A MAD stabilizing factor is apparently preserved by the ability of countries, in case of war, to quickly ship weapons down from the Moon.

After a number of failed expeditions to reveal the truth on what is going on beneath the Moon's surface, Ijon Tichy is called to the rescue.

This results in a good deal of slapstick comedy, e.g., involving hilarious conflicts between Tichy's left and right hand or leg.

[4] However Lem himself wrote that contrary the impression, the intention of the book was not political fiction, but it was an attempt to envision a situation when two independent consciousnesses evolve in one brain.

He explained that to this end he undertook an extensive study of professional literature and as a result the background of this plot element was 80% scientific and 20% fictional invention.