Lem, Stanislaw. Solaris. New York: Faber and Faber. 1961. Print.
First Sentences:
Description:
At 19.00 hours, ship's time, I made my way to the launching bay.
The men around the shaft stood aside to let me pass, and I climbed down into the capsule.
Description:
Exploration of new planets has been a staple of science fiction writing forever. But in the hands of the brilliant Stanislaw Lem in his brilliant and unexpected novel Solaris, this plot offers a completely different and mentally-challenging take.
You see, Solaris is an uninhabited, ocean-covered planet with two suns. Every scientist knows that the laws of physics dictate that no planetary body can have a stable orbit around two different bodies. But Solaris somehow achieves this impossibility with an orbit that corrects itself to become stable. Huh?
When space traveler Kris Kelvin lands on the Solaris to work with the three-man station crew, things are already amiss. Worker robots have been stashed in the basement, two of the crew have locked themselves in their cabins, and one man is presumed dead. And there are strange noises and apparitions that greet Kelvin, along with a reluctance from the remaining crew to talk about the situation.
It soon becomes evident that the Solaris ocean is somehow an intelligence that is interacting with the crew. Although communication with the ocean seems impossible, particularly under the eye-searing suns, Kelvin researches the station's library and history to find answers.
It is then that his former wife, Rheya, appears to him in the flesh, beautiful, loving, and forgetful of the difficulties of their past. Is she a part of the ocean, a real being, or something else?
Lem is a master at creating a strange stage and situation, populating it with reasoning beings, then having them tirelessly seek intelligent answers and solutions. But in the case of Solaris, is there only one answer to Kelvin's situation and, if so, is he willing to accept it and deal with the repercussions?
You see, Solaris is an uninhabited, ocean-covered planet with two suns. Every scientist knows that the laws of physics dictate that no planetary body can have a stable orbit around two different bodies. But Solaris somehow achieves this impossibility with an orbit that corrects itself to become stable. Huh?
When space traveler Kris Kelvin lands on the Solaris to work with the three-man station crew, things are already amiss. Worker robots have been stashed in the basement, two of the crew have locked themselves in their cabins, and one man is presumed dead. And there are strange noises and apparitions that greet Kelvin, along with a reluctance from the remaining crew to talk about the situation.
It soon becomes evident that the Solaris ocean is somehow an intelligence that is interacting with the crew. Although communication with the ocean seems impossible, particularly under the eye-searing suns, Kelvin researches the station's library and history to find answers.
It is then that his former wife, Rheya, appears to him in the flesh, beautiful, loving, and forgetful of the difficulties of their past. Is she a part of the ocean, a real being, or something else?
Lem is a master at creating a strange stage and situation, populating it with reasoning beings, then having them tirelessly seek intelligent answers and solutions. But in the case of Solaris, is there only one answer to Kelvin's situation and, if so, is he willing to accept it and deal with the repercussions?
Happy reading.
Fred
Fred
www.firstsentencereader.blogspot.com
If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Lem, Stanislaw. Science Fiction from Stanislaw Lem
Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles
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If this book interests you, be sure to check out:
Lem, Stanislaw. Science Fiction from Stanislaw Lem
A variety of great science fiction works from Lem reviewed by The First Sentence Reader (previously reviewed here)
Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles
Man's first venture onto the planet Mars, from the initial deadly contact with the elusive Martians, to the destruction of the Martian culture and the re-population of Mars by the diverse people of Earth who each travel through space for unique reasons. (previously reviewed here)
