Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy)

'Out Of The Silent Planet' (1938) by C.S. Lewis ***** At the age of 41 I finally got round to buying C.S. Lewis's renowned sci-fi trilogy. Had read this first volume in school when I remember enjoying its imaginative description of a completely alien world but being disappointed at the lack of death and mayhem I had come to expect from pulp genre material. Now of course I can appreciate this as...more

'Out Of The Silent Planet' (1938) by C.S. Lewis ***** At the age of 41 I finally got round to buying C.S. Lewis's renowned sci-fi trilogy. Had read this first volume in school when I remember enjoying its imaginative description of a completely alien world but being disappointed at the lack of death and mayhem I had come to expect from pulp genre material. Now of course I can appreciate this as a wondrous fairy-tale like allegory of man's fall from grace and brutal detachment from the natural order of things. Three men depicting the differing motivations of humanity - Ransom the mystic, Weston the scientist & Devine the businessman - react instinctively and honestly to the utopian world of Malacandra (Mars) in which the three intelligent but very different alien races - the intellectually curious Sorn, the carefree artistic Hrossa and the hyperactively industrious Pfifltriggi - are completely at one with their surroundings and make no bones about ethnic divergence, sharing of resources, sex or death, etc. Lewis spares the human race nothing in his brutally simple juxtaposition of our values with their's... and as this was written in 1938 with the world staring armageddon in the face I find it hard to disagree with him.   hide

Lewis's account of a philologist kidnapped by a pair of scientists (one a warped idealist and the other motivated strictly by greed) is a wonderful work of fiction which touches on topics such as education, philosophy and religion. Its basis in Christian belief will be clear to the educated reader, though the unfamiliar names used to describe it may make the book more palatable to those who like...more

Lewis's account of a philologist kidnapped by a pair of scientists (one a warped idealist and the other motivated strictly by greed) is a wonderful work of fiction which touches on topics such as education, philosophy and religion. Its basis in Christian belief will be clear to the educated reader, though the unfamiliar names used to describe it may make the book more palatable to those who like science fiction but are wary of being 'preached to.' Perhaps its most charming strength is its reconciliation of a scientific understanding of the universe with a worldview to which wonder, mystery and the miraculous are critical. In this book, the two are complimentary rather than contradictory and in the end Lewis makes it abundantly clear that this was his intent. The power of language is a theme throughout and its ability both to mask and reveal ideas is sublimely shown when the philologist, Ransom, must translate into an alien tongue the philosophy of the physicist Weston. What Weston uses his polished vocabulary and oratory to convey, Ransom must restate in simple words and in so doing lays bare the real meanings and inherent contradictions of Weston's philosophy. Science fiction and fantasy fans will find a competently written plot filled out with engaging characters and plenty of fascinating, detailed images of alien landscapes, flora and fauna. Though it does involve a space journey, its tone is closer to Lord of the Rings than Star Wars or Star Trek (without LOTR's epic scope). Christians will find a reminder of the beauty of their faith and anybody interested in philosophy and ethics will find plenty of material to absorb and debate.   hide

What can I say? I love Lewis, but this is not my favorite of his, by any means. I have heard Perelandra (

Unbelief, dressed up in the rags of so-called "science," is an impotent nothing compared with the power of the Created order. "Out of the Silent Planet" First in, "The Space Trilogy" is yet another parable about the nightmare of modernity for which Lewis is well-known. With Scientific pride, Dr. Ransom's kidnappers take him to be sacrificed or fed to,...more

Unbelief, dressed up in the rags of so-called "science," is an impotent nothing compared with the power of the Created order. "Out of the Silent Planet" First in, "The Space Trilogy" is yet another parable about the nightmare of modernity for which Lewis is well-known. With Scientific pride, Dr. Ransom's kidnappers take him to be sacrificed or fed to, "The primitives" of Malacandra. Escaping his captor's hand he finds the situation far different than any imagined and discovers that he must beware of the, "Bent Hanu" and the dark spirit that they serve!   hide