Kris Kelvin, the book's narrator, is a psychologist who studies the planet Solaris. He travels to the space station above Solaris to continue his studies, and finds that one of the scientists has committed suicide. The others are haunted by visitors—creatures created by Solaris's great ocean out of the recesses of their minds. Kelvin is soon visited by his own demon, an imitation of his love Rheya, who killed herself after Kelvin left her.
Kelvin is marked by guilt over Rheya's death. He cannot forgive himself for leaving her. For him, the new Rheya provides him a chance to redeem himself and relive the past in a different way. Kelvin is doomed to repeat his experience, though, since Rheya is doomed to repeat her suicide.
Kelvin seeks meaning and answers in the study of Solaris, but.....
