Out of the Silent Planet

By C. S. Lewis

The first novel in C.S. Lewis’s classic sci-fi trilogy which tells the adventure of Dr Ransom who is kidnapped and transported to Mars

In the first novel of C.S. Lewis's classic science fiction trilogy, Dr Ransom, a Cambridge academic, is abducted and taken on a spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra, which he knows as Mars. His captors are plotting to plunder the planet's treasures and plan to offer Ransom as a sacrifice to the creatures who live there. Ransom discovers he has come from the 'silent planet' – Earth – whose tragic story is known throughout the universe…

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins UK
• Release date: Dec 9, 2010
• ISBN: 9780007332328

C. S. Lewis

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and have been transformed into three major motion pictures. Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963) fue uno de los intelectuales más importantes del siglo veinte y podría decirse que fue el escritor cristiano más influyente de su tiempo. Fue profesor particular de literatura inglesa y miembro de la junta de gobierno en la Universidad Oxford hasta 1954, cuando fue nombrado profesor de literatura medieval y renacentista en la Universidad Cambridge, cargo que desempeñó hasta que se jubiló. Sus contribuciones a la crítica literaria, literatura infantil, literatura fantástica y teología popular le trajeron fama y aclamación a nivel internacional. C. S. Lewis escribió más de treinta libros, lo cual le permitió alcanzar una enorme audiencia, y sus obras aún atraen a miles de nuevos lectores cada año. Sus más distinguidas y populares obras incluyen Las Crónicas de Narnia, Los Cuatro Amores, Cartas del Diablo a Su Sobrino y Mero Cristianismo.

Reviews for Out of the Silent Planet

[tromboneal-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Good, but too old-fashioned and slow. If I were on a deserted island with no other books read, I'd enjoy it.

[bmeredithe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Odd but engaging - written with a higher content of knowledge than current fiction.

[harrod_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mesmerizing

[vanjr-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have read CS Lewis space trilogy at least 3 times! Each time I have favorited a different book. I will be reading this again.

[razinha-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is not a full review of his book...more of a recall of some of the many other times I tried to read this book. I found the three thin paperbacks of Lewis's Space Trilogy I owned at a used bookshop in Connecticut more than 30 years ago after failing to get into the library copies when I was younger. I rediscovered them - and attempted vainly to read them - each time after packing and unpacking them through 14 moves, only to lose them in a fire in 2013. I tried more times than I can remember to read them, but never succeeded.

Just. Couldn't. Get. Into. Them...

Or, more accurately, couldn't get into this one. I finally forced myself to read it, and I discovered carrying around the negligible weight all those years was a waste. His writing is tedious, his science poor (yes, I know...1938), but really, the book doesn't even hold its own against the pulp from the era that I've read. The phrase about the devil in the details is ironic and appropriate, given all the other ... material ... Lewis wrote. He was far too preachy and obvious for an intelligent reader.

I kept the books because Lewis's trilogy is called a classic, and classic science fiction that I wanted dearly to someday read. I read and really liked the Narnia books as a child, but found them immature when reread as a teen and incredibly shallow, naive, and comically transparent as an adult. Some young fiction does okay for adults, and some, like Narnia, does not. None of Lewis's books I've read can hold up to any rational thought, so if they aren't entertaining, then they have no value. Please don't troll me with Screwtape (read it...unfortunately) or any of his other apologetic attempts...he's quite unconvincing.

It took me forty years to final power though this book. I doubt I have eighty more for the next two.

