10 Obscure Sci-Fi/Fantasy Novels That You Need To Read

As previously stated, Solaris is a brain-boggling tale written by Polish author Lem at the beginning of the 1960’s that critics have argued about since the novel’s publication, and for good reason. The themes of the novel are completely unclear but if anything, that acts as a testament to the writing rather than working against it.

Solaris follows psychologist Dr. Kris Kelvin as he is tasked to evaluate the inhabitants of a far-off space station based above a planet that they have been studying for decades and have slowly begun to mentally deteriorate. Once aboard, it soon becomes clear to Kelvin that everything is not as it seems. The planet itself is in fact alive and has attempted to communicate to the humans aboard the station via the means of simulacra; manufactured creatures and even other humans the scientists have had a prior emotional connection to.

What put this novel above all the others is that you will be utterly confused the entire time you read it, right up until you turn the last page and put it down for good. Only you will keep thinking about it, and thinking about it, until eventually you come up with your own conclusion and rationale that is entirely personal to you and the context of the story is entirely your own.