What was C.S. Lewis’s first published novel in his science-fiction trilogy?

Out of the Silent Planet was C.S. Lewis’s first published novel in his science-fiction trilogy. It appeared in 1938 and introduced the philologist Elwin Ransom, who becomes the central figure of the sequence.

The story sends Ransom from Earth to the planet Malacandra, known to humans as Mars. Lewis combines planetary adventure with invented languages, theology, and a critique of colonial attitudes. The novel’s setting and vocabulary distinguish it from his later children’s fantasy about Narnia.

The trilogy continues with Perelandra, published in 1943, and concludes with That Hideous Strength, published in 1945. Although the books are often called the Space Trilogy or Ransom Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet is the first volume, not the final one.