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“And what does all this mean? Yes indeed, what does it mean …��
I don't understand why this novel has escaped my attention until now. This must be pretty much the quintessential book of classic science fiction. And I don't mean it is the precursor, because then you can go back to the Roman Greek Lucian, the inevitable Jules Verne or the British Olav Stapledon. No, as far as I can estimate, Stanislaw Lew is the first who managed to make the oppression of space travel tangible, you know, that image that constantly appears in science fiction films ever since: clinical spaces, bathing in absolute silence and colored by an unspecified threat. It's beautiful how Lem portrays this.

At its root, in this story, is the highly dynamic plasma ocean surrounding the planet Solaris, with its constantly changing erratic shapes and its ability to apparently influence the thoughts, memories and images of visiting space travelers. Lem perhaps occasionally loses himself a little too much in describing these strange phenomena (they are much better reflected in a movie). But on the other hand, he provides an important philosophical underlayer: how do we deal with a reality that we do not understand? The author focuses on how scientists try to get a grip on the bizarre phenomena in a succession of theories, speculations, movements, etc. spread over decades. I think it is phenomenal how Lem has managed to highlight the winding roads, the limitations and the power of the scientific approach.

A second important layer is at least as essential, namely how we as humans deal with things we don't understand, and especially with our most repressed feelings and memories, because apparently it are mainly those that are evoked and physically shaped by Solaris. The tragic love story between Kris Kelvin and his wife Harey, and especially the self-doubt of the 'cloned' Harey, are certainly gripping, although I find it slightly less successful than the philosophical-scientific underlayer.

Lem ultimately puts his finger on one of the most essential dilemmas of our existence, both individually and collectively: can we accept that reality outside us (is it really outside us?) may have no pattern, logic, or rationality at all? Really well done.