Lem avoids the tedious trap of hard sci-fi by granting equal time to the philosophical aspects of his alien worlds and his thought provoking and lyrical prose has prompted some critics to call him "science fiction's James Joyce". (...) His ideas are impeccable and his pacing - though complex - is captivating. In an age when ludicrous aliens are usually seen being pummeled by the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger it's encouraging that a tale over 30-years-old can come from overseas and introduce so many new ideas. It's a shame American audiences don't call for translation of Lem's works sooner.
Robert Errera, Lakeland Today
Eden, written in 1958, opened the epoch of Lem's mature science fiction works. Why do we still read this book with great interest?
Certainly thanks to author's exceptional imagination, who creates rich visions of the culture and nature of a remote planet at the same time keeping the reader in suspense - slowly revealing the mysteries of Eden with a dramatic suspension that characterizes all discoveries.
Political order on the planet makes the reader think about Orwell's visions. However what seems even more important is the skepticism regarding the nature of cognition: the very difference between technology used by the natives and humans make it very difficult to communicate.
Professor Jerzy Jarzebski |
