The Cyberiad - Kirjakasa

No cover — Stanisław Lem: The Cyberiad (1985)

English language

Published Dec. 30, 1985

ISBN:: 978-0-15-623550-1

(1 review)

The Cyberiad (Polish: Cyberiada) is a series of humorous science fiction short stories by Polish writer Stanisław Lem, originally published in 1965, with an English translation appearing in 1974. The main protagonists of the series are Trurl and Klapaucius, the "constructors". The vast majority of characters are either robots or intelligent machines. The stories focus on problems of the individual and society, as well as on the vain search for human happiness through technological means. Two of these stories were included in the book The Mind's I. The word "Cyberiad" is used in the series only once as a name of a pretty woman in a poem by Elektrybałt, an electronic poet invented by Trurl. There is a steel statue of Elektrybałt in the Copernicus Science Centre, Warsaw.

4 editions

Thom reviewed The Cyberiad by Stanisław Lem

Review of 'The Cyberiad' on 'Goodreads'

3 stars

The protagonists are robots, or robotic philosophers, or largely imaginary - hard SF this is not. A collection of stories, very loosely related, with humor and observation of the human condition - the latter frequently not favorable. Perhaps it's the robot perspective, constantly stymied by captcha.

Started reading with daughter, but robots are secondary and it wasn't resonating. Continued occasionally over nearly 4 months. Some stories I'd read before in [b:The Mind’s I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul|2081|The Mind’s I Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul|Douglas R. Hofstadter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385316419l/2081.SY75.jpg|1987525]. For an anthology review, I often share which I liked best, but those were probably 4 months ago. The last few stories weren't as good as the first - or maybe the collection was starting to wear on me.

I may come back to this - or I may not. 3 stars is the rating for now …

The protagonists are robots, or robotic philosophers, or largely imaginary - hard SF this is not. A collection of stories, very loosely related, with humor and observation of the human condition - the latter frequently not favorable. Perhaps it's the robot perspective, constantly stymied by captcha.

Started reading with daughter, but robots are secondary and it wasn't resonating. Continued occasionally over nearly 4 months. Some stories I'd read before in [b:The Mind’s I: Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul|2081|The Mind’s I Fantasies and Reflections on Self and Soul|Douglas R. Hofstadter|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1385316419l/2081.SY75.jpg|1987525]. For an anthology review, I often share which I liked best, but those were probably 4 months ago. The last few stories weren't as good as the first - or maybe the collection was starting to wear on me.

I may come back to this - or I may not. 3 stars is the rating for now - better than just OK, but as far short of "really liked it".