Eden

Lem's latest novel takes a stylistic departure from his usual satirical, antic approach. Playing it fairly straight, he details the adventures of the crew of a crash-landed spaceship on an alien planet. The crew, composed of Captain, Engineer, Physicist, Cyberneticist, Doctor and Chemist, and remaining mostly nameless (quirkily, the Engineer is addressed as Henry in one instance), sets about repairing the ship and exploring the beautiful, unmapped planet. They encounter increasingly exotic creatures and phenomena which they assume they understand, but all-too-human errors lead them to misinterpret nearly everything. Finally, when a communication of sorts is initiated with one of the planet's natives, the crew learns the full extent of their illusions. Lem creates an intricately detailed exotic environment in a thoughtful, often exciting story. (Sept.)