"Eden", written in 1959, opens the period of Lem's mature science-fiction. What makes us read this book with interest today? Certainly author's exceptional imagination plays an important role here; rich visions of planetary culture and nature are presented with just the right amount of suspense. Hence, we get to know the mysterious planet step by step – with a tension that naturally accompanies all real history of exploration. Political system of the planet must have reminded readers of Orwell's visions, particularly in the 1950s. Yet the most important issue seems the skepticism with respect to the possibility of mutual comprehension: the very difference of respective technologies prevents newcomers and locals from understanding each other.