An utterly fascinating, nearly timeless novel

When I first attempted to read C.S. Lewis' science fiction novel Out of the Silent Planet, I put it down after reading only a chapter or two. I was put off by the pure British-ness of the language, the relative slowness of the plot, even the use of single rather than double quotation marks.

I am ashamed that those minor foibles delayed me from experiencing this excellent piece of work. The book is the first of three installments involving the estimable Dr. Ransom, who is described as a philologist. Now, I didn't know what that word meant, so I looked it up. It's someone who studies linguistical history and evolution, which, I suppose, is something like etymology.

Ransom is out having a walk one day, when he is kidnapped by two ruffians, one of whom happens to be a former colleague of Ransom's. The two, Weston and Devine, drug Ransom and take him aboard a homemade spaceship (Weston is the foremost physics mind in the world). Once aboard, they transport themselves and Ransom to another planet over the period of several months. Ransom doesn't know where they are going, and Weston and Devine don't bother to tell him -- except to tell him that the planet is called Malacandra to its inhabitants. Ransom is also able to glean that he is to be sold or given to one of those inhabitants, which of course fills him with atavistic dread.

Once the ship lands, Ransom manages to escape onto the Malacandran countryside, which is a fantastic place filled with hot springs, too-tall trees and impossible mountains. To his astonishment, he meets one of the inhabitants, called a hrossa, and finds it to be a perfectly civilized creature. It is intelligent, lives in a harmonious tribal culture and takes Ransom in as a friend. Thanks to Ransom's linguistic skills, he learns much of the creatures' language, enough to converse fairly fluently. Ransom becomes attached to the creatures and learns of another, higher being that they serve, called the Oyarsa.

It seems that the Oyarsa has called for an audience with Ransom. As far as the Hrossa are concerned, Oyarsa is not to be denied. So Ransom goes on another strange trek across the Malacandran country, meets more and different Malacandrans, and finally reaches Oyarsa.

What is Oyarsa? Oyarsa can perhaps be described as the spirit king of the planet Malacandra -- which, Ransom learns, is known as Mars to humans. Ransom learns from this being that all the planets in the solar system, save one, have their own Oyarsa, and that they are all ancient, puissant creatures created by the great Maleldil, who is greater than them all. And the one planet without an Oyarsa is called Thulcandra, or 'silent planet.' Thulcandra once had an Oyarsa, but it became bent and evil, and Maleldil confined it to its world. And that world is none other than Earth. The bent Oyarsa has taken over the silent planet and caused most of its inhabitants to be bent as well. Sound familiar?

Ransom also learns that he has come to Malacandra for a reason, and that the current age has come to an end. War on the bent Oyarsa is coming, and Ransom will be involved.

Even as I write this, I remember with chills the dialogue between Ransom and Oyarsa as the human discovers these truths and their implications. C.S. Lewis was a master of creating powerful conversation, and using it to describe personal beliefs in a compelling and convincing way.

I believe Lewis was a prophet. Perhaps this story is only that, a story. But it's obvious that the man thought, prayed, studied without end to articulate what he believed to be the truth. And as strange as it seems (and as anachronistic -- we've seen pictures of the actual Mars), his creation seems almost plausible. Remember -- this story and the two that follow it were written more than fifty years ago.

Lewis was trying to make a point. I believe that at least one of his points was that we can't possibly understand everything. That the messages of the Bible could be true in ways we couldn't possibly conceive without more information.

Lewis also wants to give a moral message, and he succeeds. The life of the Malacandrans is beautiful, filled with duty, honor, pleasures and knowledge. There is no true word in Malacandran for 'evil.' The closest they can come is 'bent.' There is no killing of sentient creatures, whom they name 'hnau,' though they do hunt animals. There is no fear of death, for every hnau knows he is to be with Maleldil when he dies. It is an existence I myself coveted while I read the book. Lewis believes that the major factor holding humans back is disobedience from God. The Malacandrans have been obedient -- as has their Oyarsa -- and they are happy.

This has been a rambling review, but my central message is to give this book a chance. If you find it offputting, stick with it. Once Ransom meets the hrossa and begins to converse, you won't be able to put it down. And you'll be glad you didn't.

Note: As I mentioned before, Lewis wrote two other novels in the Space trilogy, called Perelandra, where Ransom goes to Venus, and That Hideous Strength, where he battles the forces of evil on our own soil. Each is magnificent, with Perelandrabeing my favorite of the three. I will write a review in the coming weeks.