That Hideous Strength (life imitates art)
Review of “That Hideous Strength” by C. S. Lewis. This is the final novel in the 3-book science fiction series by the great Christian allegorist. I liked this series (written before and during WW2 and before the excellent Narnia books). I think that I got the author’s key points and agree with the messages that he sought to deliver.
“That Hideous Strength” takes place primarily in an English college town and especially within the community of academics and professors from the colleges. A lot of the story involves internal political intrigues involving the dusty self-important college faculty and administration.
There are lots of references to historical English figures (real and fictional), which American readers of this century may not recognize. The first half of the book is a slow slog for this reason.
The element in the community that calls itself “progressive” and English elites are navigating the arrival of an organization called “N.I.C.E” (the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments).
In the second half of the book, it becomes evident that “N.I.C.E.” is far from “nice.” In fact, they are the puppet for supernatural forces (the “Macrobes”) that wishes to remake the earth, to the great detriment of the humans, animals, and plants that inhabit the planet.
These supernatural forces don’t like what God created and want to create a sterile replacement. Most living things (including people) would be removed or reengineered. The N.I.C.E. folks have launched the war and it’s up to the humbler people (and some great supernatural help from God’s side) to save the day.
The book is make more difficult by the dusty English background. But it is still relevant as commentary and warning. As I read this novel, I thought, “You could take this book’s manuscript and do some simple word substitutions. The result would be a very credible image of our current world.”
For example, replace the English colleges and locations with American equivalents from the Ivy League and Northeast U.S. Replace the English figures with prominent members of the radical progressive political, academic and scientific communities. Replace “N.I.C.E.” with “World Economic Forum.”
The Great Reset and Green New Deal sound a great deal like the programs pushed by the N.I.C.E. and Macrobes. The transhumanist agenda of “That Hideous Strength” sounds a lot like the current attacks upon the nuclear family, promotion of abortion and the sexualization of children. Once again, it seems that life is imitating art.
Spoiler alerts: Good wins in “That Hideous Strength.” In real life, the Day of the Lord is coming soon. Good wins.
“That Hideous Strength” takes place primarily in an English college town and especially within the community of academics and professors from the colleges. A lot of the story involves internal political intrigues involving the dusty self-important college faculty and administration.
There are lots of references to historical English figures (real and fictional), which American readers of this century may not recognize. The first half of the book is a slow slog for this reason.
The element in the community that calls itself “progressive” and English elites are navigating the arrival of an organization called “N.I.C.E” (the National Institute of Coordinated Experiments).
In the second half of the book, it becomes evident that “N.I.C.E.” is far from “nice.” In fact, they are the puppet for supernatural forces (the “Macrobes”) that wishes to remake the earth, to the great detriment of the humans, animals, and plants that inhabit the planet.
These supernatural forces don’t like what God created and want to create a sterile replacement. Most living things (including people) would be removed or reengineered. The N.I.C.E. folks have launched the war and it’s up to the humbler people (and some great supernatural help from God’s side) to save the day.
The book is make more difficult by the dusty English background. But it is still relevant as commentary and warning. As I read this novel, I thought, “You could take this book’s manuscript and do some simple word substitutions. The result would be a very credible image of our current world.”
For example, replace the English colleges and locations with American equivalents from the Ivy League and Northeast U.S. Replace the English figures with prominent members of the radical progressive political, academic and scientific communities. Replace “N.I.C.E.” with “World Economic Forum.”
The Great Reset and Green New Deal sound a great deal like the programs pushed by the N.I.C.E. and Macrobes. The transhumanist agenda of “That Hideous Strength” sounds a lot like the current attacks upon the nuclear family, promotion of abortion and the sexualization of children. Once again, it seems that life is imitating art.
Spoiler alerts: Good wins in “That Hideous Strength.” In real life, the Day of the Lord is coming soon. Good wins.
No comments have been added yet.