[alaskayo · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The Chronicles of Narnia, outside of the Last Battle, never quite sacrifices its plot for religious didacticism. Despite my own atheism, I adore the Narnia series as one of the most important pieces of my childhood. Out of the Silent Planet is, unfortunately, more on par with the Last Battle than with the rest of the Narnia series: Its plot nonexistent next to its dated, shallow, stupid, and hateful didacticism. Out of the Silent Planet, the first of Lewis' Space Trilogy, has a lot in common with Dante's Paradiso. In place of a plot, we get a walking tour of a 'perfect' Mars as imagined in 1938 by someone completely ignorant of even 1930s science. Mars is a paradise inhabited by different races, all of which are variants on the noble savage stereotype, living in harmony with nature and each other. It's Man, storming out from the Silent Planet -- Earth -- that throws the noble balance of Mars into disarray. Two scientists -- this story absolutely vilifies scientists as murderous, selfish monsters, literally looking to steal technology for the purpose of getting away with murder more easily -- kidnap a professor Elwin Ransom, currently on sabbatical and, reportedly, based on Lewis' close friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, to offer as an ignorant sacrifice to the Martians. They fly to Mars in their private spaceship imagined, again, by 1930s ignorance (i.e., it's incredibly stupid), only to have Ransom escape their clutches and spend months living in harmony with different Martian species, learning of their simple, perfect, harmonious life and how he can share that wisdom with the rest of humanity.In this world, the different planets are paradises untouched by Eve's (woman's) mistakes; they all look at humanity as cut off, or 'silent,' by its own evil, locked in a struggle with the devil to return to its noble roots and rejoin the paradises among the stars.The walking tour among the different alien species doesn't form a coherent plot in its brief ~170 pages, but instead provides a stepped series of teachable moments, of different methods of Christian wisdom to influence the reader and, through them, the rest of humanity. None of the characters have identifiable personalities: Ransom is a blank slate open to learning new things -- his dialogue can just be replaced by 'Wow' and 'Oh, interesting,' and you'd never notice a difference -- while both scientists are pure, unadulterated evil, and all alien species are perfect, caring, kind noble savages.It's dumb as fuck and I hate it.While this novel isn't, on the merits of its writing and story, a bottom-of-the-barrel piece of shit, it's that condescending didacticism that drags the negatives of Lewis' writing down towards worthlessness. Out of the Silent Planet, and, I presume (based on reviews and summaries), the rest of the Space Trilogy, speak to a niche audience, an audience interested in re-affirming their religious beliefs in place of telling a story worth a damn, of having shitty morals -- for Lewis' Christian morals get downright vile, especially when it comes to the worth of women and minorities -- rationalized. If you're not in this audience, stay the fuck away.I have no plans of continuing this 'classic' series.

[robert.zimmermann · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Quick review: Really enjoyed this one. Reminded me of Wells' and Verne's work, which I also enjoy reading. As we know, there is influence from those earlier writers in this book, but I like how Lewis took the story beyond that to be his own thing. There's only a small similarity in the beginning of it. I know Lewis is better known for his Narnia books, but I'm happy with reading this one (and soon the other two) before those. I think these are more to my liking in genre than those and probably a better introduction to Lewis' work.

Great sci-fi, with a good account of a first encounter and sprinkled with some religious ideas about the makeup of the universe.

[Alexandra Bullock · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Absolutely brilliant. So well written even to unimportant points and details. The language details and gravitational details, description, all a delight from beginning to end. Who is top dog? and why even ask the question? Such a shame that more people today don't ask these questions, given the breakdowns in Western society, when there's vague possibility life on earth could get better. An essential read.

[hobbitprincess · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

C.S. Lewis wrote the Space Trilogy, and this is the first of the books. I don't normally like science fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Lewis creates an interesting planet that is explored by the main character, Ransom. He meets some interesting creatures and learns about his outlook on life and others as a result. He is sent into space by Weston, who appears in the second book also. He is not a pleasant character and will play a larger role in the next book.

[minaisham · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

-- OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET is author's first book in a space trilogy. Protagonist is fictional philologist Dr. Elwin Ransom. In SILENT PLANET author travels unwillingly to Malacandra or Mars. In the trilogy Earth is referred to as Thulcandra. --

[empress8411 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read this in years, but it is actually just as a remember. More philosophy than adventure, it takes the reader through a world were sin doesn't exsist. It is an interesting idea. Not for the reader looking for action, but if you enjoy thought-provoking works, read it.

