Tales of Pirx the Pilot

Nov 10, 2025 10:54 PM

Author:Stanislaw Lem

From 'A giant of twentieth-century science fiction' (Guardian), the adventures of Pirx, a hapless everyman in outer space

'By now he fancied himself something of a rocket jockey, a space ace, whose real home was among the planets'

In a future where space travel has become routine and unremarkable, Pirx the pilot bumbles and daydreams his way through the solar system. These endearing tales follow his progress from cadet to captain. But, whether he is wrestling with a misbehaving spacesuit, feeling uncomfortable on a luxury space cruise ship or encountering a mysterious malfunctioning robot on a mission to Mars, the hapless Pirx just can't stop things from going terribly wrong.

Translated by Louis Iribarne

Reviews

Yields a rare glimpse of the pulp-fiction flipside that partnered the rhapsodic and mystical Mishima... grotesque, melodramatic, spectacular, utterly silly

—— The Times

It's funny and horrific and curious and thoroughly entertaining and should win Mishima a new generation of fans

—— The Independent

There is a place in life for the exhilarating, surreal and sometimes downright silly. This novel ticks all the boxes

—— Spectator

Succeeds in capturing vividly the bathos of the self-pitying modern nihilist... the absurdity of life is conveyed through the tropes of pulp fiction and manga comics

—— John Gray , The New Statesman

An engaging all-action satire

—— The Guardian

A writer of immense energy and ability

—— Time Out

Search Sweet Country can be read over and over, continually surprising with a fresh turn of phrase or nuance in character, always engaging, always beautiful. The search is worthwhile

—— Pittsburgh Gazette

Exuberantly reels with language and imagery reminiscent of the early Joyce

—— Library Journal

A figurative, comic treat, filled with wild characters and dizzy, wink-filled prose

—— FlavorWire

African literature's greatest linguistic innovator

—— Brittle Paper Magazine

A very real, raw and relatable story about the beauty of female friendship. Ali writes with great humour and with an obvious, infectious appreciation of what matters in life. It's genuinely a delight to read

—— KATE LEAVER , bestselling author of The Friendship Cure

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