Sol z Ludzi Lodu w swoim krótkim życiu na ziemi nigdy nie doświadczyła prawdziwej miłości. Teraz pragnie z całego serca otrzymać taką szansę, spotkać kogoś, kogo mogłaby pokochać. Najpierw jednak musi unieszkodliwić groźną wiedźmę Griseldę, która ukryła swoją duszę i tylko czeka, by wrócić i zemścić się na mieszkańcach Królestwa Światła…

Opuścił głowę i osłupiał. Jakieś sześćdziesiąt metrów przed nim, w samym środku polany, wyrósł czwarty bunkier. Tak samo, jak tamte, miał białoszare ściany, pozbawione okien i w ogóle jakichkolwiek otworów. Tyle, że jego powierzchnia lśniła jak szkło. A poza tym Jarek nie widział w życiu bunkra, który by miał kształt lekko spłaszczonego jaja o obwodzie co najmniej trzydziestu metrów w najszerszym miejscu. Mało tego. Wodząc nieprzytomnym wzrokiem po tajemniczej budowli chłopiec odkrył nagle, że…

Mark Casey has left home, the rural Irish community where his family has farmed the same land for generations, to study for a doctorate in Dublin, a vibrant, contemporary city full of possibility. To his father, Tom, who needs help baling the hay and ploughing the fields, Mark's pursuit isn't work at all, and indeed Mark finds himself whiling away his time with pubs and parties. His is a life without focus or responsibility, until he meets Joanne Lynch, a trainee solicitor whom he finds irresistible. Joanne too has a past to escape from and for a brief time she and Mark share the chaos and rapture of a new love affair, until the lightning strike of tragedy changes everything. Solace is a work to be admired for its spare, intense lyricism, its range, and its deeply compassionate portrayal of life as it is lived now. 'An elegant, consuming and richly inspired novel. A superb debut. This one will last' Colum McCann 'A novel of quiet power, filled with moments of carefully-told truth. . this book will appeal to readers both young and old' Colm Tóibín 'A story of clear-eyed compassion and quiet intelligence' Anne Enright

Customarily, McEwan’s novels spring from a catastrophic incident in someone’s life, either a calamity that causes physical distress or a psychological trespass that causes emotional instability. For instance, in Enduring Love (1998), a man plunges to his death from a balloon, and in the aftermath, one witness continues to menace another witness. On Chesil Beach (2007) centers on an emotionally devastating wedding night. In his new novel, McEwan outdoes himself in terms of catastrophic occurrences. The protagonist, physicist Michael Beard, won a Nobel Prize several years ago and has been resting on his laurels ever since. A serial cheater, he is now married to his fifth wife, who leads a totally separate life, indicating her complete disdain for his wandering eye. His lack of effort in applying himself to either career or fidelity only increases our dislike of him. Even he says of himself, “No one loved him.” An accidental death in which he was involved and which he covered up, a politically incorrect statement aired before a professional audience, and his usurpation of the research of a deceased colleague: readers are taxed to even care about these crises. This draggy novel stands in stark contrast to its many beautiful predecessors, but McEwan is regarded as a major contemporary British novelist, so expect demand on that basis

Once a year, on All Souls’ Day, it is said in Ireland that the dead may return. Solar Bones is the story of one such visit. Marcus Conway, a middle-aged engineer, turns up one afternoon at his kitchen table and considers the events that took him away and then brought him home again. Funny and strange, McCormack’s ambitious and other-worldly novel plays with form and defies convention. This is profound new work is by one of Ireland’s most important contemporary novelists. A beautiful and haunting elegy, this story of order and chaos, love and loss captures how minor decisions ripple into waves and test our integrity every day

