Before I ever returned to Narnia as an adult, I read C.S. Lewis‘ Out of the Silent Planet. I have always loved Science Fiction, and I enjoy stumbling upon a classic SF piece that is worth my time. As part of my 10 Minute Book Talk series, I wanted to invite readers to pick up a 1930s SciFi for the first time, or to re-discover this old C.S. Lewis classic in the 21st century. There are a good many flaws in the book, but Lewis seems to be striking at something that’s worth considering even today. Plus, it comes from a cool bet that Lewis and Tolkien made, and a letter Tolkien wrote to help Lewis out–a pretty bit of history that leads to a better bedside table reading experience for us all. And to make it all sweeter, Out of the Silent Planet has landed on a number of top 100 SF lists. It’s a book worth reading.
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If you enjoyed this piece, check out these blog posts:
- Worst Book Description Ever … And a Note on Cover Art for “Out of the Silent Planet”
- Joan Slonczewski’s “A Door Into Ocean” and C.S. Lewis’ “Out of the Silent Planet”
- C.S. Lewis’ 1st SciFi Fan Letters, from Evelyn Underhill and Roger Lancelyn Green
- The Tolkien Letters that Changed C.S. Lewis’ Life
- When Tolkien reinvented Atlantis and Lewis went to Mars
- “Men must endure their going hence”: The Idea of Death in C.S. Lewis’s “Out of the Silent Planet”: Guest Post by Levi Nunnink
- Between Mars and Malacandra, Fantasy and Real Life
- The War of the Worldviews: H.G. Wells vs. C.S. Lewis: Part 1 and Part 2
- “The Myth of Empty Space”
- A Cosmic Find in The Screwtape Letters
Pardon my comment on another post. I must have clicked a link by mistake, but thank you for this review. I shall readout of the Silent Planet and Perelandra this year.
Ha! I make digital-mistakes all the time. Thanks for the note. I’m teaching Perelandra three times this semester, and love to see what students say. !
I have the trilogy in one volume and read the whole book. Though I do not really like SF, I did enjoy those books. I actually bought a second-hand copy of either The Silent Planet or Perelandra, I can’t remember which. But it made me want to read all three. I will probably reread them at some point–when I get caught up with my current stack of new books. Thanks for your review.
I’m glad this resonated with you! I’ve been through it a few times–each time with new interest (even when under the knife … aka, pressured to teach it).
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