RAZOR AS AN INSTRUMENT OF MURDER AND KNOWLEDGE (ON A CHANCE IN THE S. LEM'S WORKS) (Britva ako nastroj vrazdy a poznania (O nahode v tvorbe S. Lema))

• Authors: Matejovic Pavel
• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

The author deals with two fictions by Stanislaw Lem 'Investigation' (Vysetrovanie) and 'Memoirs Found in a Bathtub' (Dennik najdeny vo vani). He follows up the Lem's work from the aspect of overlapping genres (sci-fi, detective story, spy thriller, essay and political satire). He focused mainly on the motif of chance. Theoretically he comes from the opinions of contemporary Polish literary theoreticians (Maciej Plaza: 'O poznaniu w twórczosci Stanislawa Lema, 2006; Rafal Koschany: 'Przypadek, Kategoria egzystencjalna i artystyczna w literaturze i filmie', 2006; a collection of works 'Efekt motyla, Humansci wobec teorii chaosu'). The author introduces S. Lem as a 'discursive fiction writer', his works balance among so called popular genres, fine literature and essays. Genre syncretism is a characteristic feature for Lem's detective stories. The important element is not a crime itself but disclosing of a perpetrator, seeking of indicia and a man-to-man battle. Significant role belongs also to decoding the secrecy and mystery. Lem is interested predominately in the problem of chance fluctuations, which means something for what in the establishing cultural paradigm are not names, terms. There is only an obsessive need to receive and assimilate them. Lem's detective does not fulfil a stabilizing function in the sense of 'moral expectancy' or guaranty to an institutional norm. Opposite is true. Crime in Lem's story is subordinated to statistics, it is a phenomenon that is so much improbable that appears outside the rank of rational understanding (events determined as 'vis maior'). Lem's gesture could be explained as a part of intellectual provocation. Lem in (anti)detective story applies a theoretical model, relating to the terms of informatics and logics. In the fiction 'Memoirs Found in a Bathtub' the motif of razor appears quite often. It has two meanings. The razor means a murdering instrument and also the razor is a metaphor (Occam's razor).

Keywords

EN

CHANCE; FICTION; GENRE SYNCRETISM; LEM STANISLAV; MYSTERY; POLISH LITERATURE

Discipline

• PHILOLOGY_&_LINGUISTICS: PHILOLOGY & LINGUISTICS

• Publisher: Institute of Slovak Literature, Slovak Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Slovenská literatúra (Slovak Literature)
• Year: 2009
• Volume: 56
• Issue: 5-6
• Pages: 464-469
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Matejovic Pavel

• Pavel Matejovic, Ustav slovenskej literatury SAV, Konventna 13, 813 64 Bratislava, Slovak Republic; www.uslit.sav.sk/slovlit.htm

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

10SKAAAA08566