Return from the Stars

In his novel transfer (also published under the title Return of the stars ) from 1961 Stanisław Lem describes a futuristic society in which all people have given up by treatment at birth their aggressive instincts.

People

The narrative perspective is that of the pilot Hal Bregg who returns from a 10-year spaceflight, during which the earth has passed through the time dilation 127 years in the future. He meets the actress Aen Aenis that embodies the upscale superficial lifestyle of the society and the girl Eri, in love with the Bregg itself.

Action

After returning from her first space flight, the crew experienced a dramatic change in humanity. The change is, in addition to the technological development, especially social kinds, the people live by the so-called Betrisierung free from violence and aggression. Distribution struggles and conflicts do not take place, instead make social pleasures, virtual experiences, clothing, consumption and superficial handling the life out. In society, money does not matter much, since a number of intelligent robot conducts virtually all services and production. Hazardous Everything has been removed from the life, by an anti-gravity mechanism or even injury in accidents involving moving vehicles have become impossible. The society is complex and incomprehensible and full of customs and manners, but at the same time energized and boring, without tension and curiosity. The love relationships are frightening lifeless and without any intensity.

Bregg experienced the acquaintance of three women who because of its unique aggression, but we must rather call it gentleness by our standards, are attracted to him. The relationship of the third encounter prompted him, but to come to terms with life on Earth.

His team, which is the only still have their natural human savagery beside him in this society, can not integrate and they decide repelled by this kind of future, planning a space flight that takes them away from the earth to the stars.

Review of the author

In an interview Lem expressed subsequently negatively about his early work. He describes it as " a simplified, one-dimensional story. If I wrote it today, I would do it very differently ."

Expenditure

• Stanislaw Lem: Powrót z Gwiazd. Czytelnik, Warszawa 1961
• Stanislaw Lem: Transfer. ( German translation by Maria Kurecka ) Marion von Schröder -Verlag, Dusseldorf 1974
• Same translation also appeared as: Return of the stars. Insel-Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1984
• As a radio play titled return to Earth (director Andreas Weber- Schäfer). SDR 1974.