7 Reasons to Read Stanisław Lem’s ‘The Chain of Chance’
Stanisław Lem, author of classic books like ‘Solaris’ and ‘Fables for Robots’, was one of the most influential sci-fi writers of the 20th century. Here’s why one of his lesser-known novels, the crime story ‘The Chain of Chance’, is also certainly worth your time even though you may be unfamiliar with it.
1. One of a handful of his crime novels
Stanisław Lem (1921-2006) is best remembered as an outstanding science fiction writer. A number of his works, such as the 1961 novel Solaris and 1968 collection of stories Tales of Pirx the Pilot, became international classics in the genre. But this celebrated author also occasionally ventured outside of science fiction by writing, for example, essays on literature and… crime stories.
Lem authored three books considered to be crime fiction novels. In the mid-50s he began writing a Raymond Chandler-style story set in New York, but he never completed it. He most probably wasn’t happy with the effects of this work because he stashed the manuscript in a folder tagged Sknocony Kryminał (Botched Crime Story). This unfinished manuscript was discovered after his death and after being edited by his son was published in 2009 under the title inscribed on the folder.
It was 1959 when Lem published his first official crime novel The Investigation. This tale, sometimes categorised as a detective story, is set in England and revolves around the mysterious disappearances of corpses from morgues. But Lem himself considered this book inferior to his 1976 crime novel The Chain of Chance (originally ‘Katar’ in Polish, which means ‘The Flu’). Here’s how he compared the two novels in a letter to the translator and writer Michael Kandel:
Text
The Chain of Chance is a better version of The Investigation because it’s more credible. I’m willing to believe in it myself. Even taking into consideration naturalism and naïve credibility, this is executed better.
Author
From solaris.lem.pl, trans. MK
It’s fair to say that out of the three crime fiction novels written by Lem, The Chain of Chance appears to be the author’s favourite. Therefore, if you’d like to get in touch with Lem’s crime writing, this is the title to go for.
2. Not like any crime read you’ve known
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Naples, photo: Salvatore Laporta / Getty Images
Whereas Botched Crime Story makes use of classic crime story tropes like a private eye and a suspicious will, The Chain of Chance is far less conventional. In the latter, the protagonist is a former astronaut by the name of John (his surname isn’t revealed), tasked with investigating a series of mysterious deaths suffered by middle-aged men visiting Naples. What links all these deaths is that they befell people who were taking sulphur baths for therapy. Without disclosing too many details, let’s just say that the setup isn’t anything like what you’d expect from a crime story. Even the very beginning of Lem’s narrative is original as it transports the reader right into the midst of the events – the lack of classic exposition adds to the mystery in an intriguing fashion.
As John examines the case, it proves to be more and more complex and eventually seems almost unsolvable. When the solution finally appears, thanks to a rather unorthodox investigation, it is delightfully surprising and involves some trademark Lem references to science and philosophy. In a 2020 article about Lem’s crime novels titled Kryminalne Przypadki Stanisława Lema (Stanisław Lem’s Criminal Cases), published by the quarterly Nowy Napis, they comment:
Text
Characteristic of Lem’s writing are his iron logic, conscientiousness and his persistence in arranging questions and answers in appropriate sequences.
Author
From nowynapis.eu, trans. MK
So, as a crime story The Chain of Chance is rather original as it was written in Lem’s unique, one-of-a-kind style. Also, its plot doesn’t adhere to typical crime fiction conventions, which will certainly appeal to many who might feel they want to read something fresher from the genre.
3. Lem’s take on globalisation
In a few places in the novel, Lem touches on the issue of globalisation. For example, he gives his thoughts on Canadian philosopher and media theorist Marshall McLuhan’s concept of the ‘global village.’ According to Collins Dictionary this term, coined in the 1960s, is used to describe a situation where ‘all the different parts of the world form one community linked together by electronic communications.’ Here’s how Lem commented on this in The Chain of Chance:
McLuhan’s prophecies were coming true, but in an inverse sort of way, as prophecies have a habit of doing. His ‘global village’ was already here, but split into two halves. The poorer half was suffering, while the wealthier half was importing that suffering via television and commiserating from a distance. That it couldn’t go on like this was everywhere taken for granted, but it went on just the same.
It’s hard not to notice how true this is even of our current times. Lem’s insightful reflections on globalisation make The Chain of Chance relatable in a way that hits home for present-day readers in our hyper-globalised world.
