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The Space Trilogy #3.5
The Dark Tower: And Other Stories
Available from HarperOne, now the exclusive publisher of all of C. S. Lewis’s adult religious books, a repackaged edition of the revered author’s definitive collection of short fiction, which explores enduring spiritual and science fiction themes such as space, time, reality, fantasy, God, and the fate of humankind.
From C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—comes a collection of his dazzling short fiction.
This collection of futuristic fiction includes a breathtaking science fiction story written early in his career in which Cambridge intellectuals witness the breach of space-time through a chronoscope—a telescope that looks not just into another world, but into another time.
As powerful, inventive, and profound as his theological and philosophical works, The Dark Tower reveals another side of Lewis’s creative mind and his longtime fascination with reality and spirituality. It is ideal reading for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis’s longtime friend and colleague.
From C.S. Lewis—the great British writer, scholar, lay theologian, broadcaster, Christian apologist, and author of Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, The Chronicles of Narnia, and many other beloved classics—comes a collection of his dazzling short fiction.
This collection of futuristic fiction includes a breathtaking science fiction story written early in his career in which Cambridge intellectuals witness the breach of space-time through a chronoscope—a telescope that looks not just into another world, but into another time.
As powerful, inventive, and profound as his theological and philosophical works, The Dark Tower reveals another side of Lewis’s creative mind and his longtime fascination with reality and spirituality. It is ideal reading for fans of J. R. R. Tolkien, Lewis’s longtime friend and colleague.
240 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 1977
385 people are currently reading
5793 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Lewis
1,014 books47.6k followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
Clive Staples Lewis was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954. He was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement. He wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. His most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.
Lewis was married to poet Joy Davidman.
W.H. Lewis was his elder brother]
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 428 reviews
December 22, 2011
Previously unaware of its existence, I was excited to stumble upon this at the library.
The Dark Tower I found intriguing, and wished that Lewis had developed and completed it.
The Man Born Blind, reminiscent of Poe. (that threw me for a loop.)
After Ten Years, a myth retold, also made me wish it had been completed. Reading the opening, and gradually realizing where you are and what's going on was exciting.
Basically, every story was pretty interesting in its own right, if not polished. But of course they weren't polished - they were unfinished manuscripts. I see a lot of people aren't impressed with this work, but obviously Lewis wasn't either, or it would have been published, right? I just kind of get the impression that I've been let in on a little secret - the unpublished scribblings and revelations of ideas from the mind of a great author.
The Dark Tower I found intriguing, and wished that Lewis had developed and completed it.
The Man Born Blind, reminiscent of Poe. (that threw me for a loop.)
After Ten Years, a myth retold, also made me wish it had been completed. Reading the opening, and gradually realizing where you are and what's going on was exciting.
Basically, every story was pretty interesting in its own right, if not polished. But of course they weren't polished - they were unfinished manuscripts. I see a lot of people aren't impressed with this work, but obviously Lewis wasn't either, or it would have been published, right? I just kind of get the impression that I've been let in on a little secret - the unpublished scribblings and revelations of ideas from the mind of a great author.
September 11, 2017
Where was he going with The Dark Tower?? It's maddening! Ah, it started so well.
Not all tales in this short story sci-fi collection are equally as good, but most are interesting and the title work alone, unfinished though it be, makes the book worth purchasing.
Update: here is a photo of The Dark Tower itself - or, rather, the tower of Cambridge University Library, of which the Dark Tower was an exact replica being built in Othertime:
(click for higher resolution)
Not all tales in this short story sci-fi collection are equally as good, but most are interesting and the title work alone, unfinished though it be, makes the book worth purchasing.
Update: here is a photo of The Dark Tower itself - or, rather, the tower of Cambridge University Library, of which the Dark Tower was an exact replica being built in Othertime:
(click for higher resolution)
June 24, 2023
I really enjoyed this collection of short stories and novel fragments by one of my favorite authors.
The Dark Tower: I really wish this book had been finished, but much of the imagery and the philosophies and mythologies come up in other ways in Lewis's later books. For instance, this is believed to be a potential sequel to Out of the Silent Planet, which was originally a standalone book, and Lewis never finished this, but then, he wrote Perelandra and That Hideous Strength and explored the more dystopian aspects of modernity in a different way. I also see the issue Lewis has with the modern woman in particular conveyed through Susan in the Narnia series and through Jane before her transformation in THS.
