Out of the Silent Planet: Library Edition
by C.S. Lewis
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 4140)
Read in February, 2008
I read this first about 7 or 8 years ago, but found it difficult to get through. This time it was over too soon-I felt like I was on 'Malacandra' myself and feel like I 'experienced' everything that went on as much as 'Ransom' the main character in the book. Lewis explores philosophical questions that if not discussed in the context of another species' existence would strike me as really basic; by discussing these questions in the setting of another world, he refreshes them and has insights that...more
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Read in July, 2008
recommends it for:
scifi theologists.
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Read in January, 2003
recommends it for:
people who like The Narnia Chronicles and have an open mind toward a sci-fi point-of-view
This book was very interesting from a Sci-Fi, Christian point-of-view. At first it left a weird taste in my mouth, but I had to think about it and ruminate, and I started to enjoy it more.
The book/s follows the adventures of Ransom, the protagonist. He bumps into a former schoolmate, Devine, aka "The Professor," who he never really liked, and ends up getting taken by Devine against his will into a weird contraption that takes them to Malacandra (the planet Mars). (Remember that ...more
The book/s follows the adventures of Ransom, the protagonist. He bumps into a former schoolmate, Devine, aka "The Professor," who he never really liked, and ends up getting taken by Devine against his will into a weird contraption that takes them to Malacandra (the planet Mars). (Remember that ...more
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Read in July, 2008
I wasn't really aware that C.S. Lewis had written any science-fiction, but my love of his fantasy work induced me to pick this one up without hesitation.
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more if I knew less about the man, former skeptic turned Christian apologist, as it's hard to ignore the parallels. There's quite a bit of similarity to his Narnia works, in that it follows along the question of "Does Christianity exist in the imagination, and if so, what is its appearance?"
...more
I wonder if I would have enjoyed this more if I knew less about the man, former skeptic turned Christian apologist, as it's hard to ignore the parallels. There's quite a bit of similarity to his Narnia works, in that it follows along the question of "Does Christianity exist in the imagination, and if so, what is its appearance?"
...more
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Read in July, 2008
C.S. Lewis never fails to satisfy me. This is the first volume of his science fiction Space Trilogy, and in many ways, reverses the elements of a traditional science fiction alien civilization plot. This novel functions at many levels—a beautiful exposition of life on another planet, an exploration of human nature and fear, and a critique of modernism. (PLOT SPOILERS AHEAD). A man named Ransom is captured by two humans and taken to Mars, a planet whose civilization has not “fallen” into or...more
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Read in June, 2008
As a huge lover of CS Lewis I was a bit shocked to find that I didn't really love this book. In this book the main character, a professor of philosophy, is kidnapped by some fellow scientists and taken to the planet Malacandra. I felt like the intro phase of the book where professor ransom is being kidnapped and taken to the planet was really long and tedious and not an element that deserved as much weight and description as Lewis gave it. I found myself skimming and nearly dropping the book ...more
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Read in August, 2008
C.S. Lewis wrote science fiction - who knew?
Outside of some very boring narratives and overly detailed descriptions of everything, Out of the Silent Planet was a well written and thought provoking read. I don't really get "into" science fiction that much, but the ethical debate at the end of the book made it all worthwhile.
Lewis has a way of making complicated problems - such as death - seem simple. Without giving very much plot/background, I'll just say the he writes: "[H...more
Outside of some very boring narratives and overly detailed descriptions of everything, Out of the Silent Planet was a well written and thought provoking read. I don't really get "into" science fiction that much, but the ethical debate at the end of the book made it all worthwhile.
Lewis has a way of making complicated problems - such as death - seem simple. Without giving very much plot/background, I'll just say the he writes: "[H...more
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Read in January, 2006
This is the first book of Lewis' Space Trilogy and it has all the wonderful qualities of a SciFi/fantasy book mixed with a certain amount of theological and philosophical intellectualism that one would expect from such a distinguished author.
First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet transcends sense of time and place with a focus on the greater themes of life, death and the pursuit of joy rather than specific scientific details. That the book is full of allegory is not in doubt, but ...more
First published in 1943, Out of the Silent Planet transcends sense of time and place with a focus on the greater themes of life, death and the pursuit of joy rather than specific scientific details. That the book is full of allegory is not in doubt, but ...more
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My affection begins with this first book of solid science fiction. Ransom, a forty-ish professor, is kidnapped to Mars as a human sacrifice. His captors have misunderstood, however, and Ransom learns of the peoples of Mars, the wishes of its guardian, and the events that have separated Earth from the remaining planets in our star system.
Like Narnia, Ransom represents a solid moral ground. Unlike Narnia, the story is more mature, less fairy tale. This book sets up the second in which Rans...more
Like Narnia, Ransom represents a solid moral ground. Unlike Narnia, the story is more mature, less fairy tale. This book sets up the second in which Rans...more
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I'm not sure how C.S. Lewis managed to write such a good space-travel movie when he (heck, everybody) knew so little about space. A lot of the stories and movies from this time-period come across as goofy, or just plain ignorant (take a look at any MST3K treatment of a black-and-white space travel movie, and you’ll see what I mean). But Lewis's version of space travel is beautiful and amazing, even if scientifically it's ALL wrong. I think this book brings out the awe that people must have fel...more
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Read in January, 2001
I found it very easy to suspend disbelief in this somewhat outdated science fiction. I was thoroughly caught up in Dr Ransom's story & delighted with Malacandra. I wanted to stay there longer and hear Oyarsa speak more plain truth. I am impressed with Lewis' imagination in creating the Malacandrian world and was amused my the ridiculousness of Weston and Divine. I was more impressed with the religious implications.
