Most people have heard about the most famous series by CS Lewis, The Chronicles of Narnia, but I want to talk about his science fiction. Lewis wrote a series of books known as The Space Trilogy.  These books are Lewis showing his skills as writer of powerful, meaningful fiction. They show his philosophical prowess and his linguistic knowledge.  Despite how high flung this sounds they are easily understood and engaging reads.  

The first book is Out of the Silent Planet.  Elwin Ransom is abducted by a Dr. Weston and a Mr. Devine.  He is transported by spaceship to the planet Malacandra. Aware of his captor’s malign intentions, Ransom escapes upon landing and finds a world populated by gargantuan creatures who live by an alien moral code.  The books comes to a head with a debate on colonization and what it means to be sentient.  

The second book is called Perelandra.  The conflict between good and evil is central in this story as Ransom debates morality with Dr. Weston. In this newest of creations the debate is fierce and fresh when trying to explain it to a very young ruler.

The third book is called That Hideous Strength,  It find finds rivals Ransom and Mr. Devine, now Lord Feverstone,  at Bracton College.  They oppose each other as members of an evil technocratic society are planning to “recondition” mankind with the aid of the reawakened wizard Merlin. Ransom leads an opposition group in a climactic clash with the forces of evil.

These are the summary our catalog at LBPH gives, with some edits from me. The book takes a deep delve into the coming era that Lewis saw after World War Two.  We now live in that era and it is well worth asking the questions Lewis did.  The Space Trilogy is well worth the read.