[dylanwolters · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

My rating isn't in regards to writing style or anything along those lines, but purely story. Lewis' writing is well and understandable. The story, however, I felt generally uneventful. I expected a good development and pacing but the novel as a whole was just bland. When you finally get the revelation where the author more directly explains everything you realize what it all was. Another metaphor about then-society and its relation to God. Now I understand this is C.S. Lewis and that's his thing. But I had been told by so many people that it wasn't like Narnia. It had more depth and something beyond that. So perhaps I was misled by the people I discussed the novel with earlier. The one star rating from me is primarily regarding the growing lack of interest I felt as the novel went on. I was never put off, per say. But it's hard to explain. Either way I don't think its a terrible adventure. Many parts of it are very creative and fun to read and think about. As such I also think this book may very well be someone else's cup of tea. So, honestly, unless you're like me and want more than a metaphorical adventure regarding mankind and God, I'd take a look.

[authorjanebnight · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis: Ransom is kidnapped and taken to another planet where he is to be given to the aliens who inhabit it, presumably as a sacrifice to their primitive Gods. Ransom escapes his captives and explores the planet. My Rating:3/5I didn't enjoy this book but I felt it was well written. C S Lewis is a great author and his stories are creative. This one just wasn't for me. This book was extremely slow and detailed about things such as the flora and fauna of the planet. I was bored through much of that though once Ransom starts interacting with the aliens I was engaged. I liked the parts of the book where he was interacting with the aliens and learning about their culture. The rest of this book was extremely descriptive which just isn't engaging for me. Lewis clearly had done research and it was clear that Ransom is an educated character who has a background in science. For the time this was written C S Lewis got a surprising amount right about space travel and science stuff (as far as I can tell).This plot was interesting and could have been really awesome if the book had moved faster and had more going on. This book feels more like a travelogue of the planet than a story. If you loved Narnia this probably isn't for you. I loved the story of Narnia though so much about it was sparse. There was enough content to make the book interesting and entertaining but not to drag. On the other hand, if you really like books that explore strange settings this book might be right up your alley. It wasn't for me but my brother, who I buddy read with, loved it. He will be continuing on with the series though I don't think I will.

[jntjesussaves · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Writing: 4.5; Theme: 4.0; Content: 5.0; Language: 4.0; Overall: 4.0; This was the first in the classic Space Trilogy from C. S. Lewis and the first that I have read. The story begins when Dr. Ransom is kidnaped by crazy physicist (Weston) and his accomplice (Devine). They transport him via spaceship to the planet Malacandra with the plan to use him as a needed human sacrifice. Upon arrival, Ransom escapes and meets many interesting characters upon the Malacandrian planet. With the help of the foreign beings he is transported back to Earth with Weston and Devine under his control. This was an interesting book, but didn't match up to my expectations. It also had about 10 or so uses of vulgarity (which was surprising due to the fact of Lewis's Christian testimony). Recommend. ***September 7, 2019*** (Read with Jonathan)

[jeffjardine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The taglist for Out of the Silent Planet is rife with suggestions of a particular religious denomination. Bearing this in mind, I began to read it with my theology guard on full. It turns out that this was unnecessary, much to my relief. As other reviewers have said, the theology is allegorical and Lewis does not proselytize. At most Lewis borrows some concepts from the Bible (i.e. Lucifer the fallen). And that's OK - The Bible is out of copyright.The quality of the science is uneven. It is weakest when it describes space flight. In 1938, simple gravity and orbital mechanics were well understood but apparently not by Lewis. One can't complain much about his descriptions of other planets, though. Little was known about them and much more accomplished SF authors continued to describe them similarly for years after this was written. Thematically, Lewis is unkind (at best) to science and technological progress. The human characters are a little shallow - I often found myself rolling my eyes at the dialogue of the antagonists.The story works a little better in terms of its criticism of colonialism and conquest. Incredibly, Lewis makes plain the absurdity of the Bible's claims of man's dominion over nature. Fantastic! Overall, it is a worthwhile classic SF read.

[bell7_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stumbling upon his old schoolmate Devine and a physicist named Weston, Ransom is brought along on a voyage to Mars - or, as the natives call it, Malacandra - in this examination of first contact and humanity.I first read this book probably when I was college age, before I started keeping track of my reading and reviewing every book. I remember my mom telling me that she hadn't liked the trilogy much, but liking it pretty well overall. I picked it up again having recently read Mere Humanity, an exploration by professor Donald T. Williams in the ways what it means to be human is explored in primarily C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien's works. So I confess on this reread, I was paying particular attention to what it means to be human or a moral, rational species even if inhuman. Not a lot happens in terms of plot, but it does delve into what it might mean if there is intelligent life elsewhere from a Christian worldview, that perhaps hasn't been "bent" to evil as humans are. Though it could stand on its own, I think it ends up laying a lot of the groundwork further explored in Perelandra and That Hideous Strength.

