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lightiron's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
maddie_reads_stuff's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I don’t know how I could possibly describe this book.
dylex's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
eryops's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
kat_smith24's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
elanna76's review against another edition
5.0
A chilling, disturbing dissection of humanity's inability to escape its club-wieldind, genocidal roots, even and moreover when they think they are at the peak of their climb to God-like serene rationality.
Also, an eulogy to our bold anthropocenthrism.
Finally, buyer beware: this is not your classic, action packed sci-fi. Lem was a physics PhD, and a philosopher. Most of the book develops as a reflection, which may be puzzling when unexpected, but believe me, action and suspense are embedded in the long reflections and asides, all coming to a synthesis more and more apparent as the events slowly develop, while the reader helplessly witnesses the ethical horror unfold, endowed by those long musings with an understanding of further ethical horrors to come, yet unable to prevent them. This is sci-fi that changes your assumption on humanity. Straight to my "to be read in schools" shelf.
(This is the same review I left on Audible. Call me lazy. I am.)
EDIT: I have never, ever encountered such a quotable author as Stanisław Lem. His writing is so consequential, deep, competent, humane, and packed with memorable synthetic sentences, that one gives up the task of selection and ends up transcribing none, through sheer choicevoverload.
Also, an eulogy to our bold anthropocenthrism.
Finally, buyer beware: this is not your classic, action packed sci-fi. Lem was a physics PhD, and a philosopher. Most of the book develops as a reflection, which may be puzzling when unexpected, but believe me, action and suspense are embedded in the long reflections and asides, all coming to a synthesis more and more apparent as the events slowly develop, while the reader helplessly witnesses the ethical horror unfold, endowed by those long musings with an understanding of further ethical horrors to come, yet unable to prevent them. This is sci-fi that changes your assumption on humanity. Straight to my "to be read in schools" shelf.
(This is the same review I left on Audible. Call me lazy. I am.)
EDIT: I have never, ever encountered such a quotable author as Stanisław Lem. His writing is so consequential, deep, competent, humane, and packed with memorable synthetic sentences, that one gives up the task of selection and ends up transcribing none, through sheer choicevoverload.
paycheck_stevens's review against another edition
challenging
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A lot to ponder after finishing this book. Though some of the description of how the science has reached this point so far beyond our current technology can get wordy and seem unnecessary, this book is one that will stick with me and haunt me for a long time.
octophile's review against another edition
5.0
Thick, dense, old school sci fi. Wins full stars for the bug story alone.
michinio's review against another edition
5.0
One of there rare recent books that would make me think I'm always wasting time whenever I'm not reading it. As usual for Lem, the book is full of futuristic philosophical topics, magnificent and 'realistic' explanations of future technologies, detailed description of yet non-existing (and maybe also never-existing) concepts. and what I like in Lem's novels most is that he can easily place the reader into the world he created to experience his heroes' feelings, to see what they see, hear what they hear... in addition, Lem's novels are good source for scientific information, though sometimes it's hard to distinguish between ancient, modern and future science (and this is amazing!).
This novel is about the author's favorite topic - human contact with aliens and considering the name of the novel and Lem's previous novels, it will not be a spoiler to mention the contact is unsuccessful. However, besides obvious topic of Fermi's paradox [b:Fiasko|356173|Fiasko|Stanisław Lem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1174052541s/356173.jpg|1762117] touches wide are of other themes like game theory, planetary engineering, space/time travel, cold war, human nature...
The only small weak part seems to me little too much philosophical discussion into one direction in the second part of the book. Also I'd give the novel little bit less pessimistic title - "Fiasko" haunted me all the book long, making me somehow more and more sad. But probably that was what the author intended to do.
This novel is about the author's favorite topic - human contact with aliens and considering the name of the novel and Lem's previous novels, it will not be a spoiler to mention the contact is unsuccessful. However, besides obvious topic of Fermi's paradox [b:Fiasko|356173|Fiasko|Stanisław Lem|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1174052541s/356173.jpg|1762117] touches wide are of other themes like game theory, planetary engineering, space/time travel, cold war, human nature...
The only small weak part seems to me little too much philosophical discussion into one direction in the second part of the book. Also I'd give the novel little bit less pessimistic title - "Fiasko" haunted me all the book long, making me somehow more and more sad. But probably that was what the author intended to do.