Which C.S. Lewis science-fiction novel is set on the fictional planet Malacandra?

C.S. Lewis’s science-fiction novel set on the fictional planet Malacandra is Out of the Silent Planet. Published in 1938, it is the first book in Lewis’s space trilogy.

The protagonist, philologist Elwin Ransom, is abducted and taken from Earth to Malacandra. The planet is inhabited by several intelligent species, including the hrossa, séroni, and pfifltriggi. Lewis uses the voyage to contrast Earth’s violence and moral disorder with a wider inhabited cosmos.

In the novel, Earth is called Thulcandra, meaning the “silent planet.” The title therefore refers to Earth’s isolation from the harmonious interplanetary community described in the story. The book blends planetary adventure with linguistic invention, theology, and criticism of imperial exploitation.

The two sequels are Perelandra, published in 1943, and That Hideous Strength, published in 1945. The three books are often called the Space Trilogy, though each has a distinct setting and narrative emphasis.