Here in the States, Google’s doodle greets us with a blinking turkey in anticipation of tomorrow’s impending gorgefest. Not bad, but Europe clearly has us beat today: instead of a turkey, they get an amazing HTML5-powered game to commemorate acclaimed science fiction writer Stanislaw Lem. The occasion? Lem’s first book, “The Cyberiad,” was published 60 years ago today.
Sadly, Lem himself isn’t around to celebrate the milestone: he passed away in March 2006. He is survived by a considerable body of work that includes, among others, Solaris — which has been adapted into three different films (one of which stars George Clooney) over the years.
It’s certainly one of the more ambitious Google doodles I’ve seen in a while, and it’s surprisingly long so approach carefully unless you’ve got a few minutes to burn. The ornate cross-hatched look is inspired by the works of artist Daniel Mroz, whose funky illustrations graced many of Lem’s books.
Puzzle game fans need not apply, though: the game sees your avatar traversing a trippy alien landscape and solving problems in order to collect parts for… well, you’ll see. Eagle-eyed players will also be glad to know that there are a handful of easter eggs just waiting to be spotted. If you’ve got the time to spare today, check it out — it definitely puts our turkey to shame.
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