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Space Trilogy

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Out of the Silent Planet
C.S. Lewis

This is the first book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. These books are far less known than Lewis's Narnia series or even his Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters, yet it is just as good as any of those writings and goes to show the versatility of Lewis as an author.

This first book begins with our hero, Dr. Ransom, out for a walking tour in the countryside, dressed in that shabby way for which professors are renowned. His foes are his former schoolmates Devine and Weston. These men believe they need a human sacrifice, and by capturing Ransom they have their victim, for they have made a spaceship and are taking Ransom to Malacandra the red planet.

Once on Mars, Ransom escapes his captors, meets many species, and finds out that on Mars there has been no "fall" and Ransom from Earth or the Silent Planet is a bit of an oddity. People from earth are considered to be "bent" in nature, from the original sin of the fall.

Follow Ransom as he treks across a strange world, and must find the courage to risk it all to save not only an alien race, but also, possibly his own soul.

This is a first book in an amazing series. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

Perelandra
C.S. Lewis

This is the second book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first you can start here.

This book takes place some time after the first, but we are not sure how long. Ransom has received a summons to Venus, a planet that is just beginning its inhabited life. This planet's 'Adam' and 'Eve' are on the planet and they must choose to obey God or to reject his law and face a "fall" as has happened on earth.

Ransom must face his old foe Weston, and try to save a planet from great evil. Can he navigate this watery planet; can he negotiate the intricacies of human weakness, temptation and corruption? Can he conquer himself and help others to learn obedience?

This is a great creation story. Try it - you won't be disappointed.

That Hideous Strength
C.S. Lewis

This is the third and final book in C.S. Lewis's amazing Space Trilogy. This book was written as a sequel to the immensely popular Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra but Lewis also wrote it so that the story can stand on its own. So if you haven't read the first, you can start here.

That Hideous Strength, unlike the first 2 books in this series, where Ransom leaves earth and fights evil in space and on other planets, the battle in this book takes place on earth.

Ransom must lead a group of faithful believers against National Institute for Coordinated Experiments or N.I.C.E., an organization that believes that Science can solve all of humanity's problems. He must battle the people in this organization, super aliens trying to invade and control earth and use its population against other planets and against God.

On top of all of that, Merlin has arisen from his long sleep and has arisen in England's time of greatest need. But the question is, who will find him first - N.I.C.E. or Ransom and his team? The fate of the world, and possibly the universe, rests on this question.

Lewis called this story an adult's fairy-tale. It is a mix of sci-fi and fantasy, and a book that will keep your attention as you raptly turn the pages to find out where Lewis will lead you.

The theme throughout these three books is man's battle (or, rather, intelligent life's battle) between good and evil, with some very obvious, but not stifling, religious overtones also found in CS Lewis' nonfiction work. For adults who absolutely adored the Chronicles of Narnia set, this trilogy takes you through the battle between good and evil in a more sophisticated manner. Granted, these are not nearly as easy to read, but adapting to the more complex (sometimes slow-moving in Hideous Strength) writing style was quick.

If you are primarily interested in religious fiction, and have the patience to read books with more complexity than, say, the Left Behind series, you will like these allegorical journeys through the fall of man. If you are primarily interested in SciFi, CS Lewis takes you to other worlds (Silent Planet, Perelandra) and introduces beings from another Earth-time (Hideous Strength) with an original twist of the good vs. evil storyline.

All three books can be read on their own, however I found that "That Hideous Strength" would have been difficult to follow without the background provided in either "Out of the Silent Planet" or "Perelandra". Regardless of the individual readability of the 3 stories, I started with the 1st book (Out of the Silent Planet) not sure I would enjoy it, and ended up finishing all 3 within a week or two.

The SPACE TRILOGY is C.S. Lewis' allegorical fantasy masterwork. It combines Christian Theology with philosophy, mythology and conventions of science fiction to produce one of the great Quest adventures of 20th century fiction.

OUT of the SILENT PLANET introduces Ransom.... Lewis' surrogate voice of traditional Reason tempered by Faith...who is kidnapped by contemporary forces of (literally) superstitous adherrence to Modern/Post-Modern radical secularism and Scientism. Taken to "Mars"((to be victim of blood sacrifice to Alien Intelligences)) Ransom is made aware of the consequences of ORIGINAL SIN that made Earth, THE SILENT PLANET; and battle ground for Cosmic Powers of Good and Evil.

