Out of the Silent Planet
Summary
Out of the Silent Planet is the first installment of C.S. Lewis’ space epic The Ransom Trilogy. In this 1938 novel, a philologist named Elwin Ransom is kidnapped by two scientists, Devine and Weston, and taken to the planet of Malacandra to be handed over to the natives. Through a twisting and turning adventure across this alien world, Ransom confronts new species of sentients, strange ethereal beings, and perils of all kinds, including hunger and cold. Through this, Ransom discovers the cosmos is not what he thought it would be and that it is, in fact, teeming with life and sentient creatures beyond his imagination.
Assessment
In true C.S. Lewis fashion, this book has a theological depth to it that can be easily missed on an initial read or listen. Ah, a fun story set in space with cool aliens, wit and wry humor, and intriguing worldbuilding. But even this first book — which is by far the less theologically dense than the other two, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength — has a tremendous quantity of Biblical truth to it.
This book reads as more of a prologue for the other two and, in fact, is mentioned as such in the absolutely delightful postscript letters. There is definitely the sense that this book is not the entirety of the story, even though its main adventure ends in a satisfying way.
For a science fiction novel, it is definitely one that leans more into sci-fantasy or is at least not what most would call “hard science fiction.” The perspective on space that Lewis weaves into the story is both unique and refreshing — space is not some cold, empty vacuum, but is teeming with life and, in its own way, is more alive than the surface of Earth or any other planet.
The technological worldbuilding is in the best tradition of H.G. Wells’ works, without the long explanations of the science behind everything. Its focus is simply more the people and life of the universe, rather than the technology. It feels a little as though Lewis was trying to emulate J.R.R. Tolkien’s perspective on the hobbits in The Hobbit, focusing on the “home and hearth” of the sentient creatures he imagined, rather than digging into their technological marvels.
Light-o-Meter
Writing Style: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Plot: 5 out of 7 Little Lights
Worldbuilding: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Characters: 7 out of 7 Little Lights
Theological Message: 7 out of 7 Little Lights
Overall: 6 out of 7 Little Lights
Talk
This book had me buzzing with excitement for so many reasons. First it, like I mentioned above, takes an incredibly new approach to space. The technique of space travel is obviously plucked from H.G. Wells’ The First Men in the Moon — which Lewis somewhat acknowledges in the preface — but the way that Lewis describes space itself is wholly unique and refreshing. Space is not some cold, dead thing; it is actually alive, filled with creatures, sprites, and sentients of all kinds. Even the unfiltered radiation from the sun is its own kind of life.
Second, I loved the theology, even though I haven’t had a chance to truly dive into it yet. Now, this book is not as theologically dense as other stories by C.S. Lewis — Narnia comes to mind — but it has enough deeper symbolism and thoughtfulness to indicate there is more to it than meets the eye. There is a strong element of “this goes much deeper” throughout the story. There is weight in what can easily be read as a basic science fiction adventure novel.
Third, I love C.S. Lewis’ sense of humor. It is wry and witty and occasionally tinged with just a little sarcasm. The way he depicts his characters and seems to delight in telling stories is marvelous. There is very little pretentiousness in the way this novel is written; it’s not presented as a book that needs to be taken with absolute seriousness. There is an element of fun to it that indicates to me C.S. Lewis enjoyed writing it and, yes, that kind of thing absolutely comes through to the readers.
Wrap-up
Out of the Silent Planet is the first of C.S. Lewis’ Ransom Trilogy. Written with his usual wit and insight, this story is on its surface a basic science fiction adventure. Linguistic history professor Elwin Ransom is kidnapped and taken to another planet by scientists who intend to offer him up as a human sacrifice. Once on the planet, Ransom realizes the world — indeed, the worlds — are not at all what he had originally thought they were. Even scratching the surface of the story, however, leads to a deeper and more theologically meaningful story.
Where to Enjoy
AbeBooks: Out of the Silent Planet C S Lewis - AbeBooks Amazon: Out of the Silent Planet (1) (The Space Trilogy) Barnes & Noble: Out of the Silent Planet (Space Trilogy Series #1) by C. S. Lewis, Paperback Books-A-Million: Out of the Silent Planet by C. S. Lewis (booksamillion.com) Christianbook.com: Out of the Silent Planet: (Space Trilogy, Book One) / Digital original - eBook: C.S. Lewis: 9780062197030 - Christianbook.com
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