SOURCE: “Lem as Moral Theologian,” in Science-Fiction Studies, Vol. 21, Pt. 2, July, 1994, pp. 212–24.

In the following essay, Krabbenhoft examines elements of Christian morality in Lem's novels concerning human encounters with extraterrestrial life. Focusing on Fiasco, Solaris, The Invincible, and His Master's Voice, Krabbenhoft discusses the conflicts and juxtapositions of religious morality and scientific rationality as humans interact with alien beings whose intentions and spiritual essence is ambiguous or unknown.

If Stanislaw Lem's novels on the theme of Contact With Extraterrestrial Intelligence (CETI) can be said to express a coherent set of moral convictions, he can be described, I think, as a blend of secular humanist and scientist with a social conscience. At the same time, Lem's moral thinking, as secular as it is, is colored by his use of vocabulary and arguments traditionally associated with religion, in particular with theological speculation on the nature of absolute Being or Beings...