Mas allá del planeta silencioso (Space Trilogy, #1) by C.S. Lewis

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Dec 05, 2008

Manny rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

bookshelves: science-fiction

Read in January, 1973

Not C.S. Lewis's best or most popular book - for every person who reads this, there must be at least ten who read Narnia. However, the exchange between the humans and the Oyarsa (the angelic ruler of Malacandra/Mars) is extremely effective satire, and deserves to be better known. Ransom is the only one in the party who has been able to acquire any fluency in Malacandran. He is given the task of translating Weston's fascist rant, which he clearly rather enjoys:

'Speak to Ransom and he ...more

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Feb 08, 2008

kellyn rated it:

(review of isbn 0684823802)

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 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 we often miss. I really enjoyed it and think it will become part of my 'book consciousness'. (one of the books I often re-read throughout the year)

A discussion between Ransom and a creature of Malacandra by the name of 'Hyoi', that began with Ransom asking if the three main races of Malacandra ever fight, then Ransom must explain about warring peoples of the Earth and how they fight over resources.

"If both wanted one thing and neither would give it," said Ransom, "would the other at last come with force? Would they say, five it or we kill you?"-Ransom
"What sort of thing?"-Hyoi
"Well-foor, perhaps."-Ransom
"If the other 'hnau' wanted food, why should we not give it to them? We often do."-Hyoi
"But how if we had not enough for ourselves?"-Ransom
"But Maleldil will not stop the plants growing."-Hyoi
"Hyoi, if you had more and more young, would Maleldil broaden the 'handramit' and make enough plants for them all?"-Ransom
"But why should we have more young, 'Ren-soom'?"-Hyoi
"Is the begetting of young not a pleasure among the 'hrossa'?"-Ransom
"A very great one, 'Hman'. This is what we call love."-Hyoi
"If a thing is a pleasure, a 'hman' wants it again. He might want the pleasure more often than the number of young that could be fed."-Ransom
"You mean," said Hyoi slowly, "that he might do it not only in one or two years of his life but again?"
"Yes"-Ransom
"But why? Would he want his dinner all day or want to sleep after he had slept? I do not understand."

And so the dialogue goes. It's so great!

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Nov 03, 2008

BJ rated it:

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Read in November, 2008

No long summary here...A novel about how men dehumanize humanity.

Though it does not have to do with the one-sentence summary, I like the words of abducted Ransom before he embarks on his journey on the planet Malacandra:

"The adventure was too high, its circumstance too solemn, for any emotion save a severe delight." (Macmillan Publishing, Twenty-third Printing, 1978, 30)

And on another mater, the words of the old sorn speaking of how humanity on earth...more

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Nov 28, 2008

Ryan rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

bookshelves: sci-fi

Read in December, 2008

I'm not quite sure what to think about this book. It was good but I wasn't a huge fan of the writing style. 2 page paragraphs are hard to read. Otherwise, the descriptions of the planet are very vivid and the story is interesting but you get the feeling that there is something big they aren't telling you. Clearly, it is a good vs. evil, mankind struggling with God story. I'm hooked enough to keep going to book 2.

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Jul 15, 2007

Beguine rated it:

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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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Mar 03, 2009

Michael rated it:

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bookshelves: english-12

Read in March, 2009

Plot Summary
C.S. Lewis' novel "Out of the Silent Planet" is a book about space exploration and the discovery of new and surprising civilisations. Dr. Ransom was an unsuspecting college professor that was whisked away to a far away planet. Through a chance meeting, Ransom comes across two other professors who lure him into their house where they drug him and put him into their spherical space ship. After the initial shock of waking up in the middle of space, Ransom becomes quite e...more Plot Summary
C.S. Lewis' novel "Out of the Silent Planet" is a book about space exploration and the discovery of new and surprising civilisations. Dr. Ransom was an unsuspecting college professor that was whisked away to a far away planet. Through a chance meeting, Ransom comes across two other professors who lure him into their house where they drug him and put him into their spherical space ship. After the initial shock of waking up in the middle of space, Ransom becomes quite excited about the adventure he is now a part of. However, during the expedition Ransom learns that he is actually being brought to a planet called Malacandra as a sacrifice to the inhabitants. Now Ransom is in a fight for his life. With a narrow escape from the other men after they land, Ransom finds himself lost in a world completely different from his own; one full of colour and mystery. In this world he meets the three species: the Hrossa, the Sorns, and the Pfifltriggi. They all live in peace with eachother and each race plays it's own role in the advancement of Ransom's journey to Oyarsa; the mysterious and powerful ruler of Malacandra. Everything is up in the air when he reaches the home island of Oyarsa. He must stand before the Lord of the planet and answer to his questions about the human race and why they are there. In the end, Oyarsa will decide Ransom's as well as the other two men's fate. He will either let them go back to earth or forever erase them from existence.

