Perfekcyjna niedoskonałość
Polish edition cover.
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| Author | Jacek Dukaj |
|---|---|
| Original title | Perfekcyjna niedoskonałość. Pierwsza tercja Progresu |
| Translator | not translated |
| Cover artist | Tomasz Bagiński |
| Country | Poland |
| Language | Polish |
| Genre | hard science fiction |
| Publisher | Wydawnictwo Literackie |
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Publication date
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2004 |
| Pages | 456 |
| ISBN | |
| OCLC | 60361233 |
| LC Class | PG7163.U4 P47 2004 |
Perfect Imperfection: First third of progress (Polish: Perfekcyjna niedoskonałość. Pierwsza tercja progresu; also sometimes translated as "Ideal Imperfection") is a science fiction novel published in 2004 by the Polish science fiction writer Jacek Dukaj as the first part of a planned trilogy. It was published in Poland by Wydawnictwo Literackie. The novel received the prime Polish award for science-fiction literature, Janusz A. Zajdel Award, in 2004.
Dukaj himself wrote that he set out to write "a space opera to end all space operas", but for this he had to create a scientifically plausible and challenging universe, thus creating a hard science fiction novel.
A 21st century astronaut, Adam Zamoyski, is recovering after an accident. At first, he thinks that he is recovering from a plane crash, and any bizarre things he perceives are hallucinations due to his convalescence. He soon finds out that to prevent him from suffering a culture shock—or perhaps what would be better described as a profound future shock—all information he receives is filtered through an implant, creating a semi-VR world, and in fact he was revived in the 29th century, in a post-technological singularity world. However, his implant becomes damaged, and he finds himself in a world where normal Homo sapiens are just relics. Most of the individuals he meets are artificial intelligence agents, scarcity has been eliminated through nanotechnology, virtual reality is merged with 'reality', the currency is exotic matter used in spacetime experiments—and suddenly Adam is caught in the web of a trans-galactic intrigue spin-doctored by beings vastly more intelligent than an unaugmented human. What is the secret that he presumably learned before his spaceship was destroyed back in the 21st century? The secret that he cannot remember, and that the science of the 29th century cannot restore, despite having resurrected him? And in a world where whole universes are dedicated to the sole purpose of serving as the weapon laboratories for the arms race between multiversal civilizations, can a normal human become anything more than a toy of inconceivably intelligent beings?
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Wikipedia