The Cyberiad

Unfortunately I was rather disappointed with my second venture into Lem's oeuvre, especially since The Cyberiad is so highly touted by most who read it, including a number of prestigious authors that I also have a deep respect for. The Cyberiad is a collection of loosely affiliated short stories whose central characters are Trurl and Klapaucius, a bickering duo of robot constructors who have the ability to turn the atoms of the universe into nearly any engineering marvel. They leverage this into a trade to make money, flying from planet to planet looking for customers, all of which are robotic. Humanity has been replaced in this universe with the automation of all varieties, even though the standard model is human in resemblance.

I should preface the rest of what I say here with the note that I don't typically find myself drawn to humorous fiction. I rarely find written comedy to be that funny, and comedy written over 50 years ago tends to date the work rather than bring the lightness that was intended. At least that's my subjective opinion. While I commend Lem for his unbounded creativity and light touch, I can't say that I connected with the material well. In part due to his indulgent and long-winded writing style I found myself encumbered and sluggish. Solaris has similar flights of fancy as Lem described the structures that the alien would create, but these diversions were tolerable to me because the subject was interesting. These stories are too light to be worth his diatribes. Also, I guess I'm just not a fan of word play, which Lem has a obsession for here that I just couldn't get behind.

The stories become pretty formulaic over time, where the constructors are threatened by some sovereign of a faraway planet with death should the construction they were contracted for not be up to snuff, but the two always escape after some show of superior intellect or wit. Yes, perhaps these rulers are fill-ins for the soviet despots that Lem was all to familiar with, and yes, Lem is critiquing the weakening of culture as humans start to seek fulfillment with technology instead of through the strengthening of their morals and values. Unfortunately, there are simply no stakes. These stories feel inconsequential even in the context of the world they are set in. Nothing of true importance happens. You can have these critiques in way that doesn't boil down to a morality drama at the end. The Cyberiad felt a lot like The Traveler in Black by John Brunner in this way. The first few stories are pretty good, but they weaken over time and my lasting impression is one of fluff rather than substance.

There were consistent elements to this stories, mostly references to to scientific jargon, that flew right over my head. To be frank I wouldn't be surprised if I just didn't see the real meaning behind the entire thing. It's a shame thought that Lem couldn't be bothered to lift the veil a little for a reader in that way. If you're a fan of Douglas Adams or Terry Pratchett, The Cyberiad might be up the same sort of alley. I'm sure that if I liked this type of wiring more I would've given it a higher score.