Stanislaw Lem’s cult classic novel Solaris is finally getting a direct-to-English translation, reports the Guardian, restoring much of the author’s original words. The novel, originally published in Polish in 1961, tells of humans’ struggling attempts to communicate with an alien intelligence. It’s inspired films by Andrei Tarkovsky and Steven Soderberg. But for all its canonical status, the only English version was published in 1970, translated from a French translation that Lem himself didn’t like. This game of linguistic telephone apparently muddled all kinds of things. Says the new translator, Indiana University professor Bill Johnson: “Much is lost when a book is re-translated from an intermediary translation into English, but I’m shocked at the number of places where text was omitted, added, or changed in the 1970 version… Lem’s characteristic semi-philosophical, semi-technical language is also capable of flights of poetic fancy and brilliant linguistic creativity, for example in the names of the structures that arise on the surface of Solaris. Lots of the changes in the new edition will restore original names: Kris Kelvin’s wife becomes Harey instead of Rheya; Alpha in Aquarius is Alpha Aquarii once more…”

L’histoire se déroulant à bord de la station d’observation est la continuation de celle commencée avec la découverte de la planète. Là, l’incompréhension est de mise : les occupants de la station ne savent pas comment interpréter les raisons pour lesquelles l’océan a réagi en leur envoyant ces « visiteurs », tirés de souvenirs douloureux. Est-ce une volonté délibérée de les tourmenter en représailles à l’émission des rayons X ? Ou bien a-t-il agi sans savoir ce qu’il faisait, en extrayant les souvenirs les plus marquants de leurs esprits ? Les événements vécus par Kelvin et ses compagnons pourront-ils contribuer à sortir la Solaristique de l’ornière dans laquelle elle piétine depuis des années ? En tout cas, s’il y a une chose à en retenir c’est que, avant de comprendre une forme de vie extraterrestre, les humains doivent apprendre à se connaître eux-mêmes. Solaris est un roman d’une grande richesse, aussi bien dans les thèmes abordés que dans l’inventivité dont a fait preuve Stanislas Lem pour décrire ce monde étranger

Il pianeta Solaris, ad anni luce dalla Terra, è formato da un unico immenso oceano e sembra possedere strani poteri. E’ capace, infatti, di penetrare nella mente degli astronauti che lo stanno studiando ed evocare immagini del loro passato. Immagini che si trasformano in veri e propri esseri viventi, in grado di ragionare e provare sentimenti. Il pianeta è forse abitato da un’intelligenza superiore? Ed è possibile una comunicazione mentale tra l’uomo e il pianeta senziente? Sono questi i tormentosi interrogativi che si pongono i protagonisti della missione, le cui vite risulteranno sconvolte. Capolavoro di Stanislaw Lem, «Solaris» è un romanzo fondamentale nella fantascienza di tutti i tempi. Ed è soprattutto un’opera che con uno stile magistrale si sofferma non tanto sui misteri dell’universo quanto sui temi dell’identità, sull’ignoto che è in noi, come sfida ai limiti della conoscenza umana. Dopo aver ispirato nel 1972 il regista russo Tarkovskij, «Solaris» è ora un film dell’americano Steven Soderbergh. Nella parte di Kelvin, l’astronauta che indaga su quanto accade nella stazione spaziale, uno degli attori più amati di Hollywood: George Clooney. Stanislaw Lem, polacco di Leopoli, trascorre la sua giovinezza conoscendo la terribile dominazione nazista. I suoi romanzi, tra cui «Pianeta del silenzio», «Eden», Pace al mondo», sono opere originali che affrontano soprattutto il tema etico del progresso tecnologico e la responsabilità delle scelte esistenziali dell’uomo. Lem è probabilmente il più importante scrittore di fantascienza non di lingua inglese. I suoi libri sono stati tradotti in trenta paesi e hanno venduto più di venti milioni di copie

