The main protagonists of the stories are Trurl and Klapaucius, two "constructor" robots who travel the galaxy, constructing fantastic machines.

The timeline of each story is relatively constrained, with the majority of the individual tales following one or both of the two protagonists as they find and aid civilizations and people in need of their creations, advice, or intervention.

Though the thematic content of the stories is broad, most focus on problems of the individual and society, as well as on the vain search for human happiness through technological means.

Although they are firmly established as fundamentally good and righteous people through their actions, they typically demand payment for their services, usually delivered in the form of precious metals.

Robotic versions of physical and mental disabilities, old age and death, particularly in case of accidents or murder, are also common, though mechanical language is used to describe them.

The level of technology of the vast majority of kingdoms also mirrors medieval times, with swords, robotic steeds, and gallows widespread.

[4][5] Aside from the obvious themes about robotics, the work also contains more overt criticisms of the conditions under which it was written, as some stories having directly political messages.

However, contrasting that, a robotic analogue of Karl Marx is also put to death, not because of his ideas, but because he refused to stop attempting to implement his philosophy after his initial failure (a clear critique of the Soviet Union.)

[3] A select few stories parallel more specific tropes; the tale of O królewiczu Ferrycym i królewnie Krystalii ("Prince Ferrix and the Princess Crystal") apes the typical structure of the medieval love fairytale.

The prince goes to seek the love of Princess Crystal (the sexual dimorphism of robotics is never thoroughly explained), but she says she will only marry a "paleface," a term for humans in this apocalyptic future.

However, in the process, Princess Crystal realizes how hideous humans are and falls in love with Ferrix, and the two live happily ever after, in a parody of Chivalric romance.

[10] Later on, more critical literary analysis also praised the work, drawing attention to its sharp political messages, critique of anthropocentrism, and approach to the psychology of artificial life.

[12][13][14][15][16] The book as a whole, and some stories contained within, have been praised by numerous science fiction writers, most famously Ursula K. Le Guin and Kurt Vonnegut.

This same story, in which Trurl creates a miniature mechanical kingdom for a tyrant to play with, was also an inspiration of the game SimCity.