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Janusz A. ZajdelJanusz Andrzej Zajdel (born on August 15, 1938 in Warsaw - July 19, 1985 in Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish science fiction author. His bibliography includes, apart from numerous short stories and short novels: The book omitted censorship barriers by using SF camouflage and though describing the most shameful and sinister niches of communist society had been republished several times. The hero, named after one of sf colleague writers Adam Wiśniewski Snerg tells how a lifter (= a sf name for black market and illegal hard currrency dealer) upgrades people with low IQ in a world (= read communist society where ownership of hard currency meant wealth) where people are assigned to good or bad posts dependently to computer controlled exams. Cheating computer (= commies) allowed them to get not only a better post but also coupons for goods hardly available to average citizens. That is exactly as it was in the communist countries where luxory goods were available from hard currency operating state chain of shops. In Poland Pewex or Baltona in Russia from so called yellow curtain shop. The idea came to Janusz during one of the workshops in Soczewka when sitting at a bonefire we discussed who of us is the best writer. The best won. Janusz wrote a short story entitled Lifter that he read to us and we all were delighted. Adam Snerg too. About another far off colony turned into something between kolkhoz and labour camp that is visited by the Earth inspectors whi arrive in secret to the planet to check why they do not answer any messages from the Earth. Is the best dysopian novel but for Orwell's 1984. The space colonies are more or less federated with the Earth. Everywhere human rights are observed and respected but Paradise is different... These books created the core of Polish social fiction. In his books he envisions totalitarian states and collapsed societies. His heroes are desperately trying to find sense in world around th em, sometimes (like in Cylinder van Troffa) they are outsiders from a different time or place, trying to adapt to the new environment. However, the main idea that is visible to any reader is to force the readership to compare their gloomy, hopeless sitation to what may happen in space environment if we transfer totalitarian ideas and habits into space worlds. Red Space Republics or Space Labour Camps, or both... Named after him is the Zajdel, award of Polish fandom. See also science fiction authors. Zajdel, Janusz A. Zajdel, Janusz A. Zajdel, Janusz
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