[al9g · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This one gets high marks from most people and perhaps I expected too much from it, but wasn't thrilled with it. I like C.S. Lewis - whether non-fiction, theology or fiction = but this one didn't grab me. This one is earlier than the Narnia series and perhaps not as overtly theological, but perhaps also not as engaging as Narnia. The story is intriguing, but is mostly narrative with little dialogue. It's not a bad read, but wasn't what I expected.

[stevierbrown · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The prose may feel a little dated to some 21st century ears, but in some ways that is quite nice, and who is to say that in the future we may not return to a more formal and genteel form of language.
But the important point is that the story feels real and engaging and certainly ahead of its time.
It is interesting that a lot of the author’s own philosophical and Christian perspectives are expressed in fairly subtle form throughout, but you really wouldn't expect anything else; it's there if you want to see it. But Lewis could be understated be and this is ultimately sci-fi, so if religion is not your thing and you are not looking for it, it's inclusion really won't 'spoil' your enjoyment of the book.

[kateprice88 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nearly everyone has read C.S. Lewis’s iconic series The Chronicles of Narnia. Despite Lewis being a fairly prolific author in his time, I’ve never read anything else by him, living in the delusion that there really wasn’t much more that he’s written, or, perhaps, anything worth reading. Recently, I stumbled upon the first and third books in his science fiction series at a used book sale. Out of the Silent Planet is a short but dense book that is absolutely worth reading.The main character of Out of the Silent Planet is Dr. Ransom, an academic who begins a walking tour of England and is searching for a place to stay the night when the story opens. Things quickly go downhill for him when he is kidnapped by a mysterious, aging physicist and brought to a planet called Malacandra. But Dr. Ransom isn’t too keen on being a human sacrifice and escapes into the wilds of this unknown world, his chances of ever making it home becoming slimmer and slimmer.Like Lewis's more famous series, this, too, is steeped in allegory, not all of which I am convinced I recognized. Despite just finishing this novel, I feel like I should reread it. More than that, I want to. Some of the allegory is hard to miss. But even then, I feel as if it were crafted more finely than some of his children’s series. While I love Narnia, it can feel as if you’re being hit with an allegorical sledgehammer at times when read as an adult. Maybe it was because it was my first time reading the book, but I felt that wasn’t always the case here.C.S. Lewis is a wonderful writer, his sentences lyrical, his descriptions near perfect. This is denser than the Chronicles of Narnia. Descriptions are more detailed, and there are more of them. The native tongue of the peoples of Malacandra is described and related in parts, but not quite to the sort of extent someone such as Tolkien goes.While I did love this novel, it is rather dense for being only 158 pages. A lot of a time is spent on Malacandra. And a lot of that time is spent with Dr. Ransom as he explores and gets to know the peoples and ways of this other world. There is forward momentum, but it can be bogged down in descriptions, beautiful and lyrical as they are. It also took me longer to read than many other novels take me, again despite the page count. While this doesn’t detract from the story in any way, it is something to keep in mind if you were looking for a quick read.Ransom beings as a likeable, but perhaps timid character. While likeable he does have his flaws. However, there is more character growth than I had initially expected. We see Ransom grow throughout the tale. The way he treats the Hross, one of the native peoples of the planet, changes. This is slight, and it takes several chapters, but it is there. Where he referred to the Hross as ‘its’ they become ‘he’s’ and ‘she’s’, real people with real lives and cultures instead of the very 19th century idea of the 'uncultured savage'. When we were first introduced to these peoples through Ransom’s eyes I was afraid the story would fall into this stereotype. It was something I really didn’t want to happen, partially because I have such fond memories of reading the Chronicles of Narnia. However, this really never happened. If anything, the opposite occurred.And the world building! Malacandra is a strange and wondrous place, at once so very unlike Earth, but pleasantly reminiscent at times as well. Its history, as much as we hear in this novel, at least, is rather fascinating. We learn a lot about the Hross, but I want to learn more about the two other races which inhabit Malacandra as well. I want more about the beginnings of the world, and the dead but still present surface world, an ever silent reminder of the horrors of the past and the fleetingness of life.The ending is rather brilliant as well. There is an epilogue, called a Postscript here, which is supposed to be part of a letter to the narrator of the story. The one or two times the narrator breaks the fourth wall begin to come into focus, and this narrator feels more like another character within the tale. There are hints of more to come, though I can’t begin to predict what would happen in the next book.Despite there being two more books in the series, the ending feels like a real conclusion. Sure, there are hints that there are more, or there could be more, but the ending is very satisfying. I would be completely happy if this were a standalone novel; it doesn’t necessarily need more. I really appreciate books like this. Too often I find books in a series just sort of stop instead of providing any real closure at the end. Also, if you are hesitant about dedicating yourself to reading yet another series, you don’t have to be. This can definitely be read as a standalone novel, and as it is the first in the series no background information or early world building will be missed.There’s something magical about discovering a ‘new’ book by an old favorite author. Out of the Silent Planet was a little dense, but a truly wonderful read. I’m definitely going to have to find a copy of Perelandra, the second book in this series. If you like C.S. Lewis’s other work, or like stories with a lot of in-depth world building, this is for you. If you don’t like heavily descriptive writing this book may not be the one for you.