Another thing that stands out in this book is that it conveys what is pe...more
Another thing that stands out in this book is that it conveys what is pe...more
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recommends it for:
fans of C.S. Lewis, fairly traditional Christians
This is C.S. Lewis' "science fiction" series. Essentially, this astronaut keeps landing on other planets and encountering the lifeforms God created there. In each book a representitive of the devil shows up and tries to muck things up for God's other children (humanity's cousins?). The first one is sort of neat; our hero is kidnapped by his fellow scientists and dragged to a planet that turns out to be mars for nefarious purposes. There he finds that this is one of the worlds God ...more
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recommends it for:
sci fi readers
Lewis takes the plunge into Science Fiction writing with this, the first book in his space trilogy.
As with many other space travel books written in the era, it has a sweet naivity in the area of science. I love that! The main character, Ransom, becomes involved with unsavory men and ends up on a journey like none he could have ever imagined.
Landing on Malachandra opens his eyes to sentient life outside of our species. Lewis' imagination is wondrous, as he creates a Mars unlike the one w...more
As with many other space travel books written in the era, it has a sweet naivity in the area of science. I love that! The main character, Ransom, becomes involved with unsavory men and ends up on a journey like none he could have ever imagined.
Landing on Malachandra opens his eyes to sentient life outside of our species. Lewis' imagination is wondrous, as he creates a Mars unlike the one w...more
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Has a copy to sell/swap
—
Read in June, 2001
A favorite quote:
"But the pleasure he must be content only to remember?"
"That is like saying 'My food I must be content to eat.'"
"I do not understand."
"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered. You are speaking, Hman, as if the pleasure were one thing and the memory another. It is all one thing....What you call remembering is the last part of the pleasure, as the crah is the last part of a poem. When you and I met, the meeting was over ...more
"But the pleasure he must be content only to remember?"
"That is like saying 'My food I must be content to eat.'"
"I do not understand."
"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered. You are speaking, Hman, as if the pleasure were one thing and the memory another. It is all one thing....What you call remembering is the last part of the pleasure, as the crah is the last part of a poem. When you and I met, the meeting was over ...more
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Read in April, 2008
recommends it for:
Hardcore C.S. Lewis fans
Everybody—including Disney now—takes notice of C.S. Lewis's fantasy ( The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe), but few even know he attempted science fiction. I hedge, because although this, the first book of the so-called Space Trilogy, could not be classified otherwise, the following books, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength, are h...more
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Read in September, 2008
recommends it for:
Science Fiction lovers
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Read in March, 2008
recommended to RØB by:
Matt Smith
I've been looking forward to reading this for a long time, and it did not disappoint. In addition to being solid science-fiction (it's amazing how much thought Lewis put into some of the more scientific aspects of space travel and other-worldliness) it's doubly great as a tale of morals, what it means to be a human and/or a being, and postulates on the nature of our race as a whole. The detail he involves in the imagery is vivid, if humorously self-deprecating about its inability to fully expr...more
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Read in August, 2008
recommends it for:
Michaela? Or anybody that just likes something fresh and unlike other books.
I have only read 5 chapters but I already love it. It's about a man who gets abducted by aliens into another planet and has to excape. Yes, I know it sounds chhesy, but it's C.S. Lewis! It's also fun because this book was published in 1938, before man had gone on the moon and much space research had been done, so a few of his ideas of how it is in space are incorrect, but I just love the ways he describes things without telling exactly what they are. One thing is that he used fairly large words ...more
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I wonder if I'd be as taken with this book if I read it now, but I thought it was wonderful twenty years ago, not least for its Englishness, for which I am a sucker. It is so very thickly British.
The Christian allegory is pretty blatant, but it's intelligently and artfully done, so I have no complaints on that count.
Irrelevant side note: I've had some arguments about whether this is actually sf. My vote is no. It has the form and furniture of sf, but at its core is inexplicable non-rat...more
The Christian allegory is pretty blatant, but it's intelligently and artfully done, so I have no complaints on that count.
Irrelevant side note: I've had some arguments about whether this is actually sf. My vote is no. It has the form and furniture of sf, but at its core is inexplicable non-rat...more
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C.S. Lewis is amazing. If you liked the books he wrote for kids (Lion, Witch, Wardrobe, et al) you will love his books for adults. This series is so thought provoking and full of metaphor for our day. My favorite part of this book is where Ransom translates into Malacandrian Weston's rant about the future of humanity. The deconstruction of his positivist empirical thought process is classic. That sounds hoity toity but if you read it will know what I mean. You'll laugh through the entire se...more
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