A little wonder, every day

Returning to Earth 127 years later

Титульна AI-згенерована ілюстрація / AI-generated cover illustration. A returning astronaut looks across a prosperous but unfamiliar future city, evoking Hal Bregg’s culture shock; fictional reconstruction, not a specific scene.

AI-generated conceptual illustration of a calm, prosperous future Earth city observed by a returned traveler.

portrait of Lem in 1966 with a mechanical toy and books; courtesy of his secretary Wojciech Zemek. Wikimedia Commons records permission from the Lem estate and CC BY-SA 3.0 (also GFDL). Use CC BY-SA 3.0. Attribution: Stanisław Lem / courtesy of Wojciech Zemek / CC BY-SA 3.0. No edits. [Original page](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanis%C5%82aw_Lem.jpg).

portrait of Lem by Mariusz Kubik, 30 October 2005. Wikimedia Commons lists CC BY-SA 3.0 and CC BY 2.5; use CC BY 2.5. Attribution: Mariusz Kubik / CC BY 2.5. No edits. [Original page](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stanislaw_Lem_by_Kubik.JPG).

1 / 4

Титульна AI-згенерована ілюстрація / AI-generated cover illustration. A returning astronaut looks across a prosperous but unfamiliar future city, evoking Hal Bregg’s culture shock; fictional reconstruction, not a specific scene.

Listen to fact0:00 / —

In Stanisław Lem’s novel *Powrót z gwiazd* (*Return from the Stars*), astronaut Hal Bregg returns to Earth after ten years in space and learns that 127 years have passed on Earth. The society feels alien to him: it is prosperous and has neutralized aggressive impulses, but in doing so has largely given up risk.