Personal Response
In my opinion, C.S. Lewis has done better work. I found this novel a little boring and uneventful. The storyline didn't seem to carry any point. The characters merely went to the other planet, met some creatures, and came back. It was just interesting enough to keep me reading but no more; I didn't really look forward to reading it. The number one aspect i didn't like about this book was the style of writing. It was written in an old-fashioned, proper type of english that I found difficult to understand. More than once I found myself reading but not taking it in because I didn't know what it meant. Also, despite the fact that it was a science fiction, I didnt find the characters believable at all. Even though they were, in a sense, aliens, the creatures from Malacandra were much too "out there" for me. Despite my overall opinion of this novel, there were parts of it that I really enjoyed. I loved the way C.S. Lewis described the thoughts and emotions of Ransom with such detail. it realoly made it easy to characterize him in my own head. I also liked how the author put so much detail into the landscape and extra-terrestrial characters. It painted a very clear and colourful picture of the land he imagined. I think that this novel would appeal to a lot of people because it feeds the imagination. These days people are so eager to believe that there is something more out there because to us, thay would be the most exciting thing ever. With this novel, out imaginations can be given a face; given something else to dream of.

Quotable Quotes
1. In this quote Ransom wakes up for the first time in the space ship and realizes he has no idea where he is.
"Ransom was by now thoroughly frightened—not with the prosaic fright that a man suffers in a war, but with a heady, bounding kind of fear that was hardly distinguishable from his general excitement; he was poised on a sort of emotional watershed from which, he felt, he might at any moment pass into delirious terror or into an ecstasy of joy." (23)

2. In this quote Hyoi, a Hrossa, tells Ransom it's view on the true enjoyment of life.
"A pleasure is full grown only when it is remembered. You are speaking as if the pleasure were one thing and the memory another. It is all one thing." (89)

3. In this quote Hyoi teaches Ransom about light and the "eldila" (creatures made of light that live throughout the heavens).
"We do not truly see light, we only see slower things lit by it, so that for us light is on the edge--the last thing we know before things become too swift for us." (108)

4. In this quote Augray, a Sorn, tells Ransom about the supernatural and mystical aspects of life on Malacandra.
"These things are not strange, Small One, though they are beyond our senses."
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Dec 30, 2008

Edith rated it:

(review of isbn 0020868804)

I read this book and its companion volumes--Perelandra and That Hideous Strength--sometime after college, which must have been in the early eighties. I have re-read all three books numerous times since then.

The books show Lewis' deep love of and knowledge of European literature and languages. I stand in awe of his ability to bring together elements of Scandinavian and Celtic and Greek and Roman and English literature to create a universe that can hold the galaxy-spanning intellects ...more

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Mar 08, 2010

Nicole rated it:

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bookshelves: for-school

Read in March, 2010

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jan 03, 2010

Sarah rated it:

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Read in November, 2010

C.S. Lewis is able to write about space without the use of "space" terminology. Through the protagonist, who is unfamiliar with his surrounding, Lewis cleverly uses Ransom's colorful and sometimes vague descriptions to distract and avoid scientific answers to questions both Ransom and the reader develop as his journey progresses.

