Reception of the creative work of the Polish science fiction writer Stanisław Lem in German-speaking countries

Abstract

The paper aims to identify the chronology and specifics of translations and studies of the creative work of the Polish science fiction writer, futurist and philosopher Stanisław Lem (1921-2006) in Germany in the aspect of imagology. Until now, the problems associated with the translation of his works into German have rarely attracted the attention of Russian scholars. The study is original in that it is the first in Russian philological science to trace the history of translations of Stanisław Lem’s works into German and their reception in German-speaking countries. Stanisław Lem’s place in the German book market is viewed from two perspectives – firstly, in the context of Polish literature popularisation, and secondly, within the framework of the science fiction genre. In addition, the paper provides a list of German-language editions of his books with a brief information about translators. The research findings show that the cross-cultural ties between Poland and German-speaking countries influenced publishers’ interest in Lem’s works, mainly at the stage when his books were being first published in German, after which the writer’s reputation as an original science fiction writer and strong ties with individual publishers, namely “Volk und Welt” in East Germany and “Suhrkamp Verlag” in West Germany, played a major role. It is the first time that the factors clarifying the process of translation and publication of Lem’s works in German have been revealed.