STAŅISLAVS LEMS SOLARIS Staņislavs Lems dzimis 1921. gadā Ļvovā. Tur viņš pabeidza vidusskolu un sāka studēt medi­cīnu. Karš pārtrauca S. Lema stu­diju gaitas. Pēc Polijas atbrīvoša­nas Lems Krakovā pabeidza me­dicīnas studijas un pievērsās rakstniecībai. Staņislava Lema pirmais solis zinātniskās fantastikas jomā bija grāmata «Astronauti». Šajā vir­zienā gāja viņa daiļrades tālā­kais attīstības ceļš. Viņš sa­rakstījis ap 20 grāmatu, kurās dziļa zinātniska doma savijas ar neparastu iztēles bagātību. S. Le­ma grāmatas tulkotas vairāk nekā divdesmit pasaules valodās. Lūk, daži S. Lema daiļdarbi, kuru slava aizskanējusi tālu aiz Poli­jas robežām: «Astronauti», «Ma- gelāna mākonis», «Solāris», «At­griešanās no zvaigznēm>s «Ede- na», «Robotu pasakas», «Neuzva­ramais», «Zvaigžņu dienasgrāma­tas». S. Lemu interesē ne vien zināt­niskā fantastika, bet arī mūsdienu tematika. Viņš ir uzrakstījis ro­mānu «Laiks, kas nav bijis vel­tīgs», autobiogrāfisko stāstu «Aug­stā pils», kā arī filozofiskās esejas «Dialogi» un «Summa Technologiae». Par panākumiem rakstniecībā Staņislavs Lems 1957. gadā ie­pelnījās Krakovas pilsētas balvu, bet 1965. gadā saņēma Polijas Kultūras un mākslas ministra prē­miju. Stāstā «Solāris» grupa zināt­nieku, kas ieradušies no Zemes, cenšas nodibināt kontaktu ar pla­nētas Solāris saprātīgo matēriju. Uz Solāris šī saprātīgā matērija ir okeāns — gigantisks augsti or­ganizētas plazmas receklis. Oke­āns spēj iedzīvināt materiālos tē­los spilgtākos iespaidus, kas gla­bājas cilvēka apziņā. S. Lems savā darbā centies pa­rādīt, ar kādām neparedzētām grūtībām jāsastopas pētniekiem, saskaroties ar citu pasauļu sa­prātīgajām būtnēm. No polu valodas tuikujis -  Mākslmieks Edgars Skujiņš  IZDEVNIECĪBA " LIESMA

V devět hodin palubního času jsem prošel kolem lidí stojících u startovací šachty a sestoupil po kovových příčlech do nitra kontejneru. Místa tam bylo právě jen tolik, že jsem mohl zvednout lokty. Když jsem nastrčil konec hadice na vývod ve stěně, skafandr se nadmul a od toho okamžiku jsem nebyl schopen nejmenšího pohybu. Stál jsem — či spíše visel — ve vzduchovém lůžku, spojen v jediný celek s kovovou skořepinou. Zvedl jsem zrak. Vypouklým průzorem jsem spatřil stěny šachty a vysoko nahoře Moddardův obličej, který se nakláněl dolů. Obličej však brzy zmizel a kolem zavládla tma, protože otvor startovací šachty se uzavřel těžkým bezpečnostním příklopem. Slyšel jsem osmeré zabzučení elektrických motorů, které dotahovaly šrouby. A potom syčení vzduchu vháněného do amortizátorů. Oči přivykaly tmě. Už jsem viděl zeleně světélkující obrysy jediného kontrolního přístroje…

Solaris to najsłynniejsza powieść Lema - od niej poczyna się jego światowy rozgłos. W swoim gatunku zajmuje ona miejsce, jakiego nie dostąpiło bodaj żadne inne polskie dzieło literackie: uważana jest za utwór klasyczny, wymieniana w najbardziej podstawowych kompendiach dotyczących literatury science fiction - obok dzieł Wellsa, Stapledona czy Dicka. Solaris zawdzięcza zapewne swoje powodzenie niezwykle udatnemu zespoleniu potraktowanej serio problematyki kontaktu z pełną emocji, romantyczną akcją. Kinowe adaptacje powieści wywołały spory. I Andriej Tarkowski (1973), i Steven Soderbergh (2003) zrealizowali filmy znacznie odbiegające od literackiego pierwowzoru. Po drugiej ekranizacji głos w sprawie przesłania książki zabrał sam pisarz: „Science fiction zakłada niemal zawsze, że jeżeli nawet Inny, którego spotykamy, prowadzi jakąś grę, to my jej reguły prędzej czy później zrozumiemy [...]. Ja natomiast pragnąłem zamurować wszystkie ścieżki rozumowania wiodące do uczłowieczenia Istoty, jaką jest solaryjski ocean, aby się okazało, ze kontakt z nią nie daje się zrealizować na sposób międzyludzki, choć równocześnie w jakiś dziwny, inny sposób zachodzi”

