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A review by liomee
Return From the Stars by Stanisław Lem
5.0
Still one of my favourite ever reads. This is a complicated book, not in its premise, but in its execution and even years after I first read it, I am in awe at how Lem accomplished writing about a world that is ours, yet so alien to everything we know today.
Hal returns from a mission to space and discovers that more than a century has passed and everyone and everything he once knew is gone and changed.
What really stuck with me was how, as the reader, you are just as astonished by this strange world as the protagonist is, and without having to explain every little thing (quite the opposite really) the world building still feels so thought out and elaborate, that you can't help but be puzzled and intrigued by it all, especially the things that are never explained. It is simply not needed.
The ending felt a bit... rushed in parts, but I can't give it any less than five stars, just for the brilliant writing style and ideas alone. Lem is one of the only authors I know, who manages to write such fantastical things with that very real sense of place about them, and a strong philosophy, always posing cutting questions to the readership.
To shorten any other gushing paragraphs I could be writing: I love Lem, I love this book, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially sci fi lovers and everyone who likes engaging and thought provoking literature. Wont get into the plot of the book in the slightest here, as it is complicated and best enjoyed while reading for yourself. So what are you waiting for?
Hal returns from a mission to space and discovers that more than a century has passed and everyone and everything he once knew is gone and changed.
What really stuck with me was how, as the reader, you are just as astonished by this strange world as the protagonist is, and without having to explain every little thing (quite the opposite really) the world building still feels so thought out and elaborate, that you can't help but be puzzled and intrigued by it all, especially the things that are never explained. It is simply not needed.
The ending felt a bit... rushed in parts, but I can't give it any less than five stars, just for the brilliant writing style and ideas alone. Lem is one of the only authors I know, who manages to write such fantastical things with that very real sense of place about them, and a strong philosophy, always posing cutting questions to the readership.
To shorten any other gushing paragraphs I could be writing: I love Lem, I love this book, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially sci fi lovers and everyone who likes engaging and thought provoking literature. Wont get into the plot of the book in the slightest here, as it is complicated and best enjoyed while reading for yourself. So what are you waiting for?