Anyway, this book fragment is VERY weird. Basically, these men are on campus at Oxford, and one of their group members, Orfieu, is talking to them about time travel and how he's figured out a way to do it that makes sense. The beginning of the book is all about Orfieu's philosophy of time, which I find fascinating, and then, he reveals that he has a device that can replicate the Z substance in the human brain that deals with memory and allow people to travel through time. The whole scene is basically like The Time Machine with these men talking about this machine that can bring you through time. But the differences are major because the men share the experience, and they don't actually have to leave the room. The time "traveling" happens via a screen they can all watch together, and it shows them an Othertime that takes place in the Dark Tower, which the men recognize but can't place. Strange things happen in the Dark Tower, and there's a strange society and religion being played out in front of their eyes. It builds from there, and what follows is entertaining and disturbing. The tone of the book stands out as being very eerie, reminding me of the tone in THS. There's always a feeling of wrongness, even when they're not watching Othertime but talking about it. Of course, as Hooper points out, the idea of an Othertime, another dimension, essentially, to our world, comes up in the Narnia books. Technically, the Pevensies time travel, but that's not what they're actually doing. I really wish Lewis had finished this book, but I'm happy with what he wrote instead. Apparently, some people don't believe Lewis wrote even what we have of The Dark Tower, but if you've read the space books, you can see that he wrote it. It has soooo many similarities to OOTSP and THS, especially, that I don't know how anyone can argue that Hooper wrote it instead.
The Man Born Blind: This story wasn't that interesting (the title says it all--he's born blind then gets an operation to give him sight) until the end. It's philosophical, but that ending is so haunting...
The Shoddy Lands: Another story in which Lewis explores his strange aversion to the modern woman. It's really weird. the protagonist ends up in the head of his student's fiancée and what he sees allows him to understand her and the way she sees herself and the world. He wonders at the end if other people have ended up in his mind, but the whole story is really condemning the modern woman and her obsession with clothes, shoes, jewelry, pretty things, and herself. It's interesting, to say the least, but with the drastic change (at least outwardly) that hit society in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, I can understand why Lewis would feel a bit shook.
Ministering Angels: Super weird. Someone said that, if men were to go to Mars consistently (because it would be just men, mind you), society would need to send "nice girls to Mars at regular intervals to relieve tensions and promote morale" (his name's not important). So, Lewis ran with that idea. He sets this story on Mars and has these two "nice girls" sent out to keep the men company (wink, wink) in order to tide them over during their six-month stint on Mars. Now, the two women they send...well, they symbolize two of Lewis's aversions to female behavior--an old, obese, washed-up prostitute and an educated woman who believes in science and psychology and nothing else. I can't make this stuff up. Lewis did, though.
Forms of Things Unknown: you gotta love an author who quotes his own book in the epigraph to his short story. So, basically, there's this idea that whatever myths we have on earth are realities on other planets, that there can't really be surprises in the universe because we know about it all, we just don't believe it all (the Ancient Aliens guys would love this concept). Now, Lewis imagines a man going to the moon for humanity's fourth attempt. Why fourth? The first three landings were successful, but once the men (yes, all men again) transmitted their landing to Earth, their messages got cut off, and they were kaput. Now, Jenkin wants to go and find out what happened. He thinks he's discovered it, but he doesn't know what he got himself into. That ending....whew. It's excellent, it really is. But you do have to know your mythology.
After Ten Years: Another novel fragment, this one unfinished before Lewis's passing, begun before his wife got sick and passed, and worked on a bit after but never completed. The first chapter is really weird and curious. The last line makes sense of it all, and then, you think how brilliant Lewis was and why nobody thought of that before. It's interesting, for sure, but what's more interesting is wondering where Lewis was going with it. Two of his friends wrote notes about the story as Lewis discussed it with them, and it seems like he still wasn't sure how it would end, but the ideas are great. The last chapter, which was much later in the plotting than the first few, has a great hint at a twist that makes me wish Lewis had finished. Still, the fragment reminds me of Summerlong by Peter Beagle, a book written in the later years of an excellent author that hints at a loss of inspiration. Maybe it was a story Lewis had wanted to tell sooner and never got around to, maybe he was trying to explore different interests, I don't know, but there's a strange quality to it that makes me wonder.
Overall, I give this collection four stars because it was entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing different aspects of Lewis's talent. The Dark Tower is by far my favorite, but I really liked "Forms of Things Unknown" as well. I recommend this collection if you like eerie and strange science fiction from author in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
***I said "strange" and "weird" a lot in this review. That should tell you something about this collection.
The Dark Tower: I really wish this book had been finished, but much of the imagery and the philosophies and mythologies come up in other ways in Lewis's later books. For instance, this is believed to be a potential sequel to Out of the Silent Planet, which was originally a standalone book, and Lewis never finished this, but then, he wrote Perelandra and That Hideous Strength and explored the more dystopian aspects of modernity in a different way. I also see the issue Lewis has with the modern woman in particular conveyed through Susan in the Narnia series and through Jane before her transformation in THS.
Anyway, this book fragment is VERY weird. Basically, these men are on campus at Oxford, and one of their group members, Orfieu, is talking to them about time travel and how he's