PERELANDRA, in my estimate the most fascinating of the three books, is modern re-Telling of The GARDEN OF EDEN parable. Here Ransom and a character named Weston (believed by some scholars to represent H.G.Wells)become locked in spiritual, psychological and ultimately physical combat to preserve or corrupt an INNOCENT WORLD. C.S.Lewis description of "Venus"...the Edenic Planet...is startling and unique. The battle between the Two WORLD VIEWS is exciting and thought-provoking.

THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH is scary...
In The Trilogy's conclusion, Lewis(again through his hero Ransom) posits the Forces of Modern/ Post-Modernism are an anti-Faith in league with Demonic Powers. This "Fairy Tale for Adults" imaginatively evokes the myth of the Tower of Babel combined with Arthurian Legends, and New Age Occultism to produce a story of...until the climax when demonic influences are overtly revealed...subtle horror. The N.I.C.E. is described as a scientific United Nations devoted to establishment of a utopian Order of World Peace and Prosperity. The startling climax reveals its leaders as Conspirators with Evil, trading the souls and Nature of Mankind for Power.

The SPACE TRILOGY is great story telling. Philosophically, C.S. Lewis dealt with many of its themes in his renowned essay,THE ABOLITION OF MAN. Like the latter,the premise of TST may unacceptably challenge or offend mature readers. What begins as Fairy Tale in guise of Science Fiction concludes as MODERN FABLE employing The Quest to probe ultimate metaphysical and ethical questions. Unlike The Chronicles of Narnia, THE SPACE TRILOGY is not for children.It is for adults who wish to travel Inner Spaces of the mind, heart and Soul and be marvelously entertained by The Trip......

One of the things that I really appreciate about C.S. Lewis is the way in which a great deal of his fictional writing seems to flesh out the ideas found in his non-fiction works. His stories are not just stories, but are often attempts to show how certain theological or philosophical positions might look in the world of everyday experience. His philosophy and theology are incarnated through his stories, so to speak. This offers the student of Lewis a chance to see how the ideas, theories, and beliefs promoted and discussed in his non-fiction works might play out in the "real" world. The works of the Space Trilogy parallel closely and deal with a lot of the same subject matter that is covered in Lewis' non-fiction work "The Abolition of Man", as well as many of his other, shorter writings, particularly on such subjects as science and technology, morality, and theology.

In "Out of the Silent Planet" we first meet the character Ransom, who is kidnapped and taken on an interplanetary journey to Mars where he begins to learn about the true nature of the universe and the place our world occupies in it. This is also where we meet the first of various characters who, throughout the Trilogy, represent false, pernicious, and morally bankrupt views of the nature of the universe, and, more importantly, do not want to know the truth. Throughout the Trilogy, the forces of truth and goodness, mostly embodied in Ransom and some of his companions, must attempt to thwart and defeat the wicked schemes of those who refuse to acknowledge or embrace the truth. The schemes become more horrific and the action more intense with each successive book. In "Perelandra" Ransom must attempt to thwart the enemy's plans for the young planet Venus, while "That Hideous Strength" turns it's attention to the battle here at home.

The writing in these books is at a very high level, full of beautiful description and deep theological and philosophical reflections about the nature of the universe we inhabit. Yet the stories themselves are also gripping, and are full of interesting and imaginative ideas of what things might be like on these other planets. In some ways, these books might almost be called anti-science fiction, because instead of using the story form simply to speculate about what scientific or technological advances might bring us in the future, Lewis attempts to show us how the inhabitants of these other planets would be real spiritual and moral beings, and to warn us about the possible consequences of allowing a morally and spiritually bankrupt scientific and technological elite to define our lives and our universe.

These books stand head and shoulders over most science fiction writing and are worthy of the title of classics.

Many of Lewis' works are heavily Christian, but his Space Trilogy is only subtly so, and the arguments and theological constructs are applicable far beyond Christianity. The writing in these three books is not Narnia-like in its intended audience, nor in its depth. It is difficult reading at times but well worth it. Out of the Silent Planet is really a primer for the two later books and isn't nearly as deep, consisting more of plot and action than meaning. It sets up nicely the amazing Perelandra, full of symbolism and philosophical meanderings. The final book, That Hideous Strength, combines an odd cast of characters and strange plot twists, almost in Bradbury style, but somehow manages to fit together and arrive at a climax that is somewhat reminiscent of the great battle of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but with a more sophisticated and less obvious symbolic overtone. I heartily recommend these three books to any C.S. Lewis fan, as well as to people that simply enjoy novel works of theology and philosophy.

