Return from the Stars
Encyclopedia
Return from the Stars is one of the better known science fiction
novels of Stanisław Lem, the most famous Polish
science-fiction author. Written in 1961, it revolves around the story of a cosmonaut returning to his homeworld
, Earth
, and finding it a completely different place than when he left. The novel touches among the ideas of alienation
, culture shock
and dystopia
s. It was translated into English
in 1980.
after a 127 year mission to Arcturus (In original Polish version Fomalhaut
). Due to time dilation
, the mission has lasted only 10 years for him, but on Earth he faces culture shock
, as he finds the society transformed into a utopia
, free of wars or violence, or even accidents.
For Hal, however, this new world is too comfortable, too safe. Earth is no longer home, it is "another, alien planet". Humans themselves have changed, having undergone a procedure called betrization, designed to neutralizes all aggressive impulses. Hal mistrust this approach, seeing the side effects of extreme risk
-aversion as wrong. In particular, for an astronaut, he cannot agree with the opinion that space travel
and space exploration
are nothing but a youthful and dangerous adventurism. For Hal, this means that "... they have killed the man in man". He and the other returning astronauts are viewed with mistrust, seen as "resuscitated Neanderthal
s". They are alienated, outcasts, and subject to social pressure to undertake the betrization procedure. The other choice is to leave Earth again and hope that one they come back, in several centuries, Earth's society is more familiar again.
In time, Hal's marries a local girl, Eri, and comes to see the world her way, even disapproving of his youth's love, space expeditions. When he learns that members of his former crew are planning a mission to Sagittarius
, he seems not to care, content to leave the stars to others. Hal still remembers his past, recalls the moon
Kereneia, a magnificent canyon "made of red and pink gold, almost completely transparent... through it you can see all the strata, geological folds, anticlines and synclines... all this is weightless, floating and seeming to smile at you". Yet he trades the chance to experience such sights and adventures for love and peaceful, quiet life.
. Out of those, it is the least pessimistic about the consequences of technological progress and their effect on our sociocultural evolution
. Even so, the depicted world is not perfect: in a pacified society, with no conflict, stress, and danger, Lem argues that humans will become unable to take any risks, to take initiative, commit themselves to any serious tasks, and even lose the ability for self-assertion and for feeling strong emotions. Return from the Stars asks whether some sociocultural advances, like peace, are worth the price we may pay for losing part of our nature. Is a bland, safe world worth sacrificing that which may be gained with risk-taking?
The novel also anticipates electronic paper
with its "opton", sometimes cited as the first published appearance of the idea of digital paper which can present various texts.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
novels of Stanisław Lem, the most famous Polish
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
science-fiction author. Written in 1961, it revolves around the story of a cosmonaut returning to his homeworld
Homeworld
Homeworld is a real-time strategy computer game released on September 28, 1999, developed by Relic Entertainment and published by Sierra Entertainment. It was the first fully three-dimensional RTS. In 2003, Relic released the source code for Homeworld...
, Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
, and finding it a completely different place than when he left. The novel touches among the ideas of alienation
Social alienation
The term social alienation has many discipline-specific uses; Roberts notes how even within the social sciences, it “is used to refer both to a personal psychological state and to a type of social relationship”...
, culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
and dystopia
Dystopia
A dystopia is the idea of a society in a repressive and controlled state, often under the guise of being utopian, as characterized in books like Brave New World and Nineteen Eighty-Four...
s. It was translated into English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
in 1980.
Plot summary
The novel tells the story of an astronaut, Hal Bregg, who returns to EarthEarth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
after a 127 year mission to Arcturus (In original Polish version Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut
Fomalhaut is the brightest star in the constellation Piscis Austrinus and one of the brightest stars in the sky. Fomalhaut can be seen low in the southern sky in the northern hemisphere in fall and early winter evenings. Near latitude 50˚N, it sets around the time Sirius rises, and does not...
). Due to time dilation
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
, the mission has lasted only 10 years for him, but on Earth he faces culture shock
Culture shock
Culture shock is the anxiety, feelings of frustration, alienation and anger that may occur when a person is emplaced in a new culture.One of the most common causes of culture shock involves individuals in a foreign country. Culture shock can be described as consisting of one or more distinct phases...
