Karel Capek

This story centers on the invention of a reactor that can annihilate matter to produce cheap and abundant energy. Unfortunately, it produces something else as a by-product, the absolute. The absolute is a spiritual essence that according to some religious philosophies allegedly permeates all matter. It is associated with human religious experience, as unsuspecting humanity is to find out all too soon in the story. The widespread adoption of the reactors...

The creator of this book is best known internationally as the author of R.U.R., the science-fiction play that introduced the term "robot" to the world. Karel Čapek's satiric gifts take a different turn in this impishly comic book, which recounts the trials, labors, joys, and meditations of the amateur gardener. Rather than a how-to book, Čapek's volume offers a lighthearted mock-treatise on the pains and rewards of tending a small and resistant...

We have Czech writer Karel Čapek to thank for the invention of the word robot and generally for the introduction of the idea of artificial intelligence to the world of literature. His play, "R. U. R. (Rossum's Universal Robots)" was written in 1920 and was first performed in 1921. The play was an instant success and was translated into over 30 languages within two years of its first performance. The play begins in a factory that makes the "robots",...

This antiquarian volume contains Karel Capek's "And So Ad Infinitum: An Entomological Review in Three Acts". This delightfully witty and thoroughly thought-provoking play is testament to Capek's mastery of the written word in all its forms, and constitutes a worthy addition to any personal library. The acts of this play are: "Act I: The Butterflies", "Act II: Creepers and Crawlers", "Act III: The Ants", "Epilogue: Death and Life". Karel Capek (1890...

"I Had a Dog and a Cat" is a delightful book – suitable for both children and adults, translated by Marie and Robert Weatherall, and illustrated by Josef and Karel Capek. It is a comical tome, dealing in detail with our most beloved of pets, and was first published in 1940. The text and the Capek's wonderful black-and-white drawings are presented side-by-side, so that the two may be better appreciated.

In the face of Europe's rising nationalism and intolerance, this timely anthology by Czech writers addresses a key issue for today. The courage of Czech writers is legendary. During the Cold War they kept their nation's conscience alive by clandestine publishing while imprisoned as "dissidents" or collecting garbage, washing windows or selling fish as "non-persons," and then they took the lead in the Velvet Revolution of 1989 that overthrew communism. In...

This antique text contains a fascinating and detailed treatise on the production a of play, written by Joseph Capek and originally published in 1928. A comprehensive exposition of Capek's ideas on the subject, this text will be of great value to anyone with an interest in theatre production and constitutes a great addition to collections of theatrical literature.