Lem was born in Lwów (now Lviv, Ukraine). He studied medicine at Lwów University and at Jagiellonian University in Kraków, but his studies were interrupted by World War II. During the war and Nazi occupation Lem worked as a car mechanic and welder. In 1946 Lem moved to Kraców and after finishing his studies Lem received his MD. He worked then a research assistant in a scintific institution and started also his career as a writer.

In the beginning of his career Lem published lyrical verse, essays on scientific method and realistic novels. His first work was a story CZLOWIEK Z MARSA (1946), which appeared in a magazine. In the 1950s Lem turned into science fiction, publishing ASTRONAUCI (1951), OBLOK MAGELANA (1955), and EDEN (1959). The novels and stories were more or less optimistic and based on the conventions of Socialist Realism. In the 1960s Lem's visions become more independent, experimental and radical. He wrote among others POWRÒT Z GWIAZD (1961), CIBERIADIA (1965), WYSOKI ZAMEK (1966), OPOWIESCI O PILOCIE PIRXIE (1968), and GLOS PANA (1968). Later works include KATAR (1977), WISJA LOKALNA (1982), ONE HUMAN MINUTE FIASKO (1986).

Lem's most famous novel Solaris is among the classic science fiction novels of the 1960s, and explores the limitations of human understanding. It story depicts a space station hovering above the planet Solaris, where the sentient ocean turns out to be impenetrable to human probing, physical or metaphysical. However, the ocean creates phantoms that haunt the crew of the space-scientists.

From 1983 Lem has lived in Austria and Italy.

Series character: Ijon Tichy, time traveller who appeared among others in the short story collections (The Star Diaries etc.)

FOR FURTHER READING: New Worlds for Old by David Ketterer (1974); Stanislaw Lem by Richard E. Ziegfeld (1985) in Science Fiction Studies, vol. 13

SELECTED WORKS:

• ASTRONAUCI, 1951 - THE ASTRONAUTS
• OBLOK MAGELLANA, 1955
• SEZAM, 1955
• DIALOGI, 1957
• DZIENNIKI GWIAZDOWE, 1957
• SZPITAL PRZEMIENIENIA, 1957 - THE HOSPITAL OF THE TRANSFIGURATION
• SLEDZTWO, 1959 - THE INVESTIGATION OF EDEN/EDEN
• INWAZJA Z ALDEBARANA, 1959
• POWROT Z GWIAZD, 1961 - RETURN FROM THE STARS
• PAMIETNIK ZNALEZIONY W WANNIE, 1961 - MEMOIRS FOUND IN A BATHTUB
• SOLARIS, 1961
• KSIEGA ROBOTÓW, 1961
• WEJSCIE NA ORBITE, 1962
• NOC KSIEZYCOWA, 1963
• BAJKI ROBOTÓW, 1964
• NIEZWYCIEZONY I INNE OPOWIADANIA, 1964 - THE INVINCIBLE
• SUMMA TECHNOLOGIAE, 1964
• CYBERADIA, 1965 - CYBERIAD
• POLOWANIE, 1965
• RATUJMY KOSKOS, 1966
• WYSOKI ZAMEK, 1966
• OPOWIESCI O PILOCIE PIRXIE, 1968 - TALES OF PIRX THE PILOT; MORE TALES OF PIRX THE PILOT
• GLOS PANA, 1968 - HIS MASTER'S VOICE
• DOSKONALA PROZNIA, 1971 - A PERFECT VACUUM
• BEZSENNOSC, 1971 - from the collection transl. THE FUTUROLOGICAL CONGRESS
• DZIENNIKI GWIAZDOWE, 1971 - parts published earlier, translated as THE STAR DIARIES/MEMOIRS OF A SPACE TRAVELER: THE FURTHER REMINISCENCES OF IJON TICHY
• GOLEM XIV, 1973 - selections published under the title IMAGINARY MAGNITUDE
• KATAR, 1977 - THE CHAIN OF CHANGE
• THE COSMIC CARNIVAL OF STANISLAW LEM, 1981
• WISNA LOKALNA, 1982
• PROWOKACJA, 1984
• ONE HUMAN MINUTE FIASKO, 1986
• POKÒJ NA ZIEMI, 1987
• CIEMNOSC I PLESN, 1988