Collection of reviews of non-existent books, by Lem
A Perfect Vacuum
First edition cover by Andrzej Heidrich
Author
Stanisław Lem
Translator
Michael Kandel
Subject
Fictitious criticism of nonexisting books
Published
1971 (Polish)
Publisher
Czytelnik Publishing House
A Perfect Vacuum (Polish: Doskonała próżnia) is a 1971 book by Polish author Stanisław Lem, the largest and best known collection of Stanisław Lem's fictitious criticism of nonexisting books.[1] It was translated into English by Michael Kandel. Some of the reviews remind the reader of drafts of his science fiction novels, some read like philosophical pieces across scientific topics, from cosmology to the pervasiveness of computers, finally others satirize and parody everything from the nouveau roman to pornography, Ulysses, authorless writing, and Dostoevsky.
^Book's entry on Lem's official page, contains author's notes in English
APerfectVacuum (Polish: Doskonała próżnia) is a 1971 book by Polish author Stanisław Lem, the largest and best known collection of Stanisław Lem's fictitious...
object that is surrounded by avacuum. The quality of a partial vacuum refers to how closely it approaches aperfectvacuum. Other things equal, lower gas...
chemistry. By definition, aperfectvacuum has a relative permittivity of exactly 1 whereas at standard temperature and pressure, air has a relative permittivity...
the result is aperfectvacuum in which the pressure is zero. Hence, no negative pressure forces can be generated. Accordingly, from a physics point of...
physics, the vacuum level refers to the energy of a free stationary electron that is outside of any material (it is in aperfectvacuum). It may be taken...
Since a "perfectvacuum" contains no charged particles, it normally behaves as aperfect insulator. However, metal electrode surfaces can cause a region...
that in aperfectVacuum it would pass any distance without the least Obstruction. But having made aperfectVacuum by means of boil’d Mercury in a long...
asserts that avacuum, even the most perfectvacuum devoid of any matter, is not really empty. Rather the quantum vacuum can be depicted as a sea of continuously...
The speed of light in vacuum, commonly denoted c, is a universal physical constant that is exactly equal to 299,792,458 metres per second (approximately...
atmospheric pressure Free space, a perfectvacuum as expressed in the classical physics model Vacuum state, aperfectvacuum based on the quantum mechanical...
Avacuum mattress, or vacmat, is a medical device used for the immobilisation of patients, especially in case of a vertebra, pelvis or limb trauma (especially...
following terms are used: Absolute pressure is zero-referenced against aperfectvacuum, using an absolute scale, so it is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric...
It contains ultra-low levels of particle densities, constituting a near-perfectvacuum of predominantly hydrogen and helium plasma, permeated by electromagnetic...
shielding electrodes in vacuum circuit-breakers (PDF). 20th International Symposium on Discharges and Electrical Insulation in Vacuum. Archived from the original...
other than aperfectvacuum, and this drag force increases with velocity until it equals the gravitational force, leaving the object to fall at a constant...
of outer space's near perfectvacuum to observe objects with the entire electromagnetic spectrum. Because satellites can see a large portion of the Earth...
Vacuum energy is an underlying background energy that exists in space throughout the entire Universe. The vacuum energy is a special case of zero-point...
absence of an atmosphere between the two. Radio waves travel through aperfectvacuum just as easily as they travel through air, fog, clouds, or any other...
Furthermore, aperfectvacuum is an unattainable goal since both the container and the object itself would slowly vaporize, thereby degrading the vacuum. To extract...
positrons, and electrons. If antihydrogen atoms were suspended in aperfectvacuum, they should survive indefinitely. As an anti-element, it is expected...
for example, a blood pressure of 120 mmHg, when the current atmospheric pressure is 760 mmHg, means 880 mmHg relative to perfectvacuum. Routine pressure...
Author of the Quixote"), Vladimir Nabokov (Pale Fire), Stanislaw Lem (APerfectVacuum; Imaginary Magnitude) Roberto Bolaño (Nazi Literature in the Americas)...
orifice continues to increase as the downstream pressure is lowered to aperfectvacuum, though the mass flow rate increases slowly as the downstream pressure...