It is existential in context of the idea of humanity, variations of life form, the "oneness" with the native planet in which the creature...more

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Jun 07, 2009

Cora rated it:

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Read in June, 2009

I remember enjoying The Chronicles of Narnia, and when I saw Lewis's trilogy of science fiction books on the AP reading list, I had to get the first one and sample them. This is a quick little book that allows the reader to travel to Malacandra (which turns out to be Mars) and in the process to explore the human heart, relationships, and the good and evil at work in human existence. One of the strongest lines in it has to do with the folly of humanity in fearing death when it is inevitable. T...more

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Apr 12, 2009

Elizabeth rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

bookshelves: classics, sci-fi

Read in April, 2009

recommended to Elizabeth by: Kathryn

I really enjoyed this. It wasn't an exiting book by any means, but hearing CS Lewis write about space travel in the 1940's is surprisingly wonderful. I mean, one of the main characters is looking at the trees surrounding him and the bright blue lake and the strange grass, and wondering if he might be walking on the surface of the moon, because back then everybody thought that'd be possible. It's not ignorant, it was speculative, it was scientific. Same with the actual space voyage, where the shi...more

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Nov 14, 2009

Katie rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

Science fiction is not my preferred genre, and it was only through a good measure of self-discipline that I got through the Space Trilogy. However, it was worth the effort for this quote from Perelandra if for nothing else:

"‘It is not for nothing that you are named Ransom,’ said the Voice.
…Before his Mother had born him, before his ancestors had been called Ransoms, before ransom had been the name for a payment that delivers, before the world was made, all these thi...more

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May 12, 2009

John rated it:

(review of isbn 0020868804)

Read in May, 2009

Favorite line:
"More than anything in the world he would have liked a good cup of tea."
I know the feeling.

"Out of the Silent Planet" is the first book in C.S. Lewis' space trilogy. Usually, I skip the first two and go straight to "That Hideous Strength," which is by far my favorite of the three. This time around I decided to read all three. It had been so long since I had read "Silent Planet" that it was almost like reading a new boo...more Favorite line:
"More than anything in the world he would have liked a good cup of tea."
I know the feeling.

"Out of the Silent Planet" is the first book in C.S. Lewis' space trilogy. Usually, I skip the first two and go straight to "That Hideous Strength," which is by far my favorite of the three. This time around I decided to read all three. It had been so long since I had read "Silent Planet" that it was almost like reading a new book; I remembered only a couple of scenes.
The central character is named Ransom, and as soon as you learn his name you know he's in for a rough ride. He's kidnapped and taken to Mars in a spaceship by two unpleasant characters named Devine and Weston.
Since "Silent Planet" is written by Lewis, there is much more going on than just a story. To me, Devine represents materialism. He's only interested in Mars because he knows there is gold on the planet. He's not an interesting character.
But Devine is an interesting fellow. To me, he represents Nietzsche. He believes there is such a person as a superman for whom the end justifies the means, and he thinks he is such a person. His interest in Mars as to use it as a fallback place for the human race. He thinks the human race should be prepared to move from planet to planet to perpetuate itself indefinitely even though he doesn't seem to like actual humans.
Mars -- Malacandra to its inhabitants -- is pictured as a place where intelligent beings are living in a pre-fall existence. It's as if Lewis imagined what would have happened if a different Adam and Eve had been placed on Mars and hadn't given in to temptation.
Naturally, there's a culture clash between Devine and Weston and the Malacandrans.
Ransom, really, is an outsider looking in. Picture him as the writer of the book of Genesis. He's only incidentally part of the story, but he has firsthand knowledge of what's going on.
I think Lewis must have had a great deal of fun writing this imaginative book, and particularly creating a language for his Martians.
Science fiction isn't my genre, but if anyone could create science fiction that would hold my attention, it was C.S. Lewis. (less)

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Apr 15, 2009

Kathryn rated it:

(review of isbn 0020868804)

bookshelves: 2009

Read in April, 2009

It’s been many years since I read the C. S. Lewis Space Trilogy, which is less about Space and more about Spirtuality. (In fact, I read the Trilogy back in September of 2000.) And, thanks to the short chapters, I have kept this book by my nightstand, and have been reading a chapter or two each evening before turning in; although, this morning, I finished reading it before I went back to sleep after getting out of work early. (For those not wishing to go any further, I loved the book.)

...more It’s been many years since I read the C. S. Lewis Space Trilogy, which is less about Space and more about Spirtuality. (In fact, I read the Trilogy back in September of 2000.) And, thanks to the short chapters, I have kept this book by my nightstand, and have been reading a chapter or two each evening before turning in; although, this morning, I finished reading it before I went back to sleep after getting out of work early. (For those not wishing to go any further, I loved the book.)

