h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Now this is where I give out a cry of help. In my youth I came across a book about Robots written by the (Polish?) author Stanislaw Lem. Does anyone remember it and can give me its title? I found his robots far more interesting than Asimov's turgid outings; they were at least funny. Hmm, must try to find it again and relive the teenage angst years.

Rossum's Universal Robots

Sorry, stupid. RUR is by Carel Kapek (you know of it of course).

The Lem could have been any one of a large number. Any plot hints? Could it have been Cyberiad?

I indeed do remember Stanislaw Lem but also not the title of the book/s - just that they were extremely humourous. Excuse me while I check my extensive database and get back to you...

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Talking of 'extremely humourous' - it must have been Cyberiad or The Tales of Robots.
Another kind of humour is in Imaginary Magnitude and Perfect Vacuum, and yet another in Star Diaries and...

Really worth reading again.

Amator

I think that Kapec was the man who "invented" the word Robot, and he was a Czech as far as I'm aware. The word means either "slave" or "worker", but he created its use to mean an automaton. Asimov then went on to invent the word "Robotics", obviously meaning the engineering or science of a robot.

Yes, he was Czech, yes he coined the word robot for an automaton, and yes it means "worker" - the book was "Rossum's Universal Workers" I guess. And I believe Lem was Polish. I just got confused. It happens when you hit your dotage

I know what you mean, I'm nearly 19 and I keep failing to notice the difference between a Pull door and a Push door.

That's the thing around here (Oxford University), apparently we're among the most academic people in the world, but the sum total of common swense between the undergraduates can be written around a piece of fuse wire .

In 18pt Gill Sans Bold

Oh, so you HAVE visited, then?

I've done work for some of the Colleges, and have a major client in Blue Boar Court. My wife used to work at Sandford, and I take my children on occasion to the Pitt Rivers Museum. In short, yes, I've been there. I've even walked past Blackwell's music shop without going in and buying things. Once.

You've been to Blackwell's Street, sorry I mean Broad Street?
That's cool, I live in Wadham, by the King's Arms diametrically opposite the Bodleian.

That's the one, Cyberiad! Thank you I will rush out and find it again