What was the first title in C.S. Lewis’s science-fiction Space Trilogy?
Answer
Out of the Silent Planet
Out of the Silent Planet was the first title in C.S. Lewis’s science-fiction Space Trilogy.
Published in 1938, the novel introduces Elwin Ransom, a philologist who is abducted from Earth and transported to Malacandra. The story uses an interplanetary adventure to examine language, civilization, temptation, and the consequences of human violence.
The trilogy continues with Perelandra, released in 1943, and concludes with That Hideous Strength, released in 1945. The books are also called the Ransom Trilogy because Ransom appears as the central protagonist in all three.
This title is distinct from Lewis’s Narnia books, which are fantasy novels for children and families. Out of the Silent Planet instead belongs to the tradition of philosophical science fiction and reflects Lewis’s interest in medieval cosmology as well as modern technology.