Karel Čapek (January 9, 1890 – December 25, 1938) was a Czech author, dramatist, critic, and journalist. He is best remembered for his contributions to science fiction, notably the play R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) from 1920 — which introduced the term “robot” — and his 1936 novel War with the Newts. Born to a rural physician, Čapek struggled with a lifelong spinal condition, turning to writing as both vocation and solace. He studied philosophy in Prague, Berlin, and Paris, and by 1917 had established himself in Prague’s literary and journalistic circles. Much of his work reflects a deep engagement with philosophical questions. Čapek was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature on seven occasions and passed away from pneumonia in December 1938.