Last month I decided to reread my Lem collection. Started Solaris yesterday. (I’ve read it three or four times before.)
Memoirs Found in a Bathtub is one of my favorite books ever. It’s Lem’s sci-fi retelling of Kafka’s The Castle.
I’ve never read any of his stuff. Clearly, you’d recommend them. Are they all standalone, and readable in any order?
All standalone. Lem wrote in two styles: half of his books are serious & dense, the other half are lighthearted and a bit absurdist. (Arguably, Douglas Adams got the idea for the improbability drive from a Lem story.)
I think “The Futurological Congress” is a really good starting point. Funny & absurd at times, a little more serious in other sections. If you’re looking for more straight “hard SF” then I’d recommend “The Invincible”.
I read plenty of hard sci-fi already,so I’d probably go for other half of his writing to start. I love Douglas Adams, so if it’s good enough for him it’s good enough for me 👍
The story with the improbability generator is in the short story collection “The Cyberiad”.
Adams said something to the effect of: I’m certainly aware of that story now, but I wasn’t when I wrote HHGTTG, it was a coincidence.
I’ve only read Solaris. Thanks for these.