, as he finds the society transformed into a utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
, free of wars or violence, or even accidents.
For Hal, however, this new world is too comfortable, too safe. Earth is no longer home, it is "another, alien planet". Humans themselves have changed, having undergone a procedure called betrization, designed to neutralizes all aggressive impulses. Hal mistrust this approach, seeing the side effects of extreme risk
Risk
Risk is the potential that a chosen action or activity will lead to a loss . The notion implies that a choice having an influence on the outcome exists . Potential losses themselves may also be called "risks"...
-aversion as wrong. In particular, for an astronaut, he cannot agree with the opinion that space travel
Spaceflight
Spaceflight is the act of travelling into or through outer space. Spaceflight can occur with spacecraft which may, or may not, have humans on board. Examples of human spaceflight include the Russian Soyuz program, the U.S. Space shuttle program, as well as the ongoing International Space Station...
and space exploration
Space exploration
Space exploration is the use of space technology to explore outer space. Physical exploration of space is conducted both by human spaceflights and by robotic spacecraft....
are nothing but a youthful and dangerous adventurism. For Hal, this means that "... they have killed the man in man". He and the other returning astronauts are viewed with mistrust, seen as "resuscitated Neanderthal
Neanderthal
The Neanderthal is an extinct member of the Homo genus known from Pleistocene specimens found in Europe and parts of western and central Asia...
s". They are alienated, outcasts, and subject to social pressure to undertake the betrization procedure. The other choice is to leave Earth again and hope that one they come back, in several centuries, Earth's society is more familiar again.
In time, Hal's marries a local girl, Eri, and comes to see the world her way, even disapproving of his youth's love, space expeditions. When he learns that members of his former crew are planning a mission to Sagittarius
Sagittarius (constellation)
Sagittarius is a constellation of the zodiac, the one containing the galactic center. Its name is Latin for the archer, and its symbol is , a stylized arrow. Sagittarius is commonly represented as a centaur drawing a bow...
, he seems not to care, content to leave the stars to others. Hal still remembers his past, recalls the moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
Kereneia, a magnificent canyon "made of red and pink gold, almost completely transparent... through it you can see all the strata, geological folds, anticlines and synclines... all this is weightless, floating and seeming to smile at you". Yet he trades the chance to experience such sights and adventures for love and peaceful, quiet life.
Major themes
Return from the Stars is one of Lem's several works focusing on utopiaUtopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
. Out of those, it is the least pessimistic about the consequences of technological progress and their effect on our sociocultural evolution
Sociocultural evolution
Sociocultural evolution is an umbrella term for theories of cultural evolution and social evolution, describing how cultures and societies have changed over time...
. Even so, the depicted world is not perfect: in a pacified society, with no conflict, stress, and danger, Lem argues that humans will become unable to take any risks, to take initiative, commit themselves to any serious tasks, and even lose the ability for self-assertion and for feeling strong emotions. Return from the Stars asks whether some sociocultural advances, like peace, are worth the price we may pay for losing part of our nature. Is a bland, safe world worth sacrificing that which may be gained with risk-taking?
The novel also anticipates electronic paper
Electronic paper
Electronic paper, e-paper and electronic ink are a range of display technology which are designed to mimic the appearance of ordinary ink on paper. Unlike conventional backlit flat panel displays, electronic paper displays reflect light like ordinary paper...
with its "opton", sometimes cited as the first published appearance of the idea of digital paper which can present various texts.
Quotes
- "The society to which you have returned is stabilized. Life is tranquil. Do you understand? The romance of the early days of astronautics is gone. It is like the achievements of Columbus. His expedition was something extraordinary, but who took any interest in the captains of galleons two hundred years after him? There was a two-line note about your return in the reel."
- "Today there is no tragedy. Not even the possibility of it. We eliminated the hell of passion, and then it turned out that in the same sweep, heaven, too, had ceased to be. Everything is now lukewarm..."