The book is set in the ‘now’ (it was published in 1938). A college professor of philology (named Ransom) on a walking holiday through the English countryside meets up with a Professor Weston and someone he once knew in school (and disliked) named Devine. Upon finding out that Ransom left no forwarding address and won’t be missed, Weston and Devine drug him; when Ransom wakes up, he is on a sphere-shaped spaceship heading for the planet Malacandra. He finds out in the course of the journey that he has been brought along because the ’sorns’ wanted Weston and Devine to bring someone to them, presumably as a sacrifice. When they arrive, Ransom takes the first opportunity to escape from Weston and Devine, and thrashes through the countryside of Malacandra fleeing from the ’sorns’ to where he knows not.

Ransom meets up with sentient beings called ‘hross’, who live a relatively simple life; he lives with them and learns their language rather quickly (it’s handy that he is a philologist). He eventually learns that there is much more to Malacandra (Mars) than he had thought; that Earth (Thulcandra) is known as the ’silent planet’; and that there are three different types of sentient beings, plus unseen beings called eldil. In the course of the book, Ransom finds out what Weston and Devine are really trying to do (Devine merely wants all the gold he can get his hands on, and Weston wishes to be the vanguard of men taking over and subjugating every other planet to their will, without any consideration whatsover with whatever was on every other planet first), and that each planet has its own Oyarsa, or spiritual overseer, with the whole system being ruled and created by ‘the Old One’ and ‘Maleldil the Young’. (The Old One and Maleldil do not appear in this book.)

This is science fiction, insofar as most of the action takes place on another planet; but it is by no means ‘hard’ science fiction. We are not to wonder how Ransom can live, eat, and breathe on another planet, because it’s an immaterial issue; what matters is what he learns about the Malacandrians, and what he learns about his fellow humans, in the course of the book. It would be more accurate to call it “Spiritual Science Fiction”, with a very heavy emphasis on Christian Spirituality.

There are two more books in the Trilogy (Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength), so I will be reading Christian Science Fiction before I fall asleep each night for some time to come.(less)

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Jan 26, 2009

Nathan rated it:

(review of isbn 0020868804)

bookshelves: christianity, fiction, sci-fi, with-jen

Read in February, 2009

I always love Lewis, and this book demonstrates his vast range of creative skill. Planet is very entertaining and features a decent plot, lovely descriptive passages, and--most of all--fascinating ideas. Many of these ideas pertain to Christianity, though certainly not all, and the way we view our universe. Lewis is quick to dispense with anthropocentrism; the galaxy is filled with creatures whose existence we cannot begin to contemplate and who are just as important as humanity. I love that.
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Jun 27, 2009

Lily C rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

bookshelves: 2009, science-fiction

An imperfect book, but Lewis never fails to be thought-provoking. Here, he tackles the question of what it means to be human and what our relationship to the rest of the universe could be. The main character is quite endearing, and his academic tone adds a lot to the humor of many scenes. The two other humans in the story provide interesting contrasts. There are some sweetly breathtaking scenes, and many ideas are presented that I have been mulling over well after finishing the book. Even if you...more

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May 19, 2009

Jeremy rated it:

(review of isbn 0743234901)

bookshelves: sci-fi

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

Out of the Silent Planet tells the story of Dr. Ransom, a philologist who is kidnapped and taken to another planet by a scientist and a businessman.

Not a captivating book by any means, the story progresses through his kindnapping, escape on another world, becoming familiar with the inhabitants of the world, and return to Earth.

For me, fiction of this sort is most enjoyable when pulling for the protagonist or marvelling at the world created by the author. I had difficulty...more Out of the Silent Planet tells the story of Dr. Ransom, a philologist who is kidnapped and taken to another planet by a scientist and a businessman.

Not a captivating book by any means, the story progresses through his kindnapping, escape on another world, becoming familiar with the inhabitants of the world, and return to Earth.

For me, fiction of this sort is most enjoyable when pulling for the protagonist or marvelling at the world created by the author. I had difficulty imagining the scenery as described by Lewis, and I did not really develop an interest in the protagonist or the society of the new world described in the book.

Lewis is also known as a philosopher, and so I was looking forward to an allegory with moral overtones. These messages did not appear until late in the book, and were pretty sparse.

However, I would like to highlight four things that were interesing to me. First were his descriptions of travel through space. The book was published well before humanity travelled above the Earth's atmosphere and the voyage he imagines ties space closely with an idea of heaven.

