The author of Solaris is Stanislaw Lem, a Polish writer of science fiction, philosophical and satirical novels. He was born in 1921 and is considered one of the most widely read science-fiction writers in the world. Lem's works explore philosophical themes such as the nature of intelligence, the impossibility of mutual communication and understanding, despair about human limitations and humankind's place in the universe. His novel Solaris, published in 1961, is considered a classic of science fiction literature.