Sonderbooks Book Review of Out of the Silent Planet

Reviewed August 27, 2005.
Macmillan, New York. 160 pages.
Sonderbooks Stand-out 2005 (#1, Science Fiction Old Favorites)

This is the first volume in C. S. Lewis’ Space Trilogy. In this book, Dr. Ransom, a philologist, is kidnapped and taken to Mars, known to its inhabitants as Malacandra. His captors think the people of the planet want an offering. But Ransom escapes and lives among them, learns their language, and comes to understand this alien society.

Although this book is by no means an allegory, as usual, C. S. Lewis’ deep spiritual insight provides a background for the tale. Earth is the “silent planet” of the title. On Mars, Ransom encounters eldila, beings of light, including one in charge of the planet. He learns that a fallen eldil has been bound on Earth. The book gives a cosmic picture to the battle between good and evil and takes a fresh look at some human ideas.

C. S. Lewis got some things wrong about space travel, but it’s still an entertaining story about what it would be like to be taken to another planet, a planet where the inhabitants regularly communicate with angels and live in harmony with God.

Reviews of other books by C. S. Lewis:
Perelandra (Space Trilogy Book 2)
That Hideous Strength (Space Trilogy Book 3)

Till We Have Faces
The Great Divorce
A Year with C. S. Lewis
Of Other Worlds
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Prince Caspian
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Silver Chair
The Horse and His Boy
The Magician's Nephew
The Last Battle
The Last Battle performed by Patrick Stewart

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Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****Out of the Silent Planet*

by C. S. Lewis