Second was the idea of a society with a division of talents. The world Ransom visits has three indigenous species, each with a different talent not shared by the others. One group are poets, another artificers, and another scientists. They all live in peace because they respect the each others' strengths and the synergy of their coexistence. They suggest that there is so much conflict on Earth because humanity doesn't have a complementary species. It made me think about how men and women complement each other, yet conflict still happens.

Third, all the beings on the new world are content. One expresses to Ransom that the memory of an experience is more important than the experience itself, because it means more in context. Death actually makes every experience mean more, and is something to be anticipated, not feared. An interesting idea. I'm not sure how to feel about the idea that a memory is better than an experience, but it is food for thought.

Finally, Lewis makes a commentary on imperialism. The scientist who kidnaps Ransom intends to claim the new world for Earth, subdue the indigenous creatures, and colonize it with humanity. His argument is a Darwinian "survival of the fittest" idea. The scientist feels it is his duty to ensure the survival of the species through any means necessary. Killing or exploiting other sentient beings is not a crime, because might makes right.

It made me consider the treatment of Native Americans, Ainu, Africans, etc., by more technologically advanced cultures. The excuse given for barbarity was always that the others were savages -- less than human because of a lack of technology. It doesn't seem like such an argument would ever fly today. Why was it accepted then?

This book is only the first in a trilogy, and other themes introduced late in the book are not developed. I hope that the following books expand on the beginning made in this one with more thought provoking ideas. I wonder if I would find this book a much more enjoyable read after having read the full trilogy.(less)

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Feb 23, 2009

Kimball rated it:

(review of isbn 0007157150)

Read in March, 2009

I'm not sure how C.S. Lewis does it, but he is a master of quite a variety of genres. This book actually read more like a short story, in part because it was somewhat short, and also because it was quite compelling. Truly though, this is quintessential sci-fi (if you have concerns about sci-fi, see note at bottom).

I won't add any spoilers because this book is so short and good that it's an easy and quick read for most. But Lewis does a great job of introducing characters, but tant...more I'm not sure how C.S. Lewis does it, but he is a master of quite a variety of genres. This book actually read more like a short story, in part because it was somewhat short, and also because it was quite compelling. Truly though, this is quintessential sci-fi (if you have concerns about sci-fi, see note at bottom).

I won't add any spoilers because this book is so short and good that it's an easy and quick read for most. But Lewis does a great job of introducing characters, but tantalizing you with who they really are (even if some are simple). He also provides the science (at least as it stood at the time of the writing) as a backdrop, without forcing it to the forefront as the star player.

The real beauty of the book was two-fold. One, the reader is really made to reflect on their own belief and view of the world and the universe. And it goes beyond that to our view of others around us, especially our earth-view. Secondly, Lewis paints a beautiful picture of Malacandra. I could envision each landscape he described, and it made the entire book more real to me.

All in all a fun read, and one that evokes true science fiction.

*** NOTE: In my mind, the point of science fiction is to make you think...hard. The science is important as a supporting role, but doesn't necessarily make a movie good sci-fi. In fact, I think those sci-fi B-movies that are on late at night with very little plot give sci-fi a bad name, though they are somewhat fun to watch late at night for a good laugh. :) True sci-fi makes you wonder about your current life, and makes you wonder about things you may never have thought about. It elicits your imagination like few other genres do. And quite often it leaves you to finalize things in your own mind, not entirely wrapping things up in a package at the end. Because if it did, it would take away that gift it gives, the power of the reader to think! Just my $0.02, but the reasons why I love good sci-fi...and what real science fiction is.(less)

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Jul 18, 2007

Catie rated it:

(review of isbn 0743234901)

I know that this could send me straight to hell, but I found this book boring. Yes, boring. As a result, I didn't go on to read the last two books; maybe it would change my perspective of this one. When it comes to fiction, I think Lewis should have stuck to children's literature, primarily.

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Apr 28, 2009

Andrew rated it:

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The first in a loosely connected science fiction trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet introduces us to the English professor Dr. Elwin Ransom. He is kidnapped by the ever-logical Weston and his partner Devine, who just happened to have discovered the secrets of space flight, and brought along on a voyage to Mars to be offered as a sacrifice to the native Martians. As it turns out, the Martians have no interest in sacrifices; it was merely a misunderstanding by Weston, whom, stuck in his humanist ...more

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