About this title: Dr. Ransom is kidnapped and transported by spaceship to the red planet Malacandra. When he escapes, he jeopardizes not only his chances to return home, but his very life. This is the first in Lewis's Space Trilogy; he acknowledges his debt to H. G. Wells in an author's note.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Edition: Macmillan Paperbacks
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Publisher: Macmillan, New York
Date Published: 1965
Description: Good. 160 p.; 18 cm. Cover art by Bernard Symancyk. "08688. " "The beginning of a celebrated space trilogy which is continued in Perelandra and That hideous strength. "--Cover. read more
Edition: Reprint.
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., New York
Date Published: 1975
Description: Fair. No dust jacket as issued. Highlighting/underlining. 1975 Macmillan paperback. NOT EX LIB! Clean, lightly tanned pages with some reading wear, creased spine, moderate edgewear, pg. 33 has small side edge tear, mild cover scuffing. 160 p. A novel. The first of a trilogy, the title of the second being Perelandra and that of the third That hideous strength. "First published in 1938. Reprinted...1946. " read more
Description: Good. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Mass-market paperback
Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Company
Date Published: 1965
ISBN-13:9780020869108ISBN:002086910X
Description: Very good. No dust jacket as issued. some crimping and wear to cover; highlighting on first page only; RTB346. Space Trilogy (Paperback). Audience: General/trade. read more
Binding: Perfect Bound Paper
Publisher: MacMillan
Date Published: 1979
Description: Good + to Very Good- Mass Market Paperback. 16mo-over 5¾"-6¾" tall. Light to moderate wear. Ex-Library with usual attachments and markings. Light sticker residue front wrap. Clean. (Store Display-Sci Fi) read more
"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 don't agree with everything Lewis presents (I, for one, was startled and disappointed that the main character craved meat upon returning to Earth, despite having had an eye-opening experience with other species, but that's another story...), his writing does make you take a good look at your own ideas and beliefs.
I'm intrigued, and will definitely be looking for the rest of the trilogy."
"This is one of C.S. Lewis' lesser known, but no less amazing works. Its a philosophical, psychological, theological, and scientific work of fiction. Those who loved Narnia will love this book."
"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. The people of Malacandra have no coffins, no funerals, some sorrow but no intense grief,and they all live out the life expectancy except for accidents (or the intrusion of a murderer on the planet such as the one who comes from Earth on a space ship).
The story is at first probably a little less engaging than The Chronicles, but the reader does get attached to the main character Ransom because he has a good heart but is quite driven by fear. It turns out that his fear can be conquered, and I really intend to read the other two books when I can steal the time."
"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."
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