What was the last novel published during C.S. Lewis’s lifetime?
Answer
Till We Have Faces
Till We Have Faces was the last novel published during C.S. Lewis’s lifetime.
Published in 1956, the novel retells the ancient myth of Cupid and Psyche from the viewpoint of Orual, a queen who struggles with love, jealousy, faith, and accusation. Lewis described it as a retelling of the myth, but its psychological depth and narrative voice make it substantially different from the Narnia books.
The book was Lewis’s final completed novel. He continued writing essays, letters, religious works, and autobiographical material afterward, but he did not publish another novel before his death in 1963.
The Last Battle is often mistaken for the answer because it is the final published Narnia novel. That book appeared in 1956 as well, but Till We Have Faces is the final novel in Lewis’s entire fiction output published during his lifetime.