Stanisław Lem - Forum
English => Forum in English => Wątek zaczęty przez: SoGo w Stycznia 09, 2005, 08:55:23 pm
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Gents, I just read Poul Andersons "Power of Mind".
Have you ever read it?!
I mean, after I put it in a line with one of Lem's books,
I saw the different.
Lem's always act in the Rules of the World, the Physic
and all other.
The other ones make their own rules, let them fly
with "over-light-speed" for example.
I'm sorry, but after reading Lem, other SF looks like
Children-Tales for me.
How about you, can you take other SF serious, after
reading Lem?
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It may suprise You, but yes, there are some decent writers also. Take Bradbury, for instance.
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:) Today I read some funny line, fitting in this theme:
If you want to put a information somewhere, where
even the devil won't find it, publish they in a SF Magazin.
It was out of the Technology Trap.
And in an Interview with the "Spiegel" 1996 he said to
Star Trek:
This storys will always be Tales.
These authors configure the rules, so they fit with
their story.
Thanks for the authors tip.
I will try to get something from him.
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Other sf writers? I don`t know why Clifford Simac With his / CEMETARY WORLD/ and /THEY LOOKED LIKE MEN/ came to my mind. The novels are good, both have unexpected ends, absurd ones.
What about Philip Dic ? He has good short stories , some of them are /The Second Model/,/The Gold Man/,but his novels are terrible/ A Zap Gun/ for example.
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I mean, especially, the big difference between Lem and other authors. Other ones don't care about physically laws or reallistic future science, lem still do.
thats what I mean. He's not a PulpFiction- writer.
He's an prophet of the future.
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Pulp Fiction is a great movie. Thought I should just throw that in. Sorry.
Cheers, SOcrates
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He thought that Lem is a Science-fiction, not pulp-fiction writer, I guess
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Stanislav Lem is undoubtfully a genius.You can it better realize in comparison with someone else.There are also talented writers like A.Clarke,I.Asimov,R.D.Bradbury,I`d like to mention Ukrainian Strugatsky brothers.
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He thought that Lem is a Science-fiction, not pulp-fiction writer, I guess
Right. Pulp means trash, and bad stories on bad paper for a few cents.
The film is independent, but not mented in all way.
What is in the case of Marcellus Wallace? :)
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That question's been hunting me for ages. One day I'll have to corner Tarantino and force him to spill the beans.
Cheers, Socrates
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What is in the case of Marcellus Wallace? :)
Nothing. Tarantino doesn´t have any definite idea, he just wanted to make an interesting plot. It was the easiest way to do it.
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Actually I don`t like Q.Tarantino,for stupidness and disgusting immorality of his movies.Tarantino makes trash for Americans and third world countries,he spelt the beans already,PULP-FICTION-is all he can make.
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It `s a nuisance to talk about Tarantino/Buratino-Russian nosed Pinoccio/ at Sci-fiction forum.Recently I have discovered for myself the works of Chechish SF writer Karel Chapek.His short stories like "Ofir","Halo","A Man who Could Fly" are amazing.He is also known as the inventor of the word "robot". He named robots a fantastic creatures of his play "R.U.R."which was published in 1920.His Play "The Means of Macropulos" was screened by soviet cinematographists.
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Yes, Chapek was already discussed somewhere around here; we've talked about animated psyhodrama-comedy Futurama (kickass), where in one episode (,,Fear of a bot planet'') the bot planet (a planet, where robots are only inhabitants) was named ,,Chapek-9" (or something).
I have personally never read any book writen by Chapek. I hope this will change one day.
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1) This is not a sci fi forum, this is Lem's forum.
2) Conversations have a way of geting out of topic at times. That is normal.
3) I absolutely hate being told not to discuss something I want to discuss. Please don;t tell me to do that again.
4) If you don;t want to talk about Tarantino, you don;t have to. Skip this topic.