Cuando en los meses finales de la guerra civil española las tropas republicanas se retiran hacia la frontera francesa, camino del exilio, alguien toma la decisión de fusilar a un grupo de presos franquistas. Entre ellos se halla Rafael Sánchez Mazas, fundador e ideólogo de Falange, quizás uno de los responsables directos del conflicto fratricida. Sánchez Mazas no sólo logra escapar de ese fusilamiento colectivo, sino que, cuando salen en su busca, un miliciano anónimo le encañona y en el último momento le perdona la vida

In 2001, spurred by a nagging curiosity over a transcript of a secretly recorded conversation he had come across in his research on the German U-boat wars, historian Sönke Neitzel paid a visit to the British national archives. He had heard of the existence of recorded interrogations of German POWs, but never about covert recordings taken within the confines of the holding cells, bedrooms, and camps that housed the prisoners. What Neitzel discovered, to his amazement, were reams of untouched, recently declassified transcripts totaling nearly eight hundred pages. Later, Neitzel would find another trove of protocols twice as extensive at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Though initially recorded by British intelligence with the intention of gaining information that might be useful for the Allied war effort, the matters discussed in these conversations ultimately proved to be limited in that regard. But for Neitzel and his collaborator, renowned social psychologist Harald Welzer, they would supply a unique and profoundly important window into the mentality of the soldiers in the Wehrmacht, the Luftwaffe, the German navy, and the military in general, almost all of whom had insisted on their own honorable behavior during the war. It is a myth these transcripts unequivocally debunk. Soldaten closely examines these conversations, and the casual, pitiless brutality omnipresent in them, from a historical and psychological perspective. What factors led to the degradation of the soldiers’ sense of awareness and morality? How much did their social environments affect their interpretation of the war and their actions during combat? By reconstructing the frameworks and situations behind these conversations, and the context in which they were spoken, a powerful, unflinching narrative of wartime experience emerges. The details of what these soldiers did, after all, are not filtered the way they might be in letters to family, or girlfriends and wives, or during interrogations by the enemy. In Soldaten, Sönke Neitzel and Harald Welzer offer an unmitigated window into the mind-set of the German fighting man, potentially changing our view of World War II

No publicity, no media. We move in silently, do our job, and melt away into the background. If you have the stamina, the willpower and the guts, we’ll welcome you with open arms and you one of us. And if you haven’t, then it’s been very nice knowing you. Eighteen years in the SAS saw Pete Winner, codenamed Soldier ‘I’, survive the savage battle of Mirbat, parachute into the icy depths of the South Atlantic at the height of the Falklands War, and storm the Iranian Embassy during the most famous hostage crisis in the modern world. For the first time Pete also details his close-protection work around the world, from the lawless streets of Moscow to escorting aid convoys into war-torn Bosnia. He also unveils the problems of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder faced by many Special Forces veterans, and how he battled his own demons to continue his roller-coaster career. This is his story, written with a breathtaking take-no-prisoners attitude that brings each death-defying episode vividly to life

