Scan barcode
coralena's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite book of all time. I love the combination of humor with outstanding intelligence to describe the complexity of being human in such a scientific but down to earth way. Thank you for this book!
old_oak_owl's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, if you like sci-fi, which ironically comments on the current-day issues, this book will be an excellent read! It was so funny and entertaining, but also brushed on the topics of environmentalism, ego-centrism, forced implementation of democracy, and missionary work (and its hmm-complexities when it comes to alien races).
The first story was my favorite one: it focused on how one can fly through the time-vortex to get a future or past version of himself to work as an assistant for ship reparations.
This book with its adventure narrative is different in its tone from "[b:Solaris|95558|Solaris|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498631519l/95558._SX50_.jpg|3333881]", which is more lethargic and slow-paced. Nevertheless, I will be picking up more books from this author (such as "[b:The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy|733473|The Futurological Congress From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387704942l/733473._SY75_.jpg|1271698]"), as I was genuinely enjoyed space-travel stories with complex social commentary.
The first story was my favorite one: it focused on how one can fly through the time-vortex to get a future or past version of himself to work as an assistant for ship reparations.
This book with its adventure narrative is different in its tone from "[b:Solaris|95558|Solaris|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1498631519l/95558._SX50_.jpg|3333881]", which is more lethargic and slow-paced. Nevertheless, I will be picking up more books from this author (such as "[b:The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy|733473|The Futurological Congress From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy|Stanisław Lem|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1387704942l/733473._SY75_.jpg|1271698]"), as I was genuinely enjoyed space-travel stories with complex social commentary.
debesyla's review against another edition
3.0
Ir vėl, kaip ir Futurologų Kongresas, pusė knygos vertė mane nusišauti, o kita traukte traukė skaityti toliau. Jei skaitysite, skaitykite viską išskyrus pirmą ir paskutinę istoriją. Nežinau, čia gal specialiai taip vietos parinktos, kad pradėjęs skaityti mestum knygą šalin, o baigęs panorėtum iššokt pro langą ant kokių samurajų kardų. :))
neven's review against another edition
5.0
From outrageous, Jack Handey-esque farce to the meditation on the human condition you can see in Solaris, this is Lem at his most eclectic. The philosophical passages may be dense, but they're genuinely insightful; the goofy comedy is light, but extremely entertaining. It all adds up to a very lovable book.
zach_brumaire's review against another edition
4.0
Parody and theoretical treatise bend towards a mutual zenith in these surrealist philosophical theses set against an endlessly creative space opera backdrop. Lem explores topics as diverse as bureaucracy, academica, prisons, and surveillance; evolution and revolution; zenotheology and chronopolitics; his tactics of interventative insanity, the short circuting of the mundane, explosive fractal expounding of worlds, and moving rendition/self undercutting of the absurd create spaces for explorations which would perhaps be possible without such accompaniment, but certainly not as pleasurable nor as interesting. Like the optesimists encountered in one of the many voyages,, Lem defies categories (high/low bro, comedy/philosophy, science fiction and fantasy, playfulness/dark satire), thereby providing simply one more reason to read him. A vital component of the tradition which encompasses Kafka, Borges, Rushdie, and the Strugatsky brothers, to Lem belongs a place in any cannon of critical irrealism.
urbaer's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure if I prefer Tichy to Pirx. Tichy's tales vary wildly from the absurd to discussions on philosophy or historical parodies. Pirx tends to stay in the puzzle to solve lane pretty much.
Some of these can be a bit of a slog (mostly the later written ones), though they certainly have their moments with laugh out loud jokes and lines that give you pause for thought.
That said I think I prefer the tone and style of the earlier written ones. They're a little bit more goofball but they're just a breeze to read. It's almost like you get your desserts before your vegetables in this book.
But of course I love it.
Some of these can be a bit of a slog (mostly the later written ones), though they certainly have their moments with laugh out loud jokes and lines that give you pause for thought.
That said I think I prefer the tone and style of the earlier written ones. They're a little bit more goofball but they're just a breeze to read. It's almost like you get your desserts before your vegetables in this book.
But of course I love it.
jiujensu's review against another edition
4.0
I wouldn't consider myself a sci fi fan, but this author, like Capek's War With the Newts, has very good points in religion, philosophy, politics, human nature to illustrate. There are dizzying time travel loops, odd creatures and machines, fascinating customs like squamp hunting, like in many sci fi novels no doubt. This one didn't really endear itself to me until the 21st voyage, I have to say, where there is a discussion about God and Satan as dizzying as the recursive time travel loops are to sort out. Looking back, though, the 8th and 11th voyages had good, humorous lessons on politics. In the 22nd and 25th voyages there are good examples of our narrow view of life- refusing to see evidence that is right in front of us or refusing to believe things could turn out another way because we have experienced them THIS way. Overall, this is funnier and more thought provoking than your average science fiction.
bjorn's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.25
eralon's review against another edition
4.0
I read this because it was my dad's book. It's a Kandal translation. There's so many ideas in this collection that I assume it's inspired a lot of the science fiction we know. Surely the 8th voyage inspired the first episode of Star Trek the next generation? The very character of Ijon Tichy might have inspired Doctor Who. This was wildly creative, often philosophical, and sometimes funny.