This document is a formal public statement by the Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem responding to allegations made by Philip K. Dick. The statement addresses one of the most remarkable and troubling episodes in the history of science fiction literature: Dick's public accusations against Lem.
Lem opens by expressing his general view that many of Dick's letters should not be published, as they cast a bad light on their author and are of only psychological rather than literary interest. He notes Dick's curious way of repaying kindnesses and his political insinuations and denunciations to the police.
The central allegation Lem addresses is Dick's claim that Lem stole royalties from the Polish edition of Ubik. Lem explains that it was he who, out of admiration for the novel, recommended it to his own publisher Wydawnictwo Literackie in Cracow for publication. Lem addresses the financial accusations directly, defending his role in bringing Dick's work to Polish readers.
This document is significant for understanding the complex and troubled relationship between two of the twentieth century's most important science fiction writers. Dick's paranoid accusations against Lem, which included letters to the FBI alleging that Lem was part of a Communist conspiracy, represent one of the most dramatic manifestations of his documented paranoid tendencies. Lem's measured, sorrowful response provides essential context for scholars studying this episode.