I tackled these books after a recommendation and reading the Narnia books. Though a little hard to understand occasionally, very insightful. I enjoyed them. They are a little slow getting started, but worth the effort. This was almost a chilling look at humanity and the human condition, not only from a religous outlook but even from secular morals. There are insights for both sides of the fence.

C.S. Lewis has never written a useless word in his life. Every one of his books are amazing. This trilogy was the first books I read by Lewis and I fell in love right away. If you want a book you can't put down get this trilogy. Lewis' dream-filled vision of Mars and Venus are amazing and the detailed description of Bracton College is breath-taking. The intense action and parallelism to humanity and its strife will keep you enthralled. If you're a dreamer and your imagination runs wild, these books are for you! If there is a better writer in history, I've yet to find them.

C. S. Lewis's series for adults (sadly, there are only three of these, not seven like THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA) combine the several elements that make of this phenomenal writer: scholar and literary critic, story teller, Christian, myth-maker, brilliant debater. Whether he is giving us a (what appears on the surface) an imaginative excursion into Mars, a psychological study of temptation, or a satiric novel which covers so intellectual, scholarly, and religious ground that it is about to burst at the seams, Lewis always maintains a very high level of deft analysis of our humanity and gives us myth so we may learn and benefit from it spiritually. The first will be the best for those readers looking for traditional SF, but make no mistake: Lewis took that genre and revolutionized it, incorporating theology into SF, which up to that time had not been done to such a successful degree, and as a result OSP is a very influential book in that regard.. His story is fundamentally Christian, yet most of its original reviews did not notice this fact. As for PERELANDRA, Lewis never gives us a better picture of the psychology of temptation and how we are all responsibilities for our actions. Only in THE SCREWTAPE LETTERS and TILL WE HAVE FACES does Lewis demonstrate such acute awareness about the foibles of man and how easy we can fall away or hide ourselves from God. THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH incorporates social and political commentary, Arthurian mythology, religious elements, scholary elements, and an entire host of intellectual concerns that Lewis wanted to address.

Conclusion? This series shows us the brilliance of a mind and the depths Christian fiction can obtain. For those Christians who wish the Christian fiction market could be more substantial and have such wide respect as secular literature, this series is a godsend, proving conclusively that Christianity can be approached from a logical, rational mind set and still be valid philosophically, exhibiting a most appropriate sense of wonder at God's majesty. Lewis was truly one of Christianity's greatest writers.

I read this trilogy after reading Lewis's delightful series, The Chronicles of Narnia. I was totally unprepared for the insightful criticisms and tough disposition displayed in the books after reading the Narnian books that were colorful and fun. I quickly adapted to his more difficult style of writing, and began to understand that beneath the oddly beautiful science fiction novels there was a high level of spirituality, not found in many books. There was also several basic criticisms Lewis makes about the world he is living in, including human greed, imperialism, (Out of The Silent Planet and Perelandra), conformity (That Hideous Strength), among other things.

The first two books of this trilogy are basically about Ransom's adventures and sets up the events that are going to occur in That Hideous Strength. They outline the segregation of the Silent Planet, and give the history of the eldil. They also contain an exciting good versus evil plot line that is extremely complex. The third book takes up where Perelandra left off, but follows the actions of a Mark Studdock and his wife, Jane, instead of Ransom. In an exciting, but tremendously thorough book Lewis ties all the threads of the plot line together and gives an apocalyptic conclusion.

The series is great and is definetly a Sci-Fi epic worthy of your time and effort to read. It is a difficult book to read, not recommended for children, but is definetly recommend for those who like religious undertones, or those who enjoy great ability and creativity.

C.S. Lewis' "Chronicles of Narnia" are rightly beloved by millions as a modern masterpiece of fantasy and as a gentle introduction to Christian theology as well. Not as well known, but just as deserving of a place on a discerning reader's bookshelf are his only works of science fiction, known collectively as the "Space Trilogy."

Book One: Out of the Silent Planet
Dr. Elwin Ransom, a philologist and Cambridge college don, is on a walking tour of rural England when he is kidnapped by Devine, an old school acquaintance and Weston a physicist and taken to Malacandra via a spacecraft of Weston's invention. It's a second trip for Weston & Devine; they kidnap Ransom for what they believe is a human sacrifice required by the alien species called Sorns for their mythical god. Upon arrival, Ransom manages to escape, fleeing in panic from approaching Sorns.

