Polish science fiction author Stanislaw Lem died in his home city of Krakow on Monday, March 27, 2006. He was 84.

Lem was one of the worlds most famous SF writers, with stories published in over 40 languages and nearly 30,000,000 copies. After Jules Verne, his work is probably the best known science fiction translated to English.

His novel Solaris was turned into motion pictures in 1972 and 2002. Other well known works include The Invincible, The Star Diaries, The Futurological Congress and Memoirs of a Space Traveler. Hospital of the Transfiguration was censored by communist authorities for eight years before being released in 1956.

Lem was an honorary member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America until his work was published in the United States and he was eligible for regular membership. He was disappointed with the loss of honorary membership and felt it was due to the controversial nature of some of his work. Although a SFWA member offered to pay for this Active Membership, Lem declined the offer.

Posted March 27, 2006