The Futurological Congress

work by Lem

Also known as: “Kongres futurologiczny”

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 16, 2026

Quick Summary

The Futurological Congress is a satirical science fiction novel by Stanisław Lem, first published in 1971. The story is set in a future where overpopulation and societal unrest are rampant. The plot follows the protagonist, Ijon Tichy, as he attends a futurological congress in Costa Rica. This congress, intended to propose solutions to global problems, quickly devolves into chaos due to the contamination of the hotel's water supply with a hallucinogen.1

Futurology itself is the study of current trends to forecast future developments, drawing from fields like science fiction, technological forecasting, and social sciences. Lem's work uses this concept to satirize academic and governmental conferences, highlighting the potential for absurdity and disillusionment even in attempts to plan for the future.231

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

3 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Stanisław Lem
…short novel Kongres futurologiczny (1971; The Futurological Congress), a hilarious satire on government and academic conferences. In a Kafkaesque turn, at a hotel in Costa Rica, a conference to propose solutions to overpopulation in a time of violence and terrorism soon dissolves into anarchy as the hotel’s water supply is…
Read More
…short novel Kongres futurologiczny (1971; The Futurological Congress), a hilarious satire on government and academic conferences. In a Kafkaesque turn, at a hotel in Costa Rica, a conference to propose solutions to overpopulation in a time of violence and terrorism soon dissolves into anarchy as the hotel’s water supply is…
Read More