Cheers, Socrates
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Yah ! I have neved been told off in Internet forums.It seems that some long Cyber Hand can get and spank me. I`m so sorry that sometimes want to tell about sci-fi writers famous in our country.
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:-[ Sorry, I hadn't want to start an argue with this topic.
Can't we all be just little Lem-Reader, like before? :'(
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You mean Lem readers that watch Tarantino's movies, of course :D
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Though some of us don`t like his/ TARANTINOS / movies.
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Well, I personally don't like them (Tarantino's movies). I'm just trying to joke ::)
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Well, I personally don't like them (Tarantino's movies). I'm just trying to joke ::)
Yeah, TarantinoMovies are very ... special.
But its a kind of independence and speciality.
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You mean Lem readers that watch Tarantino's movies, of course :D
Right :)
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It's a nice avatar You got there, Sogo, too bad it's so squizzed ::)
(http:// http://members.lycos.co.uk/xc543xb/sogoavatar.jpg)
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I have just read Heinlein`s /Have space suit -will travel/ a little bit childish but sci-fiction,reminds Lem. I won`t retell it . Just read and I`m sure you `ll like it.
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Does anybody know Alexander Belyaev a fonder of soviet sci-fiction? Were his works translated into other languages ? I just wonder, HEAD OF PROFESSOR DOUEL especially.
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It's a nice avatar You got there, Sogo, too bad it's so squizzed ::)
(http:// http://members.lycos.co.uk/xc543xb/sogoavatar.jpg)
You like it? :)
Thanks, it shows Faust I think.
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Faust? Hm... I'm not sure.. but ok, if you say so...
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hey guys,
can anybody tell me something about how stanislaw lem lives today?
I can't find any information about that topic.
but i'm really interested in that.
pleas write if you no anything!!!
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Manami, you must learn how to use a public forum like this; you can't just enter in any thread asking unrelated questions, you must:
1- Use the "search" option to see if your question has been discussed already.
2- If not, open your own thread, with your question.
Answering your question, Lem is alive but his healt is not very good, and he used to write regularly for Polish magazines until now, as far as I know.
I hope some citizen from Poland can give you more information.
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Well, I'm Polish, as far as I know Lem lives peacefully in Cracow (a big city in southern Poland, about 40 km from where I live). He is rather wealthy (no wonder). As peskanov said, he indeed writes things for magazines (like short essays) from time to time. He gives interviews and occasionaly takes part in various happenings organized by his publishers... And is regularry visited by Holywood producers, wishing to buy film rights ::)
Cheers
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Are you sure about this regular visits of producers from Hollywood? Did they ask last time about any specific book to louse up ;D?
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thanks for your
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sorry i made a mistake. thanks for your answers, that's it what i wanted to write ;). Nevertheless i have still one question. Can you tell me the name of the maganzine which lem is writing for?
thanks
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sorry i made a mistake.
There aren't any mistakes, just some good and some not so good choices. ;)
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Can you tell me the name of the maganzine which lem is writing for?
thanks
"Tygodnik Powszechny", "Odra", "PC Magazine", he is also known to have written for "Gazeta Wyborcza" and, I think, "Wprost".
(One of Lem's articles for "Wprost" is described (but not quoted ) here. (http://www.worldpress.org/books.htm) )
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Did anyone read F. Saberhagen ? Does he writes only about berserkers/ the killing machines whose task is to destroy the life they meet/? Judging by his short stories he is not so bad as it seemed to be .
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Did anyone read F. Saberhagen ? Does he writes only about berserkers/ the killing machines whose task is to destroy the life they meet/? Judging by his short stories he is not so bad as it seemed to be .
I think I read it long time ago.
Whats happening with the machine in the end?
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There`s a novel called BERSERKERS I didn`t read it ,it was retold to me by my brother. Iread only a short story where berserker`s theme was continued. I know that some American writers followed Saberhagen`s theme and edited a complete which was called Men and Berserkers.
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Berserkers? This is quite reminescent of 'Eric the Viking', by the late Pythons. Do those Saberhagen's berserkers berserk that much and happily?
