Author of 'Solaris' Dies at 84

[Sewer Bull]

WARSAW, Poland - Stanislaw Lem, a popular science fiction writer whose novel "Solaris" was filmed twice, died Monday in his native Poland, his secretary said. He was 84.

Lem died in Krakow, Wojciech Zemek told The Associated Press. Zemek did not give other details or the cause of death, citing only Lem's advanced age.

Lem was one of the most popular science fiction authors of recent decades to write in a language other than English, and his works were translated from Polish into more than 40 other languages. His books have sold 27 million copies.

His best-known work, "Solaris," was adapted into films by Andrei Tarkovsky in 1972 and by
Steven Soderbergh in 2002. The latter starred
George Clooney and
Natascha McElhone.

His first important novel, "Hospital of the Transfiguration," was censored by communist authorities for eight years before its release in 1956 amid a thaw following the death of Josef Stalin.

Lem's other works include "The Invincible," "The Cyberiad," "His Master's Voice," "The Star Diaries," "The Futurological Congress" and "Tales of Prix the Pilot."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060327/...NlYwN5bmNhdA--

One of my fave writers... "Solaris" is simply awesome - both the novel and Tarkovsky's movie. This guy freaked even Philip K. Dick out with his talent.