A review by readonmacduff
The Three Electroknights by Stanisław Lem

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.0

 

Penguin Modern number nine is another short-story collection, this time by sci-fi author Stanislaw Lem. Each of the stories are set in a fantastical alien world, and each of them are constructed as a fable, generally with some sort of moral underpinning them; fairy-tales in space essentially. 

 

Prior to reading this, I knew next to nothing of Lem, and it is also worth pointing out I don’t read sci-fi very frequently. Unfortunately, this was another Penguin Modern which didn’t do a great deal for me. The stories were serviceable, but I was ultimately fairly indifferent to them. There was a multitude of made-up space and alien jargon, the characters felt very two-dimensional, and none of the were memorable for me. 

 

Sci-fi devotees may have a different experience with the collection, but unfortunately I didn’t get much out of it.