Stanislaw Lem, 1921 – 2006

From the Associated Press:

‘Solaris’ author dies in native Poland

(Warsaw, Poland-AP) March 27, 2006 – An internationally acclaimed science-fiction writer has died. A secretary says the man who wrote “Solaris,” Stanislaw Lem, died of heart failure in his native Poland. He was 84.

Lem’s most recognizable work was twice made into a movie, most recently by Steven Soderbergh in 2002. That version starred George Clooney.

Collectively, his books sold 27 million copies around the world, making him one of the most popular science-fiction authors of recent generations to write in a language other than English.

Lem’s first major novel, “Hospital of the Transfiguration,” was censored by communist authorities for eight years before its release in 1956. Other works include “The Invincible” and “His Master’s Voice.”