{"product_id":"the-playful-lem-a-short-story-sampler-paperback-1","title":"The Playful LEM: A Short Story Sampler - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eStanislaw Lem\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003eMichael Kandel\u003c\/b\u003e (Editor), \u003cb\u003eMichael Kandel\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eClassic speculative fiction with a comedic approach\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConjuring worlds in which robots are kings and Earthlings exist on the fringes of the universe, Stanislaw Lem's anachronistic fairy tales and science fiction parables envision knights who fight for the favor of a mechanical princess, a computer that can create anything (so long as it begins with the letter \u003ci\u003en\u003c\/i\u003e), and a human astronaut who goes undercover on a planet ruled by robots. In celebrated translations by Michael Kandel and with a new introduction by Bożena Shallcross, the stories in this volume highlight age-old human weaknesses--vanity, jealousy, cowardice, and cruelty--while tickling the reader with layered humor ranging from satire to wordplay to slapstick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLem's oblique approach to indicting aggression and totalitarianism helped him avoid censorship while living under a restrictive government during the Cold War. Originally published in Polish in the 1950s and '60s, the stories collected here both evoke the concerns of the era and foresee today's technological capabilities as well as society's response.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStanislaw Lem wrote science fiction in Poland during the Cold War and became one of the most successful authors in the history of his country, in terms of sales, translations, and films based on his work. Remarkably, his stories and essays written in the 1960s, especially \u003ci\u003eThe Cyberiad\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eSumma Technologiae\u003c\/i\u003e, predicted the rise of virtual reality and artificial intelligence in society.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 212\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.6 x 9 x 6.09 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e July 01, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48729063817465,"sku":"9781603297578","price":29.16,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/ElLycLP1t79781603297578_733aaede-f0a8-47bd-b768-915e0405ef40.webp?v=1785328466","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/the-playful-lem-a-short-story-sampler-paperback-1","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}