5 ms·

Reminds me of lesser known Lem's novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation

by r721 2y ago

account-5 2y ago
Scotland yard lieutenant... Has there ever been such a UK police rank?
- k1t 2y ago
  According to Wikipedia, no. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_ranks_of_the_United_Kingdom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_ranks_of_the_United_K... There were ranks of Lieutenant and Detective Lieutenant, but only in Scotland and only until about 1950.
  - pndy 2y ago
    I'd guess that Lem used lieutenant rank from citizens' militia (which was back then the police force in Polish People's Republic), not knowing about rank changes in the UK - it was replaced by chief inspector as you linked. goodreads.com uses "Lt. Gregory" in book summary so it's not a translation issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_inspector#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_inspector#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#United_Kingdom_and_Commonwealth_police_forces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#United_Kingdom_and_...
    - account-5 2y ago
      But the rank doesn't appear to have ever been used in Scotland yard or the MET, which might have lead to why it was used incorrectly.
- fuzztester 2y ago
  https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Yard https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Yard
rwmj 2y ago
The idea that brains keep going / can be kept going after death was pretty central to PKD's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik
- DonHopkins 2y ago
  Lem and Dick are such precious peas in a pod! Too bad Dick reported to the FBI that Lem was a faceless composite communist committee out to get him and brainwash the youth of America and undermine American SF with "crude, insulting and downright ignorant attacks", while Lem asymmetrically thought all science fiction writers were charlatans except for Philip K Dick. https://english.lem.pl/faq#P.K.Dick https://english.lem.pl/faq#P.K.Dick https://culture.pl/en/article/philip-k-dick-stanislaw-lem-is-a-communist-committee https://culture.pl/en/article/philip-k-dick-stanislaw-lem-is... Philip K. Dick: A Visionary Among the Charlatans (1975) (depauw.edu) 140 points by pmoriarty on June 19, 2018 | hide | past | favorite | 51 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17349026 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17349026 https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/5/lem5art.htm https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/5/lem5art.htm >In 1973, Lem became an honorary member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, a gesture of ‘international goodwill’ on the association’s part. However, in 1976, 70 percent of the SFWA’s voted in favour of a resolution to revoke Lem’s membership. A very quick dismissal for such a prestigious author, but the reasons for his quick ejection from the organisation are clear – he didn’t seem to regard his honorary membership as any sort of honour. He considered American science fiction ‘ill thought out, poorly written, and interested more in adventure that ideas or new literary forms’ and ‘bad writing tacked together with wooden dialogue’, and these are just a few examples of Lem’s deprecatory attitude towards the US branch of his genre. >Lem, however, considered one science fiction author as exempt from his scathing criticisms – his denouncer, Philip K. Dick. The title of an essay Lem published about Dick is evidence enough of this high regard: A Visionary Among the Charlatans. The essay itself waxes lyrical on Dick’s many excellent qualities as a writer, and expounds upon the dire state of US sci-fi. Lem considered Dick to be the only writer exempt from his cynical view of American SF. It seems likely that Dick was unaware of Lem’s high opinion of him and that he took Lem’s disparaging comments personally, stating in his letter to the FBI: >"Lem’s creative abilities now appear to have been overrated and Lem’s crude, insulting and downright ignorant attacks on American science fiction and American science fiction writers went too far too fast and alienated everyone but the Party faithful (I am one of those highly alienated)."
alexey-salmin 2y ago
You may also enjoy the Running Nose by Lem. Core idea is somewhat similar to the Investigation but this book offers a more satisfying ending.
- cgh 2y ago
  I think the English translation is The Chain of Chance. Great book.
zyklu5 2y ago
Thank you so much for this! I have read a fair amount of Lem but somehow completely missed this one.

Reminds me of lesser known Lem's novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation

by r721 2y ago

Reminds me of lesser known Lem's novel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Investigation

account-5 2y ago

Scotland yard lieutenant... Has there ever been such a UK police rank?

k1t 2y ago
According to Wikipedia, no. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_ranks_of_the_United_Kingdom https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_ranks_of_the_United_K... There were ranks of Lieutenant and Detective Lieutenant, but only in Scotland and only until about 1950.
- pndy 2y ago
  I'd guess that Lem used lieutenant rank from citizens' militia (which was back then the police force in Polish People's Republic), not knowing about rank changes in the UK - it was replaced by chief inspector as you linked. goodreads.com uses "Lt. Gregory" in book summary so it's not a translation issue. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_inspector#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_inspector#United_Kingdom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#United_Kingdom_and_Commonwealth_police_forces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant#United_Kingdom_and_...
  - account-5 2y ago
    But the rank doesn't appear to have ever been used in Scotland yard or the MET, which might have lead to why it was used incorrectly.
fuzztester 2y ago
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Yard https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland_Yard

rwmj 2y ago

The idea that brains keep going / can be kept going after death was pretty central to PKD's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubik

DonHopkins 2y ago
Lem and Dick are such precious peas in a pod! Too bad Dick reported to the FBI that Lem was a faceless composite communist committee out to get him and brainwash the youth of America and undermine American SF with "crude, insulting and downright ignorant attacks", while Lem asymmetrically thought all science fiction writers were charlatans except for Philip K Dick. https://english.lem.pl/faq#P.K.Dick https://english.lem.pl/faq#P.K.Dick https://culture.pl/en/article/philip-k-dick-stanislaw-lem-is-a-communist-committee https://culture.pl/en/article/philip-k-dick-stanislaw-lem-is... Philip K. Dick: A Visionary Among the Charlatans (1975) (depauw.edu) 140 points by pmoriarty on June 19, 2018 | hide | past | favorite | 51 comments https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17349026 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=17349026 https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/5/lem5art.htm https://www.depauw.edu/sfs/backissues/5/lem5art.htm >In 1973, Lem became an honorary member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, a gesture of ‘international goodwill’ on the association’s part. However, in 1976, 70 percent of the SFWA’s voted in favour of a resolution to revoke Lem’s membership. A very quick dismissal for such a prestigious author, but the reasons for his quick ejection from the organisation are clear – he didn’t seem to regard his honorary membership as any sort of honour. He considered American science fiction ‘ill thought out, poorly written, and interested more in adventure that ideas or new literary forms’ and ‘bad writing tacked together with wooden dialogue’, and these are just a few examples of Lem’s deprecatory attitude towards the US branch of his genre. >Lem, however, considered one science fiction author as exempt from his scathing criticisms – his denouncer, Philip K. Dick. The title of an essay Lem published about Dick is evidence enough of this high regard: A Visionary Among the Charlatans. The essay itself waxes lyrical on Dick’s many excellent qualities as a writer, and expounds upon the dire state of US sci-fi. Lem considered Dick to be the only writer exempt from his cynical view of American SF. It seems likely that Dick was unaware of Lem’s high opinion of him and that he took Lem’s disparaging comments personally, stating in his letter to the FBI: >"Lem’s creative abilities now appear to have been overrated and Lem’s crude, insulting and downright ignorant attacks on American science fiction and American science fiction writers went too far too fast and alienated everyone but the Party faithful (I am one of those highly alienated)."

alexey-salmin 2y ago

You may also enjoy the Running Nose by Lem. Core idea is somewhat similar to the Investigation but this book offers a more satisfying ending.

cgh 2y ago
I think the English translation is The Chain of Chance. Great book.

zyklu5 2y ago

Thank you so much for this! I have read a fair amount of Lem but somehow completely missed this one.