Solaris By Stanislaw Lem

When Kris Kelvin arrives at the planet Solaris to study the ocean that covers its surface he is forced to confront a painful, hitherto unconscious memory embodied in the physical likeness of a long-dead lover. Others suffer from the same affliction and speculation rises among scientists that the Solaris ocean may be a massive brain that creates incarnate memories, but its purpose in doing so remains a mystery . . .

‘Solaris’ raises a question that has been at the heart of human experience and literature for centuries: can we truly understand the universe around us without first understanding what lies within?

Please note: There are two English translations of Solaris available.

• Our recommended version is the 2011 translation by Bill Johnston. This is the first (and only) direct translation from the original Polish text into English, and it is complete and faithful to Lem’s work.
• The earlier translation (from 1970) was done indirectly: first from Polish to French, then from French to English. As a result, it omits many paragraphs and is generally considered less accurate.

Unfortunately, the superior 2011 Johnston translation is currently available only as an eBook or audiobook (no paperback or hardcover edition exists yet). Only links to that version is provided below.