Solaris

Solaris (/səˈlɑːrɪs/) is a 1961 science fiction novel by Polish writer Stanisław Lem. It follows a crew of scientists on a hovering near-surface research facility as they attempt to understand an extraterrestrial intelligence, which takes the form of a vast ocean on the titular alien planet. The novel is one of Lem's best-known works.

The book has been adapted many times for film, radio, and theater. Prominent film adaptations include Andrei Tarkovsky's 1972 version and Steven Soderbergh's 2002 version, although Lem said that the films shifted away from the book's thematic emphasis on the limitations of human rationality.