{"product_id":"the-playful-lem-stanislaw-lem-9781603297578","title":"The Playful LEM: A Short Story Sampler","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eClassic speculative fiction with a comedic approach\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eConjuring worlds in which robots are kings and Earthlings exist on the fringes of the universe, Stanislaw Lem's anachronistic fairy tales and science fiction parables envision knights who fight for the favor of a mechanical princess, a computer that can create anything (so long as it begins with the letter \u003ci\u003en\u003c\/i\u003e), and a human astronaut who goes undercover on a planet ruled by robots. In celebrated translations by Michael Kandel and with a new introduction by Bożena Shallcross, the stories in this volume highlight age-old human weaknesses--vanity, jealousy, cowardice, and cruelty--while tickling the reader with layered humor ranging from satire to wordplay to slapstick.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLem's oblique approach to indicting aggression and totalitarianism helped him avoid censorship while living under a restrictive government during the Cold War. Originally published in Polish in the 1950s and '60s, the stories collected here both evoke the concerns of the era and foresee today's technological capabilities as well as society's response.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Stanislaw Lem\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-10:\u003c\/b\u003e 160329757X\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN-13:\u003c\/b\u003e 9781603297578\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Modern Language Association of America\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/b\u003e English\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 07\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 212\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eFormat:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.69lbs","brand":"Stanislaw Lem","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48659727876351,"sku":"9781603297578","price":27.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"url":"https:\/\/www.whiterainbookhouse.com\/products\/the-playful-lem-stanislaw-lem-9781603297578","provider":"WR Book House","version":"1.0","type":"link"}