[david__clifford · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Didn't know if I would like si-fi but really enjoyed how Lewis treated the characters.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Great early SF writing from the 40's by an author known far more for his Christian apologist writings and his Narnia series (which is pretty much an apologia itself). One of my favorite authors.Funny, started reading the second in the series immediately upon finishing this, lost it in a train station, and never replaced it to finish reading. Would like to finish the series someday.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Science fiction from the mid-20th century. Dr Ransom is drugged and taken to another planet. A lovely and thought-provoking book, which despite being dated is very enjoyable.

[karin7-11 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Dr. Ransom, philologist, is kidnapped and taken to a different planet called Malacandra by two greedy men, one who is greedy for gold and the other to take over this planet for mankind. Ransom overhears a conversation on the spaceship, so makes his escape at the first opportune moment. He is befriended by a sapient life form and begins to learn the language and culture of the hrossa until trouble ensues.

CS Lewis, unlike most scifi writers, writes from the premise that God and angels exist but that evolution doesn't, which puts a very different spin on this book as compared with books by authors such as Arthur C. Clarke.

I was somewhat ambivalent about much of this book as we know so much more about our nearby planets as compared with when this book was written. However, there were some redeeming qualities to this book despite it's lack of plausibility, such as the questions of what make us essentially sapient beings ruled by spirit beings (or even just what those beings are, so I'm giving it a 3, even though over all it is just so-so to me. At this point I don't plan to read the sequels.

[stige_3 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Narnia for adults. Man goes to space with cartoon villain and meets up with god. Also, how can he hear silent 'H'?

[jsburbidge · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It may be useful to keep in mind that this was published in 1938. At that time Lewis had two (2) published works -- his major study The Allegory of Love and an earlier minor work, The Pilgrim's Regress. At that time, all of his apologetic work was in the future -- it began with his radio talks during the war -- and the Narnia books were not even thought of. It's worth noting that although glancing references are made to Christianity (mainly the background of the fall of the Oyarsa of Thulcandra), the discussion between Ransom and the Oyarsa of Mars regarding the Incarnation is dropped out of the book and merely hinted at. If you read this knowing what an average reader would have known in 1938 any religious element would have passed you by.This has a serious theme of responding to a strain of Wellsian and Campbellian (Campbell had just started as the editor of Astounding at the time) human-triumphalist SF. What Lewis did in response to this was very clever: he picked up what he would later call the "mediaeval model" of the cosmos from the high middle ages (specifically Bernardus Silvestris), twisted a few words to add an extra hint in that direction (ousiarches -> Oyarses and eidola -> eldila), adjusted a bit for the absence of crystalline spheres keeping the planets on their courses, and dropped his Wellsian scientist into it, using an onlooker loosely based on his friend J.R.R. Tolkien as a point of view. Fireworks ensue: Lewis had a keen ear for shades of meaning and the core scene in the book, where Ransom translates for Weston, is both funny and devastating.While doing this, he let his imagination free to imagine a world which was unfallen and dying, in the lesser gravity of Mars. The description of Mars, and the seroni and the hrossa, took over much of the book.Lewis' prose is a cut above the normal SF prose of the period, and indeed of any period; the "otherness" of the cosmos is vividly imagined; and the work makes a serious point about man's place as a non-triumphal, non-conquering figure in the cosmos. (In Perelandra, several years later, he was much more explicitly Christian and he makes the effects of the Incarnation make mankind obviously pivotal in a different way; but that is not yet visible in OOTSP.) This is a deserved classic.

