THE COSMIC TRILOGY: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength [Import] [Paperback]

C. S. Lewis (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 753 pages
• Publisher: Pan Books; New Ed edition (1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0330313746
• ISBN-13: 978-0330313742
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 4.3 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #342,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Clive Staples Lewis (1898-1963), known as Jack to his friends, was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably the most influential Christian writer of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance English at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. His major contributions in literary criticism, children's literature, fantasy literature, and popular theology brought him international renown and acclaim. Lewis and his good friend J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the The Lord of the Rings, were part of the Inklings, an informal writers' club that met at a local pub to discuss story ideas. Lewis's fascination with fairy tales, myths, and ancient legends, coupled with inspiration drawn from his childhood, led him to write The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, one of the best-loved books of all time. Six further books followed to become the immensely popular The Chronicles of Narnia. The final title in the series, The Last Battle, won the Carnegie Medal, one of the highest marks of excellence in children's literature. His other distinguished and popular accomplishments include Out of the Silent Planet, The Four Loves, The Screwtape Letters, and Mere Christianity.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars this should be more popular, August 25, 2004

By 

M. Kieswetter - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: THE COSMIC TRILOGY: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength (Paperback)

With lots of attention on Tolkien's work, and a film adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe on the way, hopefully more people will discover this wonderful trilogy.

This is C.S. Lewis' fictional series for adults. I find some of his nonfiction apologetic writing to be a bit 'stuffy' (minus the brutal realism of "A Grief Observed"), but his fictional works are fun and fantastic.

The Cosmic (or Space) Trilogy follows the heroic Dr. Ransom on his adventures. He's something of an unlikely hero... heck, he's an Oxford scholar. The first bit of Out of the Silent Planet, the first installment, is a bit slow, but once you exit the Earth's atmosphere it really picks up.

OOTSP follows Ransom on a voyage to Mars. Lewis' interpretation of space flight is quite interesting, too. On Mars (I believe called "Malacandra") he encounters three species. To be honest, I don't remember many of the details of the plot, but rest assured, it's good.

Perelandra takes him to Venus, to a world that has not fallen into a state of sin. It's a sort of extended meditation on sin and the fall. Lewis' depiction of Ransom's arch nemesis, when 'possessed' (I forget his name) is chilling.

That Hideous Strength takes the battle between good and evil to Earth. Again, it starts off a bit slow. Instead of one Oxford scholar, you have a whole bunch. Parts of it reminds me of Hume's "Dialogues..." actually. Oh yeah, there's a bear too. Ransom has become a very wise and powerful man, and the story revolves around their quest to get the ancient magician Merlin on their side to fight the forces of evil.

Those who like fantasy literature should definitely give this series a chance. Also, check into "The Dark Tower," an unfinished story that (I believe) was written after Out of the Silent Planet, featuring some of the same characters. The fancy Oxford guys uncover a parallel universe, and chaos ensues. There's actually some interesting sexual imagery one wouldn't expect from Lewis.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb, May 12, 2011

By 

COlin - See all my reviews

This review is from: THE COSMIC TRILOGY: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength (Paperback)

This is my favorite book of all time, and I have read some classics. The intelligence and insight with which C.S. Lewis writes this book is astonishing. I have delighted in the pages of this book many times and reccomend everyone revel in it's glory.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Fiction, March 12, 2010

By 

Eric A. Brasure "Whip of Cords Radio" (Nashville, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: THE COSMIC TRILOGY: Out of the Silent Planet; Perelandra; That Hideous Strength (Paperback)

The imagery within these tales is without a doubt the most mind blowing and powerful I have ever read. Interestingly, as you delve deeper into the tale you are confronted with foundational strokes at theology that seep so naturally within the text...simply brilliant.