4. Lem’s psychedelic side
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'Composition' by Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz (Witkacy), 1922, photo: National Museum in Kraków
Those interested in psychedelics may also find something for them in Lem’s book. The author makes a couple of references to LSD and psilocybin (the psychoactive compound present in so-called magic mushrooms) and certain episodes of the story have a somewhat trippy and outlandish vibe. Moreover, the novel contains a lengthy and captivating scene where one of the characters enters a highly altered state of mind. According to Lem, this scene was inspired by his own experiences with psilocybin. Here’s how he spoke of this in a 2003 interview conducted by Ewa Lipska, titled Nikomu Się Nie Śniło… (No One Dreamt of It…):
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One time, together with the late Jan Józef Szczepański, we took psilocybin under medical supervision. […] Later I was offered to partake in such an experiment once more, but I declined. I didn’t need any more of that. But as a one-off experience it was interesting and helped me in writing the final page of my novel The Chain of Chance.
Author
From Gazeta Wyborcza, trans. MK
So, the novel reveals for the curious at the psychedelic side of one of Poland’s most accomplished writers.
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Group portrait of Apollo 11 lunar landing mission astronauts (L-R) Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin Jr. in spacesuits in the United States in 1969, photo by Frederic Castel / Getty Images
In Stanisław Lem’s 2017 biography Lem: Życie Nie z Tej Ziemi (Lem: A Life from Another Planet), the author Wojciech Orliński writes that The Chain of Chance was inspired by the famous astronaut Edwin ‘Buzz’ Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon:
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An interview with Edwin Aldrin that Lem read in the New York Times served as a direct inspiration. In 1973, Lem said in an interview that he was fascinated by the psychological situation of an astronaut, who after coming back from space, feels that all that really matters has already happened in his life. Lem, who was over 50, probably felt quite similarly.
Author
From ‘Lem: Życie Nie z Tej Ziemi’, trans. MK
Lem explores this psychology of mid-life crises not only through the story’s victims, who as mentioned before are middle aged, but also through the central protagonist who reflects that soon he’ll be ‘an old man.’ Part of this layer of complexity sees the aging John having a few bitter thoughts on his former career as an astronaut, some of which involve Buzz Aldrin.
6. Explore the philosophy of cognition
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Crowded Airport, photo: Mr Cole / Getty Images
The Chain of Chance also shows a modern, globalised world where an immense number of processes occur simultaneously, influencing one another. Aside from a few science fiction type elements (for example, mankind has sent a manned mission to Mars), the novel presents a realistic portrayal of reality on Earth. Due to the countless number of interconnected events, chaos and chance become major governing principles. The critic and historian of literature Jerzy Jarzębski commented on this aspect of Lem’s novel with the following words:
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In such a world, deduction can no longer be used to explain the origins of phenomena, because isolating from their endless mass the ones that at a given moment have a functional meaning is impossible, just as it’s impossible to control the complexity of all the correlations that occur between them.
Author
From solaris.lem.pl, trans. MK
Such a setting allows Lem to ask some interesting questions about the philosophy of cognition. How does one solve a mystery when traditional reasoning seems to be a thing of the past? The protagonist not only has some enlightening conversations about this with other characters but also employs a rather curious method of investigation that embraces the chaotic nature of the modern world. Without a doubt, Lem’s take on the philosophy of cognition is a fascinating component of the book.
7. Become a Lem connoisseur
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George Clooney in Steven Soderbergh's 'Solaris', photo: 20th Century Fox / East News
Plenty of people have heard about Lem’s classic books such as the aforementioned Solaris or Tales of Pirx the Pilot. The first book was actually such a success that it was adapted for the screen three times – in 1968 by Boris Nirenburg, in 1972 by Andrei Tarkovsky and in 2002 by Steven Soderbergh. The latter director’s version stars the immensely popular George Clooney and Natascha McElhone.
Meanwhile, The Chain of Chance isn’t as well-known as Lem’s most celebrated works. It’s still a great read, it just didn’t cause the sensation of the writer’s biggest hits. So by reading it, you can sort of become a Lem connoisseur. Due to the aforementioned movies, almost anybody can hear about Solaris and opt to pick up this book. But it takes a bit of cultivation to reach for The Chain of Chance. If you read it, you’ll have a great talking point on Lem’s writing. The next time this acclaimed author comes up in a conversation (perhaps due to 2021 being the Year of Stanisław Lem), you’ll definitely have something interesting to add!
Also, it’s worth pointing out that The Chain of Chance was created by Lem, in part, during a writing marathon in Zakopane in 1975. For many years, Lem would visit that town in southern Poland and write in isolation there for prolonged stretches of time. This was, however, the last novel Lem wrote using this method, one which helped him create a number of his classic 1960s works. Sadly, it was because Lem’s health deteriorated in 1976 and afterwards he couldn’t endure these writing marathons anymore.
All in all, if you’re wondering what book to read next, you can tell what we recommend!
Written by Marek Kępa, Aug 2021
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