jameson falling within chain command whom deemed man, rather communist committee seeking control thought criticism. whose Archaeologies Future (2005) landmark SF contribution volume, develops dual dialectic framework understanding relations “the alien other” (aggressivity vs. non-aggressivity; comprehension non-comprehension) constitutes sort architectonic Solaris, Fiasco, Invincible, Eden each instantiate logical combinations. uses occasion engagement work, which, argues, rising constellation literature generally. Earlier, Future, developed documented philosophical dynamics especially support unknowability thesis, namely whatever truly alien, sense unimaginable yet nonetheless real extant, will resist attempts know it, all, limited capacity imaginations.18Jerzy architects offers meditations contrast between cosmos afforded developments astrophysics manifest image possesses dint position it. privy stars nighttime sky, fixed us, confronted reality receive simultaneous signals fact multitude transmissions stellar objects vastly different distances so far away light finally reaches longer exist. Even if intelligent there, exchange communication appears physically impossible.19 Moreover, kinds beings posits least (Solaris, Voice, Fiasco) fundamentally unlike solitary, engaged relations, universe exist beyond ability humans imagine. It becomes increasingly impossible imagination extend strange physical cosmos, hence need narratives fill gap. Jarzębski brings aspect fore theological eschew God, invoke bears responsibility “children.” analysis draws anthropic principle, principle laws constants seem fine-tuned possibility inevitability like (the variants draw range conclusions apparent fine-tuning). Building considerations physics, philosophy secular theology discusses, might deeply biology. important since expect creator—that gave birth children towards us—seems analogies post-procreative responsibilities organisms rear young—a tiny fraction evolutionary tree. Many species broadcast larvae, drop acorns, bury eggs, etc. great numbers parent needed. Maybe God that. universes spun way. reconcile these possibilities God. meaningfully groups Kamil Baczyński Tadeusz Różewicz poets writers facing post-Holocaust world.Agnieszka well-known Stars, extensively cited diligently documents how experience Nazi occupation, pogrom, processed futurological ruminations. Here, takes archival turn, unpublished manuscripts, realistic vein, trilogy Czas nieutracony [Time lost, 1955]. analyzes earliest fiction—published, unpublished, delayed publication—to show issues surfaced mature already exploring immediate postwar stories bear witness proposition that, poet counterpart Różewicz, confronting head-on crisis values wrought, revealing darkness unsuitable publication sent back revision. performed valuable service unearthing now-obscure periodicals poorly indexed, correcting misperception horrors war prose Time Not Lost.A fitting byproduct Przemysław Czapliński's effort develop notion chaosmos order ascribes career, subdividing into three distinct periods, characterized relationship chance.20 On reading, envisioned depicted orderly using utopian war. final ubiquity contingency yields subordination greater middle chance co-exist side-by-side. focus, paid Solaris indicative acceptance fundamental reality. Czapliński casts scientists inadequacy Cartesian paradigm. separable cognizing subjects objects. Solarian ocean does yield framework, shattering ontology stymying epistemology. Scientific encounter one's mental states. Its properties appear defy physics understanding. representation blissful incomprehensibility understood contours heretofore unspecified movement terms Post-Avant-Garde. Going counter tradition sees singularity, situates stable authors Edward Stachura, Witold Gombrowicz, Miron Białoszewski, among others. doubted foundations knowledge, morality—and exposed unable fulfill traditional role. What unites them, Czapliński, coming realization lacks any point reference, means experiment whether dismantling existing construction ones. invented another, classing together, opens further exploration distinctively Lemian forms. He depicts acknowledge, feuilletons dominated later lead progress—in meet needs, address lack, armaments mount defense—instead spiral illogic self-amplifying unpredictability. chaos theory itself entails, deterministic processes give rise radically trajectories due acute sensitivity minute happenstances contingencies