Solaris, Grabiński i Schopenhauer. Podróż do źródeł wyobraźni Lema
Solaris, Grabiński and Schopenhauer. A Journey to the Sources of Lem’s Imagination

Summary/Abstract: Solaris belongs to the canon of the science fiction genre, and strictly speaking to its subgenre that uses the motif of encounter/contact with an alien. Although it is already 60 years old, it does not cease to fascinate successive generations of readers. Could it be due to the fact that it is surrounded by the nimbus of modernity and technological advancements? The problem of conquering the cosmos and penetrating its mysteries still belongs to the category of science fiction, seen as a reflection on the possible scenarios of the future. The issue, however, is more complex, because the novel is at the same time immersed in futurology, and ‘retro’. The text highlights some surprising inspirations that fuelled Lem’s imagination – a short story by Stefan Grabiński Szamota’s Mistress and some philosophical ideas by Arthur Schopenhauer. Such influences seem surprising because they do not fit the popular image of Lem as an advocate of philosophical naturalism and a ‘cerebral’, anti-Romantic artist. The author suggests, that Solaris is so successful because it is both futuristic and well-rooted in tradition.

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