With dedication
This time, the creators of the Fantastic Magazine of Gorzów decided to celebrate the Stanisław Lem Year. And you can see it already on the cover. It has a tram going to the S. Lem station, and its number is 1921. In the editorial, the editor-in-chief, Mariusz Sobkowiak, recalls some of the most important works of the Polish writer and recalls his successes, and at the end we find a short biographical note about the mentioned author and see we can take photos from the meeting at the Municipal Public Library in Gorzów, entitled Stanisław Lem – the most outstanding representative of Polish science fiction , conducted by the publishers of LandsbergON. However, this is still not all. The stories in the biennial belong to the genre of science fiction, and each of them is accompanied by a short quotation from Lem’s books that matches the given story. This is a really fantastic idea and a great way to honor the memory of our distinguished author.
SF with a festive twist
There are four short stories in the eighth issue of LandsbergON magazine . All of them share a rather dark vision of the future and the operation of machines in everyday life. We start with Kęs by Paweł Karolczuk. This is the story of how one small system error can lead to a disaster. The plot is conducted in a light style with elements of black comedy. It’s pleasant to read, although the ending may scare a bit, but also give food for thought. Then we move on to a story titled in a rather perverse way, namely Prze [w / m] ijanie. We have the opportunity to visit Gorzów from the future there. Its author, Katarzyna Barbara Gucałło, does not, however, give us a beautiful vision of her hometown. We come across ruined, even post-apocalyptic streets and discover how such destruction took place, and at the same time we learn why the inhabitants are not doing anything about it. Ahead of us is another dark vision of how machines can affect our lives. Agnieszka Rogowska, in turn, decided to breathe some Christmas spirit into the eighth issue of Landsberg and wrote a Fairy Tale for Robots for us. However, if you count on an idyllic atmosphere, you will definitely make a difference. Ultimately, however, do not worry, there will be Santa Claus, gifts, but will we have a happy ending? You could say that time will tell. Finally, we will still have the Agora written by Klaudiusz Orta. The story he presents will surely intrigue fans of computer games and the VR system, but also people who like the history of ancient Greece. Check how you can connect the past with the future and see why modern technology does not have to be good for us.
Not just words
As in every issue of LandsbergON to date, yes, and this time we can find some graphics in the magazine. The aforementioned cover with the tram and the illustration on the other side were prepared by Łukasz Karnacz. Both clearly refer to the works of Stanisław Lem. Next we find two paintings by Jacek Lauda. The first presents a few dark, masked figures standing over… well, it’s hard to say what. Here, probably each recipient will have their own idea what exactly is there. The second of the works is even more abstract and hard to describe in words. Therefore, we have included pictures below so that you can interpret both pictures yourself. In addition, there are also works by Emi Nowak, who shows us two women – one of them looks as if she is catching the light, while the other is resting with a small dragon on her lap. It is also worth adding that most of the graphics,
I would like to add from myself that this time, unfortunately, we will not have the opportunity to read any comics, which is a pity. Those from the previous issue were quite successful. However, I hope that in the future we will get an interesting picture story again.
Good idea, great execution
So far, I have had the opportunity to read all the issues of LandsbergON magazine . Each of them was of a high standard and only a few stories could be classified as average. Thus, the editors set themselves a high bar for the next issues. Meanwhile, the eighth number jumped her, and with a margin! Number eight is really great and worth recommending. You can see that the creators wanted to worthily celebrate the Lem Year celebration and did it. I am sure the author himself would be pleased to read the next stories in the biennial. Keep it up!
