Among Lem's essays Summa Technologiae occupies a central position, leaving behind cybernetic Dialogs, Fantastyka i Futurologia, Filolozofia Przypadku (an attempt at a "general theory of everything"). These other works are no less interesting, however Summa as a logical argument is "closed". It deals with problems that are even more important now than when the book was written - these issues are the most fascinating fulfillment of Lem's prognoses in the field of culture and technology. 

Dialogs are partly "submerged" in an abstract of a philosophical dispute and current political topics; Fantastyka i Futurologia deals with problems of science fiction as a genre and its - usually dishonest - relationship with science. Filozofia Przypadku "erects a building of outlook" searching for structures common to biological evolution, history, culture, art, etc. In this respect Summa Technologiae is different: it is a summa and a "building", but in the sense of futuristic architecture. It presents daring hypotheses, shows the way, which -according to the author - human technological thought and culture will follow in the future.
 

 
  At the beginning of the seventies two volumes of Lem's literary texts appeared dealing with "books that were never written" (A Perfect Vacuum and Imaginary Magnitude) that were later supplemented by Prowokacja (1984) and Biblioteka XXI wieku (1986):

  On the "literary map" Lem's apocryphal texts are to be found somewhere between essay and fiction. These works are an attempt at trying out "various voices", different styles and points of view. Parodies of common literary patterns are blended with serious discussion regarding the nature of the universe, the future of science and human civilization. Lem chooses an apocryphal mask primarily because he perceives the culture as an enormous collection of texts through which one can sail - just as his legendary star travelers... 
 

  In 1973 in recognition of his achievements Stanislaw Lem was invited to join the Science Fiction Writers of America. However he was soon expelled from this organization because of critical remarks about low standards of American science fiction.

  In 1982, after the martial law in Poland, Stanislaw Lem left his homeland to study in Berlin as a scholar of the Wissenschaftskolleg. A year later he moved to Vienna. Living abroad Lem wrote his two last books that belong to the genre "fiction": Peace on Earth and Fiasco. The writer returned to Poland in 1988.

  In the nineties Lem mainly wrote futurological prognoses. He collaborated with the catholic weekly "Tygodnik Powszechy" (his feature articles "The World According to Lem" were published in a book Dziury w calym), with the monthly "Odra" ("Rozwazania Sylwiczne") and with the Polish edition of "PC Magazine" (these articles were published in two books: Tajemnica chińskiego pokoju and Bomba megabitowa).  Lem's latest book is Okamgnienie.

 
  Stanislaw Lem is a member of the Polish Writers Association and the Polish Pen-Club. Since 1972 Lem is a member of the committee "Poland 2000" under the auspices of the Polish Academy of Sciences; in 1994 he also became a member of the PAU (Polska Akademia Umiejetnosci).

  The writer received several Polish and international awards for literature (Polish state prizes, Austrian State Prize for the European Culture), decorations (The Medal of the White Eagle) and honorary degrees (Warsaw Polytechnic, Opole University, University of Lvov, Jagiellonian University).