A review by levitybooks
The Three Electroknights by Stanisław Lem

2.0

I don't know how these stories compare to Solaris, but they do show Lem really likes building stories (4, here) focusing on murderous planets or kings. The problem is that the fable behind them falls flat or is lost in translation. Lem never seems to want to justify the motives for why characters would try challenge murderous scenarios, and takes it on faith that readers will be alright with 'for a challenge' to be the reason every single time. For this reason, these almost read like stories for children, yet we're being bombarded with overly complex and often irrelevant detail about physical sciences. How am I supposed to visualize how environments composed of vanadium and molybdenum would be like to live in? It feels as if Lem was so focused on plugging as much as he could of a Periodic Table onto the page he forgot he was writing a story. But I can't rule this out as bad as it is very unique and distinct and so in a larger story these descriptions might make a great fantasy world. It could also be that I just can't stand scifi that forgets that there are people involved over the details.

I'm yet to read a Polish translation with an easily readable syntax. It is very hard to pay attention to these stories for some reason, to know what is happening and why.

For that reason I think most people will read them and forget them. For he creates intricate settings and does nothing with them, which is a reminder for my true interest in literary fiction which often aspires to do exactly the opposite.

Proper review coming soon, will do one more Penguin Modern, take a break (@10/50) and recap with video reviews. Then get back on it!!