Out Of The Silent Planet By C.S. Lewis Essay, Research Paper

C.S. Lewis produced a book that conveys vivid scenery, relatable characters, and a vague but detailed plot that gave rise to a novel with wonderful clarity. Out of the Silent Planet is an account of the voyage of Ransom, a linguist, who is kidnapped and taken to another planet, Malacandra (Mars). Where he learns that Thulcandra (Earth) is called the silent planet because there has been no communication from it in years. On the voyage there he is led to believe he will be sacrificed. Instead, the creatures that inhabit the other world reveal extraordinary secrets about the nature of man and the universe to him. Ransom is ultimately sent back to Thulcandra with the two earthlings who had kidnapped him.

The book is told in such a way that tries to convince the reader that it actually happened, or at least could have happened, and it was able to convince me. As the character Ransom walked across England the reader felt as if beside him the whole way. When he visited Mars, even with the bizarre scenery it seemed so real.

“He saw nothing but colours – colours that refused to form themselves into things. Moreover, he new nothing yet well enough to see it: you can not see things till you know roughly what they are. His first impression was a bright, pale world – a water-coloured world out of a child’s paint box.”

Lewis also has a gift for making strong points in his novel without making the reader feel guilty, because he uses such human characters that are filled with normal and relatable flaws. Even with the main character’s name, Ransom he sends a message, because as you read this book, you will see how his name comes to play. This book is very involved and it’s not a book to be taken lightly. This is a book with a lot of inner meaning. It talks about the dark side of humanity. Filled with comedy, action, suspense and science fiction. But though it’s not a very long book, it really doesn’t need to be.

The plot was uncertain at times but overall was detailed enough to present the over all struggle of one mans’ journey through the cosmos. The transitions from one chapter to the next were very well organized. Through many weeks passes in the book, it seamed to flow into one seamless efficiently written story.

The worst thing a reader could say is that they learned nothing from reading. If a person is going to spend time reading, they shouldn’t be wasting their time. This is what makes this book so noteworthy. It was entertaining, yet it provided some insights never thought of. This book is well written, thought provoking, and exciting. Some really good food for thought but the plot cleaned up at the end a little too well, ending overly fabricated. Out of the Silent Planet is a sci-fi story with a difference. A criticism on the belief in interplanetary colonization, the title suggests aliens from a possibly hostile planet and yet the planet in the title is Earth.