Perelandra is the 1943 C.S. Lewis novel set primarily on the fictional planet Perelandra, also called Venus.
It is the second book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy, following Out of the Silent Planet and preceding That Hideous Strength. The protagonist, Elwin Ransom, travels to Perelandra and encounters a newly created world whose inhabitants face a test involving obedience, temptation, and the direction of their civilization.
Lewis imagines Perelandra as a planet covered largely by floating islands and ocean. The setting allows him to explore biblical and philosophical themes through planetary fantasy rather than through a direct retelling of Christian scripture. The novel’s conflict centers on whether the planet’s first inhabitants will accept a forbidden fixed land.
A common error is to identify Perelandra as the name of the trilogy. It is specifically the title of the middle novel and the name of its world. The trilogy begins on Mars, moves to Venus, and returns to Earth in its final volume.