The world’s largest search engine, Google, celebrated the anniversary of Stanisław Lem’s first book. On the 23rd of November 1951, the Polish science fiction writer published “Astronauci” / “The Astronauts”
Google dedicated their homepage to a Google Doodle animated figure of Lem and his encounter with a giant robotic alien in celebration of the publication of his first book 60 years ago. The Doodle art was inspired by cartoonist Daniel Mróz’s works for Lem’s short story collection “The Cyberiad”. The animation is interactive and includes mathematical and pattern-recognizing games.
The book “The Astronauts” was one of Lem’s lesser known works, but the Pole is best known internationally for his book “Solaris”. Lem’s catalogue of works are the basis for a Culture.pl Flagship Project for the occasion of Poland’s EU Presidency entitled “Planet Lem”, a stage show created together with Teatr Biuro Podrozy.
“Planet Lem” launched on the 1st of July in London with a staging of the play and continued on to Berlin, Brussels, Paris, London, Madrid, Moscow and Kiev. The performance is inspired by Lem’s unique diagnosis of the contemporary world and his theories regarding technology and the human race.
Stanisław Lem was born in 1921 in Lviv, currently a Ukrainian city, but then a part of Poland. Lem, who passed away in 2006, received the Knighthood of the Polish Order of the White Eagle. His works are numerous and have been translated into 41 languages and sold over 27 million copies.
See more on Planet Lem