Whatever emerges often possibly intended.Japanese intellectual Mitsuyoshi Numano, (interviewed volume Elżbieta Skibińska), did introduce Japan, encountered teenager Japanese Russian edition: translation. hobbled opened language Numano walked through, studying Harvard Barańczak eventually becoming leading Astronauts, Chain Chance, Perfect Vacuum, Solaris. voice literatures, contributed popularizing television programming publishing academic press.While others situated respect western canon (Lucretius, Descartes, others), Alfred Gall relates 1961 novel, classical intertext, Odyssey Homer. argues astronaut Hal Bregg returns lengthy cosmic voyage changed world, Odysseus, hardly said returned home. Drawing Adorno's seizes disanalogies return Odysseus make Holocaust. Just Adorno pointed break attribute positive meaning wake civilizational catastrophe, Bregg, returning space, trauma loss tantamount war, cannot homecoming system earth. Only disruption form society Bregg's without effect.His claims originality notwithstanding, every writer, borrowed heavily others, canonical Homer (witness Gall's piece volume). someone sought frame comprehensively theoretically, uniquely well-versed Western authors, classics genre Wells Stapledon, contemporaries—Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke; Brian Aldiss, Bester, J.G. Ballard, Dick, Sheckley, James Blish, Ray Bradbury, Damon Knight, Walter Miller, course Vonnegut—to name discussed mentioned passing Fantastyka Futurologia, One Two [Science futurology, 1970; second expanded 1972].21 familiarity resulting influences went unacknowledged, fuel research intertextuality work.22Lem's influence vast measure, languages translated, broad interest Sometimes manifests unexpected places.23 recent example afterlife admission winner 2022 Goncourt prize, Senegalese Mohamed Mbougar Sarr, La plus secrète mémoire des hommes secret men, 2021] names Stanislas (casting translating Gombrowicz's Ferdydurke).24 Anna Zielinska-Elliott makes case elements Haruki Murakami's Wild Sheep Chase correspond closely intertextual connections striking clearly likely genesis equally investigate significance intertextuality. For example, may worth inquiring cross-currents magical realism literature.In “The Faces Mars,” Szymon Kukulak leverages distinctive depiction Mars Martians Man (1946) “Ananke” (1971). Painstakingly assessing shifting “Martian fiction” evolving state Martian composed twenty-five years apart, reconstructs basis textual plausibly read presents formidable history scientific Mars, vantage points history, reasons way nuanced, view reflected serious must answerable, tells world.Benjamin Paloff explores issue identity examination experiments. Paloff's reveals simply replicating experiments Ship Theseus Searle's Chinese room, challenge assumptions experiments, frequently assume very phenomenon investigated. ranges instances found (paradigmatic cases Harey titular character “Does Mr. Johns Exist?”), (Summa technologiae) builds conception rests notions self-inscrutability. Through inquiry come see better processual entities, particularly biological beings, retain integrity despite temporary repositories molecules energy constantly changing composition. implication revisitation current generation philosophers who, era molecular biology, microbiome project, increasing machine integration, seek understand identity, consciousness, life.25Paweł Majewski, contribution, lays bare macabre Majewski conjectures formative depictions permeates encounters anatomical textbooks father's study. Majewski's insight significant complement scholarship interpretation focuses experiences firsthand stealthy visits physician library providing observations. Along way, tract ruminations technology, prospect liberating consciousness restrictions body, pioneering foray today known posthumanism. argument here, building indulged technological fantasies place consciousness—even immanent “good machine”—at remove cruelties witnessed firsthand. daring, deeper conjecture ventured escapism obsession soldiers having godlike power death, transcending embodiment Nordic ideal. posthumanist, transhumanist terms.While is, matter probability, reasonable exists conclusion recognize intelligence “out there” anthropomorphic anthropocentric possessed. Here earth, surrounded living themselves constitute computationally complex brain, affect affected variables. They, machines, turn kind “intelligence amplifier” need, vaulting concerns.