Stanisław Lem is one of the most famous Polish prose writers. His novels and short stories have been translated into over 40 languages, and the entry “Stanisław Lem” on Wikipedia is available in 69 languages, dialects, and language varieties. The stories constructed by Lem take readers to very different, not always wonderful, but always extraordinary worlds. AN AUTHOR text: Dr. Agnieszka Tambor WHO HATED i Dr. Agnieszka Tambor Faculty of Humanities University of Silesia MOVIE ADAPTATIONS [email protected] OF HIS BOOKS

Today, we also know that Lem was an Invincible. I believe The Invincible is a work forty screenwriters decompose my text exceptionally far-sighted writer: “Spent that could look very well on the screen. doesn't give me much satisfaction. At the afternoon in a bookstore. There were It is spectacular, has an amazing scenery: this point, I’m not even allowed to have no books in it. None had been printed for flying clouds of insects. However, the pro- a look at the text of this script. I’m not al- nearly half a century. […] The bookstore duction of such a film would have to cost lowed, but I also don't want to, because resembled, instead, an electronic labo- a fortune, and it would be a commercially I'm afraid that after reading this, I’d ratory. The books were crystals with re- risky project. Therefore, Rudesone spent probably go crazy on the spot.” Actually, corded contents. […] They could be read four years unsuccessfully looking for the only film that the writer accepted is with the aid of an opton. It was similar producers, while paying me considerable the short movie Przekładaniec (translat- to a book but had only one page between royalties due for option extensions. Af- ed to English as Layer Cake, Hodge Podge, the covers. At a touch, successive pages of ter all, the film wasn't made, and it would or Roly Poly) directed by Andrzej Wajda. the text appeared on it. But optons were probably be terrible, but I earned a lot. However, the approval comes from the little used, the sales-robot told me. The Nice memories.” (source: www.lem.pl) fact that it was Lem who wrote the script public preferred lectons – lectons read “Terrible” is one of the milder words for the adaptation. out loud, they could be set to any voice, Lem used with regard to “his” movies. Was it the writer's character that did not tempo, and modulation (S. Lem, Return So let us take the risk and make a brief permit any changes in the texts he had from the Stars). overview of the most famous screen written, or was Lem unaware of film lan- In this short excerpt of Lem's novel which, adaptations of Stanisław Lem's prose guage rules and did not want to come to what should be emphasized, was written in the eyes of its author (the screen ad- terms with the framework of the audio- in 1961 (sic!), not only can we see today's aptations were discussed in a famous visual translation process, including the fully-fledged e-books, but the author also interview conducted with the writer in sometimes necessary interference with accurately predicts the domination of au- 2000 by film critic Łukasz Maciejewski): the content? Probably not. Perhaps it was dio content over writing, and the quoted The Silent Star (a Soviet version of Sola- rather the directors and screenwriters excerpt is just one of the numerous ex- ris): trash and socialist realist ugliness: who did not want to accept that Lem's amples showing that Lem was not only “On the set of this film, I was so angry faithfully screened texts would actually an excellent writer but also possessed an that I stomped my feet and yelled to bring the best results and profits. “The big- extraordinary gift of observation, thanks Tarkovsky: You, durak (fool)!; Inquest gest problem of contemporary science fic- to which he was able to create alternative, of Pilot Pirx: cheap and boring; Hospital tion is [...] infantilism. For years, all those quite attractive worlds. of the Transfiguration: “all I saw on the poor scriptwriters have not been able to How is it then possible that we still have screen was a variety of elementary non- tell anything new except space wars and not seen a Marvel blockbuster in the form sense”; Professor Tarantoga’s Expedition: sinister visitors from an alien planet, and of a movie adaptation of the novels by “You should thank God you didn't have this seems increasingly boring, monoto- this extremely popular science fiction au- to watch this.” Lem also completely dis- nous and stupid to me,” Lem said, and it is thor? The answer to this question is very tanced himself from the most successful impossible not to agree with him. 20 years simple: Stanisław Lem chronically hated film daptationa of his prose, the Ameri- after this interview was conducted, not films based on his texts and treated every can version of Solaris. Actually, the “part- much has changed... What would an ide- adaptation as a sacrilege. The only adap- ing” with the work took place with the al movie production based on Stanisław tations he recalls with a positive feeling consent and even encouragement of the Lem's novel look like? Let us hope that are those that were never made. “I made producers. “The more the American side someday we will finally find out, although the best deal with the Americans in the becomes involved in a project, the thick- the writer himself would certainly con- late 1960s. At that time, Michael Rudesone er is the contract restricting the author's sider this currently non-existent film as

Stanisław Lem in 1966 / Photo shared by Wojciech Zemek, the writer's secretary bought the rights from me to produce The rights to interfere, and the thought that garbage unworthy of his work.