Karel Čapek was a prolific writer in nearly every genre and one of the most well known figures from inter-war Czechoslovakia. He is best known today for coining the word robot in his dystopian play R.U.R. and for his satirical novel War with the Newts. As both of these works contain elements of science fiction, Čapek is often assigned to this genre. However, despite his friendship with H. G. Wells, his influence on writers such as Isaac Asimov and Kurt Vonnegut, and the science fiction elements present in much of his satirical work, it would be inaccurate to categorize Čapek as a science fiction writer. As well as being a life-long journalist, he wrote plays, poetry, children’s stories, fa

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First published 16 November 2007

Citation: Christensen, Andrew G.. "Karel Čapek". The Literary Encyclopedia. 16 November 2007.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=728, accessed 9 February 2010.]