Google doodle celebrates Stanistaw Lem's first sci-fi novel with elaborate game

Simply beautiful

Google doodle celebrates Stanistaw Lem's first sci-fi publication with elaborate puzzle game

23 November 2011 9:18 GMT / By Rik Henderson

In what must be the most elaborate Google doodle since the logo became a game of Pacman, the search engine giant has created an interactive puzzle game with stunning line animation. The doodle celebrates the work of Polish sci-fi author Stanistaw Lem and, in particular, the 60th Anniversary of the publication of his first full length novel, The Astronauts.

The artwork for the game/cartoon is inspired by the work of Daniel Mróz, who illustrated Lem's The Cyberiad, although Solaris is, perhaps, the author's best known book.

As game's go, there's not a huge amount to do, with three main (and fairly simple) puzzles to complete. The first involves mathematics and logic patterns, the second a series of button presses to match a wave signature, and the third is more arcade like as you must time the shooting of a robot out of a cannon to hit a passing satellite. But it's not its complexity (or lack thereof) that matters, it's the sheer majesty of its concept.

As Google doodles go, this must go into the pantheon of the greatest, alongside the aforementioned Pacman homage and the Les Paul guitar.

Thanks to Oliver Cole.

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Google, Online, Google doodles, Sci-Fi, Gaming