[The relationship between Stanisław Lem and medicine]

Stanisław Lem is the most widely read science fiction auther in the world. He is regarded as the greatest writer in the history of science fiction and the creator of Polish science fiction. He is also regarded as a restorer of a literary convention of this genre writing his first novels according to the classical pattern but broadening and perfecting them. His later period was devoted to philosophical dispute, cybernetics and current political topics. He also wrote about human technological progress and the problem of human existence in the world, presenting his futurological prognoses in the field of culture and technology. Stanisław Lem graduated from medicine but he has never taken up medical practice. Nevertheless, medical education formed his outlook on life, the world and diverse interest in literature. Therefore, in his works there are many references to medical problems and the issues addressed in the novels are based on the medical issues. The subject of this paper is the analysis of the relationship between Stanisław Lem and medicine, in particular the search for the tracks of medical education in Lem's literary output.