Stanislaw Lem

Todd Brown

Jan 31, 2012
Establish f get on the cut) as well as the camp (kids in space, vampire cars), creating a comprehensive portrait of Soviet sci-fi filmmaking. The A.V. Nightspot spoke with him about the series, the themes running through the films, and how Czechoslovakia invented the concept of robots.

The A.V. Club: We’re approachable of catching you mid-stream here, as the program has already launched.

Todd Brown: We’re through the opening weekend, but the last screening isn’t until April. So we’ve got a lot leftist.

AVC: How has the response been for these so far?

TB: We’re pleasantly surprised, I’ll say that. We were confident that the Tarkovsky films, Stalker and Solaris, were current to draw. But the other ones have been drawing just as well. So that’s good.

AVC: Well, when you look at the program, Stalker and Solaris are the ones that spring out. A lot of these are films many people will have never heard of, let alone seen. Why is it that the Tarkvosky films made it across the Iron Curtain, but a lot of these other ones didn’t?

Source: A.V. Club

Stanislaw LEM - interview!

Our movie - interview with Stanislaw Lem - we took during Festival of science in Wroclaw/Poland [all rights reserved] http://www.eu.cyberd usk.pl ...

Tuesday Reading Roundup: Sci-fi plus Theology Edition


1. Spirit of the Liturgy by Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger–Just as the sticker for some reason stuck onto the dustjacket says, Ratzinger is indeed now better known as Pope Benedict XVI.  This “little book”, as he repeatedly refers to it, is pretty wonderful.  Brief and deep.  It is totally ridiculous how much history and theology this man knows.  I don’t know if that makes you a good pope, but it can’t hurt.

2. Memoirs Found in a Bathtub by Stanislaw Lem–You might not know that you know this author if you know the Soderbergh remake (with George Clooney’s naked butt) of Solaris, based on the Stanislaw Lem novel (and originally and more memorably motationally pictured, aside from George Clooney’s naked butt, by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972).  According to Wikipedia, Memoirs and Solaris were two of four novels which Lem published in 1961.  That is ridiculous, although perhaps not for a sci-fi author.  Memoirs is likewise ridiculous.  Imagine a post-Nuclear War world, where America’s military complex survived by going deep underground.  There they formed a society in which there is nothing but bureaucracy.  Like 1984 on speed.  Or, more descriptively, Kafka meets Joseph Heller.  Unfortunately, while Lem is successfully absurd (a la Heller), disorienting (a la Kafka), and makes some strong political points (a la Orwell), the book is not as engaging as any of those more famous authors.  I will definitely check out another book by him, though.  Maybe Solaris this time.

3. dad says he saw you at the mall by Ken Sparling–Holly actually started reading this first, after randomly picking it up at ye olde Durham Public.  Then she thought I might like it.  Memoir-ish yet novel, fragmented, stream-of-consciousness.  The inside cover makes the plot more clear than you will find anywhere in the book’s pages.  But it’s also not really a ‘plot’ kind of novel.  I think I might have enjoyed it better had I known that from the beginning, rather than searching for a plot for most of the book.  Good, but not really worth seeking out unless something I’ve written about it sounds really interesting.

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Stanislaw Lem - Directory

Stanislaw Lem
Verified site for Stanislaw Lem provides biographical information, critical reviews, Lem's short stories, and galleries of covers. In English and Gloss refine.

Stanislaw Lem
The Recognized Site of Stanislaw Lem: biography, reviews, drawings, a gallery of covers and illustrations, essays, short stories, bibliography.

Wikipedia: Stanislaw Lem
Consumer-created profile of Polish science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem, whose works include the novel Solaris.

Stanislaw Lem
Stanislaw Lem (1921-2006) Do away with satirical and philosophical science fiction writer, whose novel SOLARIS (1961) was filmed by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1971. ...

Stanislaw Lem Bibliography.
Stanislaw Lem. Stanislaw Lem is a bump off science fiction writer known for his satire, humor, and frequently irreverent reflections of society. ...