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What about Robert Shakley? He`s a good SF writer American though. He creates mostly short-stories,sometimes amusing and philosophical.
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Shakley was in Kyiv at the presentation of his complete.`tis very pleasant that he knows Ukraine.
It`s a matter of fact that he was one of the most readable writers in our country in the time of USSR.
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Ukraine is cool ::) Not just the orange revolution, but also Chernobyl... and stuff. I like this country. As majority of peple in Poland do nowadays :)
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I don't :(
I used to have several problems with my thyroid becauce of Chernobyl...
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Well, sorry to hear that... I remember my iodine drinks back in those days ::) I still recall the taste. But I guess this saved my health.
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Dear Friends!
I have only one question: do any purport (goal, reason) to write a sci-fi novel nowadays? I wanted to wrote one about a planet, where no any sign of the time passing. But the earthlings could create an understanding between the intelligent population of this planet on the ground of the emotions. (It seems, on the Earth it is the first step of everything with all creature.) But I lost my motivation because as I see, the world is too unconcius to see the life in its true nature. The couriuos things, which can anybody make up (invent) are too plain and boring according to reality. And the film industry kills the brain. The movies are narrows the geniuosity of the brain, and the effects and the musik stimulate it, therefore the whole thing is like we hearing a beautiful tune beneath the surface of the sea.
But, may be this is only because I have no any free time to write it. Sorry.
all best to everyone
L. Katona
Hung
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Don't get riddiculous, man. You have an idea for a story - write it down, instead of complaining that the world is too dumb to read it!
Of course movies are dumb & stupid, but there are some glorious exceptions! Maybe you've seen nothing but "Space Soldiers", "Lost in Space" and "War of the Worlds" but I assure You, when it comes to making movies, American ones are most spectacular, but not too intelectually demaning, to say the least.
Your idea (the plot about the timeless planet), is cute, use it. But don't get stuck up in the idea alone; You also need to show some style.
I keep my fingers crossed.
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Okay?
But I really don't understand, what you mean with this post?
Shall we be sad with you [Don't know what Mitleid means in English] or what?
Surely, World is bad.
But only so bad, you let her be.
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Goddam, write this Story.
You say, there are only bad films, but have you seen "Avalon" [produced with the friendly help of the polish army], the Solaris Movies, 12 Monkeys or many more?
Legends man, and you maybe produce one other of these.
Keep writing.
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Film industry is dominated by American companies. It's not bad, because they have a lot of experience and a great infrastructure.It gives them the incredibly rich movie industry environment which now offers american visioners the ability to create any kind of movies they want. Obviously most of the movies are superficial and depict usually pretty dumb stories. To sell the stupid idea in the movie it has to be outfitted with plenty of superb special effects, good actors and music. And then we have a great product that will fur sure be on the top of Box Office. This is how it works - we all know that. I think that thanks to some bestselling movies with silly scripts producers get more money and part of it can be given to some fresh screen writers and directors which only just appeared on the stage.
It happened quite a few times in the past that movies which were in the begining considered to be a flop became the classic or even cult movies some time later.
At least I really would like to think it's true. ;D ;D
So write your story Laslo! Hope you have a time to put down your idea. Then publish it in some local magazines or present it on your web page.
Maybe your story will be an inspiration for some great 3D artists like for instance Tomek Baginski, and then you won't need to care about how to find a cash for movie production, how to find a good director, camera operator and so on....
Good luck!
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Friends!!!!!!
This is amazing! I never deramed about these kind letters! (I was a little unenthusiastic.) Yes, the idea is good (I say it as an objective, "third" person), because the origin of it came partly from that revelation: if you stand on a location of the Moon, the Earth will be on the same (constans) place of the sky. The "moonlings" would know, their "univers" centered by Earth. (The Earth are in the centre of the Moon's circle.)
My novel is about the possibilities of the understanding between two similar, but not equivalent intelligence. This is a huge field of thoughts, but interesting, neverthless maybe I'm not the perfect person to write it. But I will try.
Some years from now on, and it will be complete :)
God belss You all!
And million thanks to STANISLAV LEM!!!
Laslo Katona
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Other SF Authors that wrote at least some works that I found interesting:
- The Strugazkis ("Roadside Picnic", one of the most Lem-like stories I know, though written in a very different style)
- Philip K. Dick ("Ubik"!)
- Robert Heinlein (I am one of those who like "Starship Troopers" :) )
- Arthur C. Clarke (only the old stuff like "Rama" or "2001"; he was a lousy writer but had fascinating technical ideas)
- Joe Haldeman ("Eternal War")
- William Gibson ("Neuromancer")
- Svend Aage Madsen (an interesting danish author; so far I have only read "See the light of day" and liked it)
-- snorri
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- The Strugazkis ("Roadside Picnic", one of the most Lem-like stories I know, though written in a very different style)
Well, "Roadside picnic" is just the top of an ice-berg, when it comes to their books! Have You , for example, read "Monday Starts on Saturday" ? It's just as funny as Lem's "Star Diaries", and at the same time very profound and interesting.
Cheers!
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I`m happy to see that someone has mentoned Philip Dick though I don`t really respect him for his style of writing and poor imagination. Also I can`t hide my excitement at fact that someone besides me read Robert Heinlein.
Roadside Picnic is a great work by Strugatskys,I wonder if you had seen Tarkovskiy`s "Stalker".You won`t regret `cause it is worth seeing.
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I really admire other writers too. Here is the list of my favourite:
Klifford Simak
Robert Sheckly
Garry Rarrison
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Does anybody know Alexander Belyaev a fonder of soviet sci-fiction? Were his works translated into other languages ? I just wonder, HEAD OF PROFESSOR DOUEL especially.
His story about a scientist´s brain being transplanted into an elephant´s head was translated into Finnish.
cheers, Pekka
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Do you know that recently there was a sci-fiction session in Kyiv ? Some writers came from various countries,I personally know only one of them and this one is not the best exemplar ,it was Harry Harrison from US.We certainly love all his stories about those brave guys who fight with space pirates,space dragons,save space beauties from the captures and while celebrating their victory drink space whisky.
There was also some man from Poland I do not remember his name as I heard it only once and for the first time.
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To me, Alexey Tolstoy, Belyaev and the Strugatsky Brothers are the cream of the crop for Soviet sci-fi. "The head of Professor Douel" is a great book (although I remember his assistant actually reanimating Douel's whole head and not just the brain. So I'm not sure about the Finnish translation). I have not found any English translations of Belyaev and Tolstoy although there are a few Strugatsky books floating around Barnes and Noble (usually within sci-fi compilations) Once in a while I will catch Stalker or even The Country of Purple Clouds on the Bravo Channel. Unfortunately, Tolstoy and Belyaev are unknown in the US, so I always get "corrected" by my American friends who think that I mean Lev Tolstoy.
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For me one of the best SF writer is Karel Chapek with his "Factory of absolute".(I'm sorry for my translation, I don't know how this book called in English) :( Have you read it? What do you think about it?
Strugazkys are genius writers,"Monday starts on Saturday" is my "table-book", but they aren't science-fictioneers, they wrote social fiction. If our topic is "Lem an other SF", it's uncorrectly to compare Lem with Strugazkys.
Bradbury is a fantasy.
Garrison, Shekley, Simak ,Clark - it's fairy tales wits "science" decoration.
It's seemed to me, that Lem is only writer (exept Stapedon, Chapek and Wells), whom we can called " the author of science fiction".
I don't think, that other books are bad, but it's another genre, not SF.
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On topic "Lem’s Solaris: Subverting the Utopian Vision of Science Fiction":
http://blog.mixerpublishing.com/?p=725 (http://blog.mixerpublishing.com/?p=725)