Memoirs of a Space Traveler: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy by Stanislaw Lem
Author:Stanislaw Lem [Lem, Stanisław]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: Fiction, Science Fiction, Space Exploration, General
ISBN: 9780262538503
Google: -2PMDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: MIT Press
Published: 2020-02-18T00:35:44.853017+00:00
Doctor Diagoras
Unable to take part in the XVIIIth International Cybernetic Congress, I tried following it in the newspapers. This was not easy, since reporters have a talent for distorting scientific data. It was only thanks to them, however, that I made the acquaintance of Doctor Diagoras, for they turned his speech into the sensation of the slack season. Even if the professional journals had been at my disposal, I would never have learned of the existence of that peculiar individual: he was merely named in the list of participants, and the text of his lecture was left out. I learned from the papers that his speech had been disgraceful, and that had it not been for the tactfulness of the presiding officers, a brawl would have resulted. This unknown, self-styled reformer of science had heaped abuse on the most eminent authorities and, when ruled out of order, had smashed the microphone with his cane. The epithets he hurled at the luminaries present were reproduced almost verbatim by the press, but the speech itself was so totally passed over that my curiosity was aroused.
When I returned home, I looked up Doctor Diagoras but could not find his name either in the Cybernetic Problems yearbooks or in the latest edition of Whoâs Who. So I called Professor Corcoran. Corcoran said he did not know the âmadmanâsâ address, but would not give it to me even if he did. That was all I needed to take a serious interest in Diagoras. I placed a number of queries in the classifieds, and to my amazement met with instant success. I received a letter, dry and concise, written in a rather unfriendly tone; the doctor agreed to receive me âon his estateâ in Crete. The map indicated that the estate was no more than sixty miles from the place of the legendary Minotaur.
A cyberneticist with his own estate in Crete, engaged in solitary, mysterious research! That same afternoon I flew to Athens. There was no further flight connection, so I boarded a ship and arrived at the island the next morning. I rented a car. The road was terribleâas was the heat. The surrounding hills were the color of burnt copper. The car, my duffel bag, my clothes, and finally my face were covered with dust.
During the last few miles I did not come across a living soul; there was no one I could ask for directions. Diagoras had told me in the letter to stop at the thirtieth milestone, because I would be unable to drive any farther, so I parked the car in the meager shade of some umbrella pines and began penetrating the dense brush on foot. The ground was overgrown with typical Mediterranean vegetation, so unattractive up close. It was out of the question to turn off any path; my clothes would have caught immediately on the sun-scorched brambles. I wandered over the stony trails for nearly three hours, bathed in sweat. I cursed myself for a fool. What did I
Download
Memoirs of a Space Traveler: Further Reminiscences of Ijon Tichy by Stanislaw Lem.pdf
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.
Whiskies Galore by Ian Buxton(40332)
Introduction to Aircraft Design (Cambridge Aerospace Series) by John P. Fielding(32338)
Rewire Your Anxious Brain by Catherine M. Pittman(17590)
Craft Beer for the Homebrewer by Michael Agnew(17447)
Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut(13868)
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari(13053)
The Tidewater Tales by John Barth(12030)
Leonardo da Vinci by Walter Isaacson(11903)
Underground: A Human History of the Worlds Beneath Our Feet by Will Hunt(11257)
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore(10907)
Thinking, Fast and Slow by Kahneman Daniel(10588)
The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli(8842)
A Journey Through Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts (Harry Potter: A Journey Throughâ¦) by Pottermore Publishing(7946)
Mindhunter: Inside the FBI's Elite Serial Crime Unit by John E. Douglas & Mark Olshaker(7834)
Wonder by R. J. Palacio(7060)
Turbulence by E. J. Noyes(7039)
Tools of Titans by Timothy Ferriss(6949)
Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Marilee Adams(6641)
The Complete Stick Figure Physics Tutorials by Allen Sarah(6638)