Out of the Silent Planet

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.

While I do not think that this series is anywhere near as good as the Narnian Chronicles (with the exception of Perelandra, which is perhaps my second favorite Lewis book behind only Till We Have Faces), it is still incredibly good. I noticed that a previous reviewer said that "His major defect is that he can never quite succeed in suppressing his didactic Christianity." Why on earth would you think that he had even been trying to suppress his Christianity? I think what you mean is that he does not repress his Christianity as you wish he would have. A piece of advice: if you read something by C. S. Lewis, expect it to be Christian. It is absurd to excpect him to write non-Christian novel; that would be like expecting a blue pen to suddenly let loose a flood of red ink. Lewis meant for his books to be Christian. Parts of this book are obviously alligorical (i.e. "the Bent One", etc.), and I do not think that Lewis had any intention of hiding this. For my part, I am very happy that he did this, as it not only provides good, fun reading, but also provides valuable truths to be gleaned from it. I was going to give this book 4 stars, but then I couldn't think of anything bad about it (other than perhaps a bit of misinformation about outer-space, but we can hardly fault Lewis for that, since he wrote this long before any man-made thing had ever been to space), so I changed my rating to 5 stars. I highly reccomend this book, if for no other reason that to get to the second in the series, Perelandra, which is amazing.

Lewis said that he wrote this book to "exorcise" science fiction. He devoured H. G. Wells when he was younger, and Lewis obviously shows a Wells style in the first few chapters. Dry though the beginning is, don't stop! Keep reading, because once Lewis finds his own voice, this novel takes off. Lewis presents Christian themes in ways that most theologians can't dream of. How does a pure and innocent being understand evil? It can't, but it can understand the nature of being "bent." And, of course, the whole concept of the "Silent Planet" is pure brilliance. Once you reach the middle of the novel, you won't be able to stop because Lewis creates one of his best good vs. evil battles. If you're looking for a simple Narnia tale, you won't find it here. Instead you'll find an insightful and entertaining adventure that looks into the true nature of humanity. Highly recommended.

I grew up reading about Narnia, and as I grew older I wanted more. How pleased I was when I discovered the Sapce Trilogy! CS Lewis does not disappoint the reader, as he continues to use his excellent writing style to tell the story of the battle between Good and Evil from a science fiction perspective. Out of the Silent Planet tells the story of how evil falls upon a planet which has existed in harmony for many years. Ironically, it is the earthlings who bring the evil and pain to the planet, and another earthling who must guide himself and fight the evil to try to undo the Great Harm. The book takes off a bit slow in the first chapter, but captures the reader into the space fantasy after the first few chapters. This book is the first book of the trilogy which becomes very intense and thought provoking in the last book: That Hideous Strength. You will find many interesting parallels between this story and the story of our own history in fighting evil and realizing our faith and mission.

The C.S Lewis Space Trilogy (of which Out of the Silent Planet is first) was recommended by a friend, and I found myslef immediately inthralled by the book itself, as well as Lewis's style of writing. The book is told in such a way that tries to convince the reader that this actually happened, or at least could, and it was able to convince me. As the character Ransom walked across England I felt I was there beside him. When he visited Mars, even with the bizzare scenery it seemed so real in my mind. Lewis also has a gift for making strong points in his novel (about Christianity in particular) without making the reader feel guilty, because he uses such human characters that are filled with normal and relatable flaws. Even with the protagonist's name he sends a message, becuase as you read this book, you will see how his name comes to play. Despite the strong Christian undertones, I feel that a wide variety of readers will enjoy this book. The story is catchy, the imagery is incredible, and the characters are fully round and fully enjoyable. I recommmend it to all! But I warn, even though this book is good on its own, after reading the first you will innevitably want to read the rest of the trilogy!