MY FEEDBACK:

1) SETTING - C.S. Lewis just shines in his descriptions of new, exotic places and the beings that live there. His vivid details allow the reader to create a wonderful mental image of a world totally different from our own. Very, very nicely done.

2) CHARACTERS - The cast of characters consists of Dr. Ransom, Dr. Weston, Dr. Devine and the various beings found on Malacandra (sorns, hross, pfifltrigg and Oyarsa). Every character has a purpose and is allogoric of something greater, which is sometimes clearly demonstrated and at other times left to the reader to interpret. At no point was I bored or upset at stereotypes when reading about these characters. Even if you don't see the allogories they represent they are still intriguing and unpredictable.

3) STORY - I read somewhere that this story is a retelling of the Christ story from the Bible. I didn't see that. Yes, there were some similarities such as the Bent One could be Satan and his fall from heaven. Otherwise, just reading the first book I didn't feel like I was bring preached out or given a Bible Study of any type. It was an intriguing sci-fi story of discovery.
Also, like many secular sci-fi books written prior to 1950, this book makes clear commentary on human society. In other words if someone puts this book down because of the social commentary then that reader is unfamiliar with such literary trends as mentioned. I did prefer this author's handling of social commentary more than other authors of the time that I've read.
Lastly, the book is written very well. Many times I felt like I was reading poetry instead of a sci-fi novel. C.S. Lewis' professional handling of the written prose is very, very enjoyable and appreciated.

OVERALL - I can't think of anything wrong with this story. It had action, a mystery, suspense, discovery, aliens, space-flight, characters true to their nature, social commentary, allogory AND all this squeezed into less than 160 pages. In many ways this books ends with most of the story resolved so there doesn't seem to be an immediate need to read the rest of the trilogy. BUT...if you like this first book like I did then you'll find very little reason not to rush out and continue reading right away. A very enjoyable sci-fi read.


Nowhere near Narnia   November 11, 2000
 30 out of 38 found this review helpful

Hey, C.S. Lewis actually wrote other stuff! Fancy that! For those who only know him as the author of those books with the big cat, the kids and the closet entrance into a fantasy world, he's got lots of other stuff out there. This is just one of those other works, I think the really only important SF work he ever did (it's actually the first part of a trilogy, but I think those are less SF). It's great fun, really, definitely reminds me of H.G. Wells in its calm tone when describing the utterly fantastic and impossible, except that Lewis has a slightly better gift of description to make up for his only slightly lack of imagination (but only when comparing him to Wells, mind you). Basically Dr Ransome winds up being kidnapped (really through no faunt of his own) by two others and winds up on a planet that turns out to be Mars. Ransome winds up meeting the local people and learning their ways while trying to survive and his sure scientific tone in the face of something hardly comprehendable is the bedrock on which this novel rests, no matter how afraid or excited he is, he stills displays an unwavering confidence in detail and exacting observations. Which makes the narration compelling in its subtle beauty of detail. The folks of Mars are interesting, a far cry from the warlike being of Wells' famed novel, and there's probably some overt commentary that I'm missing (Lewis was a devout follower of Christian beliefs and I think those color the other two books more than this one) but what the heck, it's fun and entertaining and that's what count. People tell me they don't like to read Lewis because he tends to be "preachy" and talks down, but there's nothing like that here. The trial scene towards the end with all the Martians is absolutely fascinating and complicated at the same time. The only overt Christian thing I found was the reference to Earth as the "silent" planet (ie. fallen), something which I think is developed more in the two books. But for me this has all the classic attributes of good old fashioned SF, a calm reasonable tone, the narrator's attention to science and detail, a general disregard for science if it gets in the way of a good story (we know Mars doesn't have people and it'd take a heck of a lot longer than twenty eight days to get there, but who cares . . . I'm not basing a scientific paper on it) and unreserved creativity. A fast read that'll probably stay with you, it's definitely worth a shot.


Why put this book down?   September 20, 1999
 20 out of 22 found this review helpful

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!


Out of this world.   September 7, 2001
 15 out of 17 found this review helpful

Out of the Silent Planet is science fiction in the sense that, in order to create a fantasy for adults, Lewis had to send his hero and villains to a world far enough for a re-imagining, but near enough that they could plausibly go there from here. Lewis not being a scientist, and this book being sixty years old, the plausibility of Lewis' idea of space travel wears quite thin by now, though of course he didn't mean to be taken seriously on that count even then. A more serious problem Lewis set himself to solve was, "What might an unfallen world look like?" And also, "What might a society in harmony with God and nature look like?" or "What is the nature of rationality and soulishness?" I find some of Lewis' ideas unsatisfying. (Paradise and survival of the fittest are difficult concepts to reconcile; if the Malacandrians are all at peace, how did they evolve, as Lewis apparently thinks they did? And how does the ecosystem avoid being overrun with critters?) Still, this book is a great fantasy with many insights, and a lot of fun to read. No one I know combines so fertile an imagination with such philosophical depth and psychological acuity as C. S. Lewis. All these are in evidence here.

The planet is a beauty. Among Malacandra's cauliflower highlands and tourquoise canyons, its philosopher bird-spectres and tribal seals, Lewis enacts an exciting story. His readers will find some familiar images and themes: island paradise, the cultural dynamics of tribes and Greek philosophers living side by side (see Till We Have Faces for more), the wind-bag philosopher posing as scientist posing as philosopher. (The passage in which Ransom translates Weston's defense of planetary imperialism and genocide into "Malacandrian" then, for our benefit, simple English, is a classic blend of linguistics and philosophy. See George Orwell, Politics and the English Language, for an essay from that period that, in effect, explains what Lewis is doing with that deceptively simple passage, and why it desperately needs to be done. See also Abolition of Man.)

This is the tightest and shortest of Lewis' three "sci-fi" novels. You can read it in a few hours. Lewis was probably wise to shift to frankly supernatural means of locating his heroes to other worlds, in later fantasies. Still, don't miss this wonderful tour of Mars for the world.

author, Jesus and the Religions of Man


Great Christian Allegory   September 23, 2002
 15 out of 18 found this review helpful

This book is a marvel for Christian readers. The power of fiction and fantasy worlds is in the idealistic viewpoint they provide. As Christians, we know from Scripture how the world is governed, and how we are to walk in it, but at times our vision gets clouded by constantly looking at our surroundings, and the depravity we see all around. But when we read novels with idealized settings such as in C.S. Lewis's space trilogy, we can more readily understand the fundamentals of joy, wonder, and awe at the world, under the governance of reverence for the creator.

Out of the Silent Planet takes readers on a tour of what life would be like without the curse of the fall. The Malacandrian world is immensely beautiful and orderly, under the governance of Oyarsa, who submits to the Old One, God. The hnau, or inhabitants of the world, are so peaceful and innocent, and they offer abundant insights into proper conduct in life. I constantly found myself smiling as I saw the parallels between the various components of the book and Christian doctrine.

Non-Christians will enjoy this book as well, of course. It is a fascinating story regardless of what you believe, although C.S. Lewis surely wrote it from a Christian worldview, and I appreciate on a deeper level since I'm a Christian.