Perelandra, by C.S. Lewis

In <i>Out of the Silent Planet</i>, C.S. Lewis speculated on what visiting a different world (on Mars) might be like, particularly an older, more established, and less corrupt one than our own.  This second novel of the space trilogy is C.S. Lewis's idea of what the Genesis story might be like if God chose to create a newer world of living creatures, including persons, on the planet Venus.  It is also a speculation of how human beings, with our own sad experience, might help them avoid our mistakes.  Lewis's talent for creating believable characters, creatures, and fantasy environments is just as good and as absorbing here as in the <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i>.  As with the first book the main themes of the novel are of course the struggle between good and evil and the great privilege and responsibility of free will.  Already looking forward to reading the third book in the trilogy.

Out of the Silent Planet, by C. S. Lewis

I am not much of a science fiction person, so I did not think I would like this book.  But C.S. Lewis is one of my favorite writers, so I gave it a go.  And I'm glad I did.  As in <i>The Chronicles of Narnia</i>, Lewis creates a very convincing world and characters--one I could lose myself in.  Setting the story in another planet with different life forms and different ways of life offers plenty of opportunity to examine ideas and attitudes that are taken for granted today, but that are actually disordered and unnatural.

Already looking forward to <i>Perelandra</i>,  the next in the series.