After escaping, Ransom discovers the Hrossa. Ransom makes a beginning of learning Hrossan speech (which is the lingua franca of Malacandra). He discovers the Eldila, non-corporeal beings which Ransom can hear, but not see. An Eldil messenger sends Ransom on a quest to meet Oyarsa, ruler of the Eldil and by definition of all Malacandra as well. While on his journey to Meldilorn, island home of the Eldil, Ransom's life is saved by a Sorn; he thus loses any remaining fear of human sacrifice.

Ransom's meeting with Oyarsa, ruler of the Eldil is a lesson in the cosmology of Lewis' solar system. Each planet is ruled by an Eldil and they regularly communicate and roam the heavens - with the sad exception of Earth's Eldil, the "Bent One" who has disobeyed Maleldil the Young (the ruler of the Eldil). Weston and Devine are captured and brought before Oyarsa as well; He realizes that all three are "bent" or contaminated and requires they depart from Malacandra.

Out of the Silent Planet is a Christian vision set within a science fiction framework. Maleldil is a God/Christ figure, Oyarsa an archangel and the Eldil angels. The Bent One, the Oyarsa of Thulcandra, is Lucifer who separated, not only himself, but all Earth as well from the rest of the solar system and by inference from God.

Book Two: Perelandra
Perelandra is an analog of the Garden of Eden. The Bent One/Satan of Thulcandra sends his servant Weston to accomplish the downfall of its Adam and Eve, called the King and Queen. Ransom is send to Perelandra by Maleldil/God to defeat the designs of the Bent One.

Ransom finds Perelandra a world covered by water, dotted by free-floating islands rich with animal life and plants. Little in the way of fixed land is to be found on Perelandra; in fact Maleldil's edict to Perelandra's King and Queen is that while they may visit these areas during the day, they may not spend the night. When Ransom first meets the Queen, she has been parted from her King when floating islands drift apart. Here, he and Weston battle for the Queen's soul.

Weston, as Eden's serpent, attempts to persuade the Queen to violate Maleldil's edict and spend the night on fixed land. He beguiles her with stories of the women of Earth: "They are of a great spirit. They always reach out their hands for the new and unexpected good, and see that it is good long before the men understand it. Their minds run ahead of what Maleldil has told them. They do not need to wait for Him to tell them what is good, but know it for themselves as He does." Ransom himself is enthralled and comes to doubt his purpose on Perelandra.

Finally, Ransom comes to the realization that he has been sent to Perelandra as Maleldil's physical tool, and he enters into single combat with Weston. Ransom triumphs in battle and the King and Queen are reunited with Ransom as a witness. Unlike the Garden of Eden, on Perelandra, temptation has been defeated and Satan has lost. God's original vision for Perelandran humanity may take flower.

Book Three: That Hideous Strength
Certain progressives among the Fellows of Bracton College engineer the sale of Bragdon Wood (rumored to house the living body of Merlin, his body preserved from aging by magic) to N.I.C.E., the National Institute for Co-ordinated Experiments. N.I.C.E. is a sinister group of scientists researching use of technology to rule mankind. Merlin's magic powers would be immensely useful to N.I.C.E., so they acquire the land with the purpose of disinterring and reviving Merlin.

The central characters are Mark Studdock, a Fellow in sociology at Bracton and his wife Jane, a research student. Their marriage is troubled. Mark is blindly ambitious and Jane a proto-feminist. She is also troubled by what appear to be growing psychic abilities resulting in dreams that reflect present and future events in the real world.

Mark is duped into working for N.I.C.E. and Jane finds herself on the side of good, working with Ransom. Her newfound psychic powers serve to aid in the location of Merlin and also provide information about the machinations of N.I.C.E. Once discovered, Merlin's ancient wizardry, linked with the power of the Eldil, defeat the evil N.I.C.E. in a stunning (and bloody) climax.

The central focus is the development of Mark and Jane from shallow modernists into decent, caring people. Through the narrative, they both come to realize what is wrong in both their marriage and their outlook on life. Mark, in particular has the longer road to travel; since he fell almost totally under the spell of evil. Lewis paints his conversion to good in a quite convincing manner, clearly showing his belief in redemption of the soul.