Solaris
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One of the most important science-fiction novels ever, "Solaris" describes the events aboard an observation platform above a possibly-sentient planet. The main character Kelvin is there confronted by what's left of the science team, and by solid manifestations of what could be the planet Solaris' intuitive power: Kelvin is visited by his dead wife Rheya, who gives every appearance of being the troubled woman she says she is.
Part scientific speculation on possibilities of extra-terrestrial life unlike the traditional aliens we've so far imagined, and part psychological exploration into in the hidden abyss of the recessive, guilty mind, "Solaris" serves as a genuinely unmissable volume for any sci-fi reader. The first person narrative drives the story completely, although some of the descriptive narrative focusing on the planet's various idiosyncrasies, however fascinating, are occasionally drawn out too long, resulting in a temporary halt on the momentum of the engrossing plot. The few characters are well drawn by Lem, who is fantastic at putting the reader on the wrong foot from the outset - he manages to surprise and shock the reader consistently.
In fact, "Solaris" is one of the very few examples of sci-fi horror, often mistaken as "psychological thriller". It's probably the only book to thoroughly scare the hell out of me, for what that's worth, and the descriptive prose is sparse but actually unparalleled in style and effect.
I've seen neither of the film adaptations, one of which filmed in the author's homeland of Russia in 1972s, and the other made in 2002 ago starring George Clooney. I can't say if they accurately reproduce the novel, or if they manage to convey the wonder and majesty of the fictional planet, the hot claustrophobic atmosphere of the station, or the realistically depicted and heart-breaking journeys that Kelvin unwillingly embarks upon. I can only recommend the book as vocally as possible, and hope that even one more person picks it up. I don't believe anybody would be disappointed by this masterpiece.
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CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND...
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Having seen the film that starred George Clooney and was based upon this book, and having found it wanting, I decided to go to the source. I am glad that I did, as it is certainly better as a book than it is as a film. It is also far more profound than the film, which concentrated on the love story.
This book is much more than that, covering many themes. It is, first and foremost, about contact with an alien entity and communication of a type beyond our comprehension. Is it friend or foe? Who can say, as the source of the communication makes its pitch based upon an individual's memories, some good, and some bad? What it is communicating remains unfathomable. Still, the book provides much food for thought.
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SF masterpiece
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This SF masterpiece brilliantly subverts the cliches of the genre. The alien is clearly there and in some sense "alive" - but incomprehensible despite everything science can throw at it. Indeed, all the scientists really succeed in learning about is themselves, either at an abstract level (e.g. their tendency to elevate theories built on shaky foundations to the status of a new-age religion) or on a personal one (as experienced by Kelvin and the crew). Is Lem making fun of science - or science fiction - or humanity? There are multiple interpretations.
An atmosphere of cold, Eastern European melancholy pervades the novel; I found it slightly reminiscent of Kafka. (There may even have been some jokes - but they were very much lost in translation!)
This is an intense brain-bender of a book, representing a real challenge for the reader. Like the symmetriads on the ocean's surface, the work is deep, dense, and intricate, to be studied and re-studied over again.
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A Haunting book
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evasive mysterious haunting.
a book about love, loss, and wonderment.
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Deep
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I'd seen Tarkovsky's movie version of Solaris five times before I read Lem's novel. I enjoyed the book including the speculations of the Solarists on the nature of the ocean and also the inquiry into the amazing experiences with the ocean of the pilot Berton. The feeble efforts of the Solarists match what my efforts have been to grasp this book and Tarkovsky's movie. Perhaps Solaris leaves me feeling as Kris with Solaris' Rheya, quite out of my element but glad to be have arrived at this book.
Despite all the visual power of Tarkovsky's movie, there is still an extraordinary power of the word that Lem uses to invite us into his head: accepting that invitation turns out to have been an experience similar to Rheya's effort to go thru the door without realizing how best to open it. Hopefully our recovery powers can match hers.
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