Thursday, July 17, 2008
Most people have heard of C.S. Lewis. After the Narnia series met with extraordinary acclaim, Lewis practically became a household name. However, most who have dipped their toes into the pool of Lewis' work by way of the Narnia series don't realize that Narnia was not Lewis' only venture into the fantasy world. He wrote many fantasy/sci-fi short stories (that can usually be found in Lewis anthologies), and, in fact, he wrote an entire sci-fi trilogy.
Out of the Silent Planet is the first book in the trilogy, and it opens with Dr. Elwin Ransom, middle-aged philologist and Cambridge scholar, traveling the English countryside on foot as part of a walking tour of England. Alone and in the middle of the night, Ransom blunders upon two former colleagues living in a country cottage. This seemingly innocuous reunion soon turns sour, and before he knows it, Ransom is kidnapped, bundled onto a spaceship, and finds himself hurdling through deep space towards an unknown planet, for a reason his captors refuse to disclose.
Once the three scholars have landed on this planet, Ransom seizes his chance and escapes into the wilds of a world which he knows nothing about, with no rations and no notion of how to get back to earth.
Quite unlike most sci-fi novels, this book offers a richly written, unique perspective on the idea of interplanetary travel, and just what deep space, or "Deep Heaven" would be like. It focuses on the characters, the planet, and the planet's inhabitants rather than on machinery and the technology which brought the characters to that planet, which I found a refreshing deviation from most sci-fi. Also unlike most books of this genre, Out of the Silent Planet doesn't take the hostility and maliciousness of the aliens to be a given. It focuses rather on the alien peoples as a race and the possible similarities between the alien race and humanity. Indeed, in truly Lewis fashion, this perspective of the alien race provides us with a lens through which to view our own race. What major differences between the two races that Lewis does include are written in a fresh way. It's a nice change from George Orwell style sci-fi.
The only warnings I would provide before starting the book is that if you're not one for extensive description, you might want to read cautiously. Lewis, in creating this new world, often goes to great lengths in describing it. Generally this isn't an issue, as the description of the scenery flows well with the story, but it can be lengthy and somewhat slow in places. It's also good to keep in mind that Lewis was a Christian man, and most of his works reflect that. This book isn't what I would call "overtly" Christian, but it's not hard to see the Christian influence, and, indeed, the main character is a Christian. However, it's nothing like what one encounters in Narnia -- this series is NOT an allegory in any fashion.
Peppered with wit and wisdom and beautiful prose, this book is a definite must for any C.S. Lewis enthusiast, and a great starting place for those who are new to his work. The writing and the narrative are approachable and easy to pick up, while still managing to give the reader something to hang their hat on.
Out of the Silent Planet is the first book in the trilogy, and it opens with Dr. Elwin Ransom, middle-aged philologist and Cambridge scholar, traveling the English countryside on foot as part of a walking tour of England. Alone and in the middle of the night, Ransom blunders upon two former colleagues living in a country cottage. This seemingly innocuous reunion soon turns sour, and before he knows it, Ransom is kidnapped, bundled onto a spaceship, and finds himself hurdling through deep space towards an unknown planet, for a reason his captors refuse to disclose.
Once the three scholars have landed on this planet, Ransom seizes his chance and escapes into the wilds of a world which he knows nothing about, with no rations and no notion of how to get back to earth.
Quite unlike most sci-fi novels, this book offers a richly written, unique perspective on the idea of interplanetary travel, and just what deep space, or "Deep Heaven" would be like. It focuses on the characters, the planet, and the planet's inhabitants rather than on machinery and the technology which brought the characters to that planet, which I found a refreshing deviation from most sci-fi. Also unlike most books of this genre, Out of the Silent Planet doesn't take the hostility and maliciousness of the aliens to be a given. It focuses rather on the alien peoples as a race and the possible similarities between the alien race and humanity. Indeed, in truly Lewis fashion, this perspective of the alien race provides us with a lens through which to view our own race. What major differences between the two races that Lewis does include are written in a fresh way. It's a nice change from George Orwell style sci-fi.
The only warnings I would provide before starting the book is that if you're not one for extensive description, you might want to read cautiously. Lewis, in creating this new world, often goes to great lengths in describing it. Generally this isn't an issue, as the description of the scenery flows well with the story, but it can be lengthy and somewhat slow in places. It's also good to keep in mind that Lewis was a Christian man, and most of his works reflect that. This book isn't what I would call "overtly" Christian, but it's not hard to see the Christian influence, and, indeed, the main character is a Christian. However, it's nothing like what one encounters in Narnia -- this series is NOT an allegory in any fashion.
Peppered with wit and wisdom and beautiful prose, this book is a definite must for any C.S. Lewis enthusiast, and a great starting place for those who are new to his work. The writing and the narrative are approachable and easy to pick up, while still managing to give the reader something to hang their hat on.
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