Stanisław Lem - Forum
English => Forum in English => Wątek zaczęty przez: Socrates w Maj 18, 2004, 01:08:20 am
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Anybody know if Bradbury was counted amongst the few sf writers Lem though highly of?
Cheers, Socrates
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Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to this question, but how can't one appreciate the author of "The Martian Chronicles" :)
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I don't know exactly about Bradbury but if you go to the FAQ on lem.pl you'll find that Mr Lem is critical on sci-fi literature in general. That's the only related source on the topic I could find.
www.lem.pl should publish a listing with Mr Lem's ratings for SF writers. ;)
http://www.cyberiad.info/english/faq/faq.htm#sfwa
What might he think about Douglas Adams?
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What might he think about Douglas Adams?
I think Lem's mind is too serious to like D. Adams. Never the less I'm deeply in love with his (Adams') books. They're so happily senseless ;]
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I've read his Microworlds, but he doesn't mention Bradbury in it. Anyway, I never heard of Adams. Anybody read Herbert?
Cheers, Socrates
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You definitely should read The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. If you like it, read the other books in the right order. They are a trilogy consisting of four books.
In some respect they are similar to the Star diaries. Adams also develops a number of funny situations that develop out of unconventional logical relations. They are definitely worth reading. Make sure you don't hurt yourself or your family if you burst in laughter. If you don't burst in laughter, well, Adams might not be the right author for you. Most like it, some don't.
Try his shorty on pedants to get a feel for his style: http://www.douglasadams.com/dna/pedants.html
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... Anybody read Herbert?
Probably everybody who has something in comonn with this very forum ;)
("Dune" at least)
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Anybody read Herbert?
Cheers, Socrates
Oh sweet God... have I?
(IMHO Dune deserves another forum :))
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I never heard of Adams.
Cheers, Socrates
Wow, I envy you :) If I never heard of Adams I wouldn't have to look for my head after I once laughed it off while reading his books. HE"S BRILLIANT (hilarious, at least :) Not too serious (gosh, he's not serious at all! Imagine the "Improbablity engine" he is writing about : the idea is based on a fact, that "THe probablity that the given spaceship is placed in a given point of a space is 0 <=> the ship is everywhere at the same time (so the navigators need just to select the desired destination point and the ship is already there (as it was before, hehe)) ;] )
Reading Adams is a big laugh. (And that's all, to be honest, but what so....) :]
cheerZ
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Hey, if it comes so highly recommended, I'll jump to it as soon as I'm done with the current batch of novels I've doomed myself to read.
If Dune was already read by all here, how about the "Destination Void" serries? It's also great.
Cheers, socrates
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Lem mention Bradbury by name in an essay from Microworlds. I promise look for the exact page. (Its not very praise about him)
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Please do, i would be much obliged. I must have missed it myself...
Cheers, Socrates
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Microworlds
Harcourt & Brace, 1984
In the last pages (158 and ss.) of the essay Time travel... of Microworlds, Lem refer to R. Bradbury and J.G. Ballard. While he recognize the skills and artistry of these authors, he is very critic whith their aproach to the genre of s.f.
Lem says that B. limit himself to pointing out the mistakes and the worst of the science an reason (a hopeless pessimism), but fails to explore the outer limits of the rational; the option to a bad knowledge (according to Lem) is more and better knowledge, but Bradbury cancels or dont see this option.
To sum-up, Lem dont says Bradbury is a bad writer (to the contrary), but says he is a SCI-FI flawed author.
I dont know if I did explain me very well, my english is terrible when --trying-- going complex. If I have time I will trascript extracts of the essay, is worthwhile --as all from Lem ;).
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Thanks a lot! I'll go and read it myself today. Appreciated greatly! Plus - your english is fine; much better than you think it is.
Cheers, Socrates
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What are those Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles" about? Should I read it?
I'll welcome answers:]
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Read away; they're not bad at all. Let me know what you think about them once you do.
Cheers, Socrates
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What are those Bradbury's "Martian Chronicles" about? Should I read it?
I'll welcome answers:]
Read it :) . In my opinion it's very special novel, containing some kind of poetry. I'm very curious about your reception of it.
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As for now, I haven't been truly succesful in finding the "Martial Cronicles". But I've found "Farhenheit 415" and I started readin' it. It's quite interesting. Bradbury has a poetic style.
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...and now, after finishing ,Fahrenheit 415' i confirm that Bradbury is brilliant.
I especially enjoy his style, whis is so reminding of poetry; meanwhile the narration doesn't get flawed; which is very impressive.
Have to aim on ,,Martian Cronicles'' now...
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The only Ray Bradbury novel I DON'T recommend at all is "Something Wicked This Way Comes"... I just didn't get the point of the book :-/
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Yeah, FH is pretty good; I liked his love of books. "Wicked" is different, but still readable.
Cheers, Socrates
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..Something Wicked This Way Comes'' must, by the way, be some popular quote, as it was used as a slogan in ,,Harry Potter and the prisoner of Azkaban'' the other day...
That doesn't quite honour Bradbury :) But anyway...
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It's really a good book! Something different from other Bradbury's books, but still deep and poetic! Probably it can seem a bit dull, but one shouldn't be at hurry while reading it- it is a rule for the books where plot is not very capturing:-)
I didn't read books about Harry Potter - just looked them through and surely didn't notice that quotation. Yet it's a curious fact. Do you mean that these words were not invented by Bradbury? And who is the author then?
By the way, "Harry Potter" is a nice thing. Especially the film (back to childhood...)
I personally like Lem a little more than Bradbury, but, in my opinion, their significance in literature is equal. Both are more than sci fi writers. Lem prefers intellectual games, Bradbury prefers emotions (but of course that's not enough to give them a complete characteristic).
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I think "Something wicked this way comes" is actually a line from Shakespeare (Macbeth?)...
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That's it! I checked, it's really from "Makbeth":-)
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Well of course it comes from Shakespeare, it was just used as a song lyric an last Potter movie.
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Yes, you should read Martian Chronicles. Another moderately useful suggestion from an anonymous coward.
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Thanks:)
We're all 'almost' anynomous here :) Don't hesitate to register :)
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Hi TERMINUS ! People like Bradbury and I`m not an exception his FARRENHEITS 451 can`t leave anyone indifferent , it is the first book in SF I read. What is your favourite BOOK or SHORT STORY OF RAY DUGLAS BRADBURY ?
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I am sorry but I can't answer that, because as far as now I have only read 'Fahrenheit'.
(So its by far the best :) )
I'll try to choose after I've read some more.
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R.D. Bradbury is mostly a short-story writer. He made a large number of stories about Mars. He had some occasion to publish a book but he had only this stories with himself.He united them in one book : <Martian Chronicles>. I found this book very interesting,and recommend it for reading.
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One more thing of R .B. I want to advise is The Veldt. It`s not only philosophical but also pedagogical. Read, and you will understand me.
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Ok I'll try ! (I mean I'll try to read it).
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In his earliest essayistic book - "Wejście na orbitę" ("Entry into orbit") Lem praises Bradbury.
Douglas Adams? According to "Lemistry" blurb he took inspiration from S.L. humoristic works.