‘We don’t want to conquer the cosmos, we simply want to extend the boundaries of Earth to the frontiers of the cosmos. For us, such and such a planet is as arid as the Sahara, another as frozen as the North Pole, yet another as lush as the Amazon basin…
We are only seeking Man. We have no need of other worlds. We need mirrors.’

— (Lem, Solaris (1961): 75-6)