Stanis?aw Lem

Stanis?aw Lem (born September 12, 1921) is a Polish satirical, philosophical, and science fiction writer. His books have been translated into 40 languages and sold over 27 million copies. At one point he was the most widely read science fiction author in the world. Lem's writing is full of intelligent humor, puns, and neologisms, and Michael Kandel's translations into English have been praised by many for capturing Lem's style.

Biography

Stanis?aw Lem was born in Lwów, Poland in 1921 (now Lviv, Ukraine), the son of a physician. Lem has some Jewish ancestry, although he was raised a Catholic. He studied medicine at Lwów University, but World War II interrupted his studies. During the war and Nazi occupation Lem worked as a car mechanic and welder, and was a member of the resistance fighting against the Germans. In 1946 Lem "repatriated" from the territory annexed by the Soviet Union to Kraków and started medical studies at the Jagiellonian University. After finishing his studies Stanis?aw Lem opted not to take final exams to avoid a career as a military doctor, and received only a certificate of completion of studies. He worked as a research assistant in a scientific institution and started to write stories in his spare time. In 1981 he received an honorary degree from the Wroc?aw Polytechnic, later from Opole University, University of Lwów, and finally from the Jagiellonian University. See also http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/slem.htm.

Related Topics:
Lwów - Poland - 1921 - Lviv - Ukraine - Jewish - Catholic - Lwów University - World War II - Nazi - 1946 - Soviet Union - Kraków - 1981 - Wroc?aw Polytechnic - Opole - Jagiellonian University

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