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I can only hope that the trilogy gets better. Far too much description for me and far too little in the way of character development and interaction.

[iamjonlarson · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The first half is interesting if a little dated. The second half makes up for the dated sci-fi setting by a really interesting philosophical look at the spiritual realm of Earth from an otherwordly perspective.

[scottcholstad · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I’ve liked and disliked several of C.S. Lewis’s works over the years and if I remember correctly, I read his space trilogy as a young boy, but remember nothing of it. So my wife picked up Out of the Silent Planet at a used bookstore for me just for the heck of it and it was an interesting read. Talk about old school sci fi, this was OLD school! Published in 1938, I believe, I had a hard time reminding myself that there was no realistic was Lewis could have known anything about spaceflight or Mars, the main locations in the novel, so it’s unbelievably dated, but it’s not really his fault.In this book, Dr. Elwin Ransom, a Cambridge philology professor, is kidnapped by two greedy snobs who have a spaceship and have traveled to outer space before. Ransom is taken to a planet called Malacandra by the alien species that live there, though we later learn it is actually Mars. As Mars, it is not red and deserted and dusty. It is bright and sunny, with oceans and streams, plenty of vegetation, jungles, mountains that get increasingly colder the higher you climb, dangerous animals, and several sentient alien species. He is completely enchanted by the beautiful scenery, escapes his captors, meets these aliens who are nothing like humans in appearance or action (for the most part), learns about the origin of these species on Malacandra and Earth (the silent planet) and, ultimately, reflects on the broken nature of humanity. The climactic scene leads him to the final show down which proves to be a meeting with the angelic “god” of the planet where Ransom’s linguistic abilities allow him to act as translator for the two other humans who see Malacandra as simply a stepping stone in humanity’s ongoing greatness and evolution into the stars. We see Ransom struggling with the challenge of expressing some of the more bizarre elements of his kidnappers’ philosophies in a way that will make sense to the Malacandrians. It never really does and ultimately, it doesn’t to Ransom either.The book is short and, generally, entertaining, if a bit lightweight. It drags at times, quite a bit actually, but the dialogue can be quite good at times and the philosophies discussed are intriguing. I was worried that Lewis, a devout Christian, would go all “religious” on me, but he didn’t proselytize, for which I was grateful. I suppose, however, if one wanted religious symbolism, one could find it. Lewis was himself an academic and not a scientist at that. The thought that he could write “serious” science fiction in the 1930s is rather humorous. Nonetheless, this is a valiant effort and worth a read, especially as it’s so short. Three stars.

[xuebi-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

C. S. Lewis' first book in his sci-fi trilogy is a very well-written piece of, what on first glance is, pulp fiction, but what makes it special is its theological backdrop and extensive elements of mediaeval fiction. Powerfully imagined, this first book sets the scene for further explorations in Lewis' unique cosmology and is a good read for both fans of sci-fi and Lewis' work. I am anticipating reading the next two books.

[bryndahlquis · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow. Wow. Basically all I can say right now. This is amazing and beautiful and awesome.In the very beginning, I kind of forgot it was supposed to be scifi, which made it all the more awesome when there's a freaking spaceship and suddenly they're all in space. And then they're on an alien world! The description and science of space travel and another planet is very thorough and I can't say how pleased I am with it all.Ransom is actually a very satisfactory main character. He goes from insanity to sanity in a very realistic way, and is never too dumb with terror nor recklessly brave.I'm honestly not sure how to explain the beauty of this book. Words fail me. Just read the book yourself.