That Hideous Strength
Space Trilogy, Book 3
By C.S. Lewis

That Hideous Strength is the third book in Lewis’ Space Trilogy or Cosmic Trilogy, and on the surface it diverges greatly from the previous two books. It follows the adventures of a young couple, Mark and Jane Studdock, as he becomes deeply enmeshed in an institution known as the National Institute of Co-ordinated Experiments, or N.I.C.E. As Mark falls in deeper with the people of N.I.C.E., Jane increasingly becomes dissatisfied with their life together and she is haunted by strange dreams. A friend gives her an address, where she comes into contact a group of people led by Dr. Ransom, who is now known as the Director. Virtually crippled by his injury on Perelandra, Ransom works to destroy the rising threat from the evil eldils on Earth, and Jane must work with him before it is too late.

I don’t know if it was the setting of this book or something else, but I didn’t enjoy That Hideous Strength nearly as much as Out of The Silent Planet and Perelandra. It seemed to move a lot slower than the previous books and it didn’t hold my attention as easily.

The book continued the struggle against evil from the previous novels, eventually ending in a temporary resolution to the conflict. I would recommed reading this book for continuity’s sake, but the previous stories could stand on their own without it.

There are several references to sex, and it seems to be a minor theme in parts of the novel, so it is probably not appropriate for younger readers. There is nothing explicit, but the themes are beyond younger readers’ understanding. There are also several graphic scenes of violence which would probably not be appropriate for a younger audience.

This review originally appeared 6 October 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

Perelandra
The Space Trilogy, Book 2
By C.S. Lewis

Dr. Ransom is called up by the Oyarsa of Malacandra to travel to Perelandra, known to humans as the planet Venus. He discovers an Eden-like paradise, in which he must prevent the Un-man, a possessed form of Dr. Weston, from turning Perelandra into a fallen world.

I really enjoyed this book. It was an interesting look at what our first parents (from a Christian perspective) may have been like. The Perelandrans, like Adam and Eve, are the beginning of a new race, with all the innocence said to exist in Eden.

Lewis suggests the idea that if Eve had resisted Satan’s temptations, we, too, could be living in a paradise, with no modern distractions like technology or even clothing to drive people to wickedness.

If you enjoyed the first book in the Space Trilogy, it’s likely you will enjoy this one as well, although it gets a little more philosophical in parts. All-in-all I think it’s an excellent sequel to Out of The Silent Planet.

This review originally appeared 28 September 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com

Out of the Silent Planet
The Space Trilogy, Book 1
By C.S. Lewis

This first book in C.S. Lewis’ so-called ‘Space Trilogy’ or ‘Cosmic Trilogy’ follows the adventures of Dr. Elwin Ransom on the planet Malacandra. Ransom is kidnapped by a pair of fellow scientists who have secretly built a spaceship. When they reach the planet Malacandra, they try to hand him over to a group of native creatures, sorns, but Ransom escapes, becoming lost on the strange world.

He meets and lives with a village of hross, who teach him the ways of Malacandra. He eventually is brought before the governor of the planet, Oyarsa, where he learns that everything he knows about the universe, religion, and humanity in general is completely and utterly wrong.

Interwoven with bits of religion, philosophy, mythology, fantasy, and science fiction, Out of the Silent Planet is not truly a member of any of these genres. Rather, it is a brief study of ‘civilized’ human ideals and motives couched within a fairy tale.

I first picked up this book when I was about thirteen, and at the time I knew nothing of C.S. Lewis beyond his Chronicles of Narnia. I only made it through the first couple of chapters before I grew tired of the style and slightly philosophical nature of the book. I was looking for a true adventure story, and this didn’t fit the bill. I would not recommend it to younger readers, simply on the basis that they will likely grow bored with the narrative style, but as an adult I really enjoyed the book and look forward to reading the next in the trilogy.

This review originally appeared 21 September 2012 on fantasyreviewer.com