Solaris

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1961

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-5

Chapters 6-9

Chapters 10-14

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

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Discussion Questions

Background

Philosophical Context: The Advent of Existentialism

While he is best known for his science fiction, Stanisław Lem was also recognized as an essayist, a satirist, and, in particular, a philosopher. Because his work was heavily censored by the Communist party following the end of World War II, Lem gravitated to science fiction, where he could make philosophical statements without authorities recognizing their implications. As a philosopher, he was at the peak of his influence during the era of existentialism. The close of the war was defined by the philosophical question “What does it mean to be; what is the meaning of existence?” Among the European philosophers who contributed to existentialism were acquaintances of and influences for Lem. They included Martin Heidegger, Karl Jaspers, Paul Tillich, and in particular, Jean-Paul Sartre. The physicist in Solaris, Dr. Sartorius, is likely a reference to the French philosopher Sartre, who, like Lem, used fiction to express philosophical statements. The novel’s academic discourse includes philosophical discussions and disputes. Because this discourse is theoretical, Lem can express himself without fear of “correction” by his Communist handlers. His primary philosophy is that human beings are limited in their understanding of being because they view the cosmos through human eyes.

Cultural-Historical Context: The Search for Post–World War II Identity

For Lem and his homeland, Poland, the mid-20th century was a time of upheaval. Around the time Lem was born, Poland became a newly independent nation, escaping the hegemony of Prussia and Russia. When he was in his late teens, Lem experienced Soviet forces take over his part of Ukraine, interrupting his education. He and his family, who were of Jewish descent, used false identities to avoid arrest by Nazis during German occupation. In 1945, the Communist party forced Lem, a Polish national, to relocate from his hometown of Lviv, Ukraine, to Krakow. His writing was subject to oversight from Communist handlers, who often altered and added to his work.

In response to this censorship, Lem transitioned from philosophical treatises and essays to the realm of science fiction, where it was more difficult to censor symbolism. As discussed in the Symbols and Motifs, he used coded language to refer to nations, situations, and individuals. Solaris contains symbolic expressions of his love and concern for his nation as well as humorous digs at contemporaries.

Genre Context: The Mid-20th-Century Wave of Science Fiction

In 1976, critic Theodore Sturgeon observed that Lem was the most-read science fiction writer in the world (“Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Roadside Picnic.” RussianSiFiction). This is an impressive claim, given that he was subject to state censorship and revision in Poland. At the same time, he was writing during a golden age of speculative science fiction. Lem was a contemporary of American writers Robert Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Philip K. Dick, as well as British writer Arthur C. Clark. Despite competition and other barriers, he sold over 45 million copies of his works, which were translated into over 50 languages.

Just as philosophy shifted its focus, so did literature. Writers moved away from the heroic adventures of H. G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs, focusing instead on speculative topics like the nature of time, memory, and extraterrestrial life. Lem’s work was an integral part of this movement, though he tended to perceive others’ science fiction as shallow in comparison to his own.

In Solaris, Lem invents a backstory about the discovery, exploration, and investigation of the titular planet. He occasionally devotes chapters to imagined scholars debating the true nature of the planet and explorers documenting its living ocean. Kris speaks of these individuals and their theories as if readers should know who and what he is talking about. This speculative science lends an air of authenticity to the novel. Rather than being a whimsical fantasy, the novel is a grounded story about human emotions and limitations—allowing Lem to voice philosophical issues and debate them logically.