[robterrell]

Oh man, what a treat for you.

Lem also has another essay about Philip K. Dick in his book Microworlds, you might check that out as well. He is a serious critic of science fiction, and he pillories the genre without mercy; Dick is the only science fiction author he considers worthy. He has zero patience with crowd-pleasers.

Still, he's got a wicked sense of humor. My daughter is reading "Memoirs of a Space Traveller" right now. It's definitely on the light, even funny, end. Start with the light stuff and work your way to the denser material.

I'd say Lem's strengths are his intelligence, his incredible pessimism (rare in a futurist) and his sense of humor, although you'll find only the first two in His Master's Voice, Return from the Stars, and Solaris.