Olga Tokarczuk on the Sci-Fi That Anticipated our AI future
A new essay from the Nobel laureate reveals the science fiction that shaped her creativity,from the philosophical paradoxes of Stanisław Lem to the reality-bending visions of Philip K. Dick. Tokarczuk’s insights arrive alongside the release of her latest novel, “House of Day, House of Night,” and offer a compelling look at the enduring power of speculative fiction.
Tokarczuk, celebrated for her exploration of boundaries – between nations, ethnicities, fiction and reality, and even consciousness and dreams – has long incorporated elements of the supernatural and science fiction into her work. her novels frequently enough stage the shifting landscapes of Eastern Europe, reflecting a world in constant flux. As she writes in “House of Day, House of Night,” “All over the world, wherever people are sleeping, s
of Stanisław Lem.
specifically, she cites “The Star Diaries,” a collection of stories following the adventures of a lone space traveler and scientist named Ijon Tichy, and “The Cyberiad,” a series of tales centered on robots and intelligent machines, as formative influences. Lem, she argues, was remarkably prescient, notably regarding machine intelligence.
“Lem was way ahead of his time,” Tokarczuk observes. “He had a superb sense of humor and a unique genius for discovering all sorts of paradoxes; his writing challenges the imagination, posing the sorts of questions that are the subjects of philosophical studies.” She points to “The Seventh Journey” within “The Star Diaries,” where Ijon Tichy encounters a time loop,creating multiple versions of himself. This scenario, she notes, raises a fundamental question: “Which is the ‘real’ one?” Her contemporary answer is simple: “the real one is the one who’s telling the story. The real one is the observer.”
In an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence, Tokarczuk emphasizes the continued relevance of Lem’s work. “As we’re mesmerized by artificial intelligence today, going back to Lem’s stories, which anticipated every kind of intelligent machine, is a must.”
Philip K. Dick and the Disintegrating World
Turning to another giant of the genre, Tokarczuk acknowledges that much science fiction prioritizes conceptual exploration over literary refinement. “It’s more about conveying a concept, a paradox, a vision,” she explains. “Sometimes the vision is so powerful…that it reduces language to its moast pragmatic role: pure communication.”
She identifies Philip K. Dick as a particularly powerful visionary, praising his ability to depict a world on the brink of collapse and to blur the lines between reality and perception.Dick’s influence extends beyond science fiction, she contends, having fundamentally altered the landscape of literature itself.”In an incredibly modern and acute way,it considers questions that humankind has been asking itself for centuries.”
Tokarczuk’s introduction to dick’s work began with “Ubik”, a novel she describes as unforgettable for its depiction of a world where reality unravels. She vividly recalls the imagery of modern objects transforming into ancient artifacts, food spoiling instantly, and technology failing. The only respite, she notes, comes in the form of temporarily awakened individuals and a mysterious substance called Ubik. This scenario,she suggests,can be interpreted as a metaphor for both a disintegrating mind and a “fallen cosmos” requiring constant,unseen maintenance.
Interestingly, Tokarczuk reveals a curious anecdote about the relationship between Lem and Dick. The two authors corresponded for a time, until Dick became convinced that Lem was not an individual, but rather a spy network called L.E.M. This episode underscores the unsettling,reality-bending themes that permeate both writers’ work,and the profound impact they have had on Tokarczuk’s own creative explorations.