A leading reporter offers a tour of military working dogs’ extraordinary training, heroic accomplishments, and the lasting impacts they have on those who work with them. People all over the world have been riveted by the story of Cairo, the Belgian Malinois who was a part of the Navy SEAL team that led the raid on Osama bin Laden’s compound. A dog’s natural intelligence, physical abilities, and pure loyalty contribute more to our military efforts than ever before. You don't have to be a dog lover to be fascinated by the idea that a dog—the cousin of that furry guy begging for scraps under your table—could be one of the heroes who helped execute the most vital and high-tech military mission of the new millennium. Now Maria Goodavage, editor and featured writer for one of the world's most widely read dog blogs, tells heartwarming stories of modern soldier dogs and the amazing bonds that develop between them and their handlers. Beyond tales of training, operations, retirement, and adoption into the families of fallen soldiers, Goodavage talks to leading dog-cognition experts about why dogs like nothing more than to be on a mission with a handler they trust, no matter how deadly the IEDs they are sniffing, nor how far they must parachute or rappel from aircraft into enemy territory. “Military working dogs live for love and praise from their handlers,” says Ron Aiello, president of the United States War Dogs Association and a former marine scout dog handler. “The work is all a big game, and then they get that pet, that praise. They would do anything for their handler.” This is an unprecedented window into the world of these adventurous, loving warriors. “A moving portrait of the loyal, courageous, furry warriors who truly are an enlisted Man's Best Friend.” “Soldier Dogs is a fascinating book about the valiant things that military dogs do as told through the words of the soldiers who fight beside them. It also shows you how military service dogs are created, told through the words of the trainers and scientists who know the process. It is written in an easy and entertaining style and will acquaint you with dozens of canine heroes ranging from Stubby, who fought in WWI, to Cairo, who was a member of the raiding party that took down Osama Bin Laden. It is a great read for anyone who appreciates dogs and heroes.” “If the idea of dogs at war conjures up thoughts of harsh methods and unrelenting discipline, think again. Maria Goodavage's revealing and engaging books exposes the unexpected trust and affection that flows both ways between dog and handler. You may already care about dogs: This book will heighten your respect for them.” “Inspiring personal stories of the many canine allies (and their handlers) who have dramatically enhanced military command units and examines how this indelible human-canine bond often transcends the atrocities of wartime violence.” “Stories of spooked pups aboard battle-bound Hueys and dogs in the line of fire reveal surprisingly human-like response to war, and posit these military mutts as admirable—and capable—soldiers.”

A Dance to the Music of Time — his brilliant 12-novel sequence, which chronicles the lives of over three hundred characters, is a unique evocation of life in twentieth-century England. The novels follow Nicholas Jenkins, Kenneth Widmerpool and others, as they negotiate the intellectual, cultural and social hurdles that stand between them and the “Acceptance World.”

A Hugo Award-winning novel of destiny and revenge. On the sixteen colonized worlds, mankind had changed: men of War on the Dorsai worlds, men of Faith on the Friendly worlds. Jamethon Black, a Friendly, is a true soldier, and a true man of faith. Now he must face a deadly enemy—an enemy whose defeat will forever separate him from the only woman he has ever loved

First time in paperback, with a new Introduction and final chapter World affairs expert and intrepid travel journalist Robert D. Kaplan braved the dangers of war-ravaged Afghanistan in the 1980s, living among the mujahidin—the “soldiers of god”—whose unwavering devotion to Islam fueled their mission to oust the formidable Soviet invaders. In Soldiers of God we follow Kaplan’s extraordinary journey and learn how the thwarted Soviet invasion gave rise to the ruthless Taliban and the defining international conflagration of the twenty-first century. Kaplan returns a decade later and brings to life a lawless frontier. What he reveals is astonishing: teeming refugee camps on the deeply contentious Pakistan-Afghanistan border; a war front that combines primitive fighters with the most technologically advanced weapons known to man; rigorous Islamic indoctrination academies; a land of minefields plagued by drought, fierce tribalism, insurmountable ethnic and religious divisions, an abysmal literacy rate, and legions of war orphans who seek stability in military brotherhood. Traveling alongside Islamic guerrilla fighters, sharing their food, observing their piety in the face of deprivation, and witnessing their determination, Kaplan offers a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of a people and a country that are at the center of world events