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Tales of Pirx the Pilot
 
 
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Tales of Pirx the Pilot (Paperback)

by Stanislaw Lem (Author), Louis Iribarne (Author) "Bullpen's voice snapped him out of his daydreaming..." (more)
Key Phrases: contour couch, navigation book, outer hatch, Luna Base, Titan Aresterra, Cadet Pirx (more...)
4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)

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Tales of Pirx the Pilot + The Cyberiad + The Futurological Congress: From the Memoirs of Ijon Tichy
Price For All Three: $31.40

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description
In Pilot Pirx, Lem has created an irresistibly likable character: an astronaut who gives the impression of still navigating by the seat of his pants-a bumbler but an inspired one. By investing Pirx with a range of human foibles, Lem offers a wonderful vision of the audacity, childlike curiosity, and intuition that can give humans the courage to confront outer space. Translated by Louis Iribarne. A Helen and Kurt Wolff Book


Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Polish

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Product Details

  • Paperback: 216 pages
  • Publisher: Harvest Books (November 30, 1990)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0156881500
  • ISBN-13: 978-0156881500
  • Product Dimensions: 7.9 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #468,409 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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    #15 in  Books > Science Fiction & Fantasy > Authors, A-Z > ( L ) > Lem, Stanislaw

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Customer Reviews

9 Reviews
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Average Customer Review
4.9 out of 5 stars (9 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Oddly Fascinating Space Adventures, January 22, 2002
This collection of stories by Lem is based around a chubby cadet by the name of Pirx. The character is plucky and gets into all sorts of fixes. I found the first short story the most surprising and fun to read. It's most vivid antagonist are two insects, and it's wildly creative. Another very good story is this one about a robot re-living over and over the last few hours before the death of an entire ship (this was before Pirx's time). A very haunting tale. Overall, a great collection!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The standard by which 'hard' sf should be judged, August 4, 1997
By A Customer
By intelligently (and often humorously) deflating many conventions and cliches of sf, the author reminds us that it is, first and foremost, a literature of ideas and not an escapist genre. In this collection of short stories, we follow protagonist Pirx through his training as a cadet and go along with him on a few routine space flights, most of them plagued by red tape. Lem seems to almost take glee in de-glamorizing space travel, but the fact remains that something about it fascinates and terrifies us, as it does his character Pirx. The truth of the matter, as the author so deftly illustrates in these tales, is that space is a void. The only thing that makes it come alive as a place of adventure or peril is the human imagination, which puts our hero Pirx in more jeopardy than any naturally occuring dangers. _Tales of Pirx the Pilot_ ranks as a top-notch book because, like all good sf, it does not allow a reader to run away from reality but makes one confront it thoughtfully
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars The Real Deal, October 17, 1999
By "jaephraim" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews
Lem's Pirx is compelling and cool. The science is barely fictional and always thought provoking. The plots, however, are a little more predictable than the sequel. If you're going to read one of these, I'd recommend "More".
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Space travel is routinely dangerous
If you're reading this book you probably don't really need an introduction to Stanislaw Lem since this really isn't his best known work to American SF audiences. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Michael Battaglia

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirx. Space professional of the future?
Throughout a dozen or so stories the reader is confronted with an evolution of sorts. Pirx, initially a cadet in some sort of a space pilot school, later becomes a full fledged... Read more
Published 23 months ago by kpsting

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirx not quite such a nice guy
The ending of this sequence of vignettes hit me like a sledgehammer. Pirx strikes me as a typical guy working in the space service. Read more
Published on August 20, 2006 by Benedict E. Dedominicis

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, thoughtful short stories
Tales of Pirx the Pilot, and More Tales of Pirx the pilot are two excellent sci-fi books! What is unique is that there is such a strong psychological edge to them. Read more
Published on March 17, 1999 by Aaron Woodin (purchagent@aol.com)

5.0 out of 5 stars a down to earth collection about space travel
Lem is a master of making fantastic situations seem ordinary. "Tales of Pirx the Pilot" is no exception. Read more
Published on November 8, 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars Pirx - the Anti-hero
This book contains several stories that are easy to penetrate and still gives the reader a good portion of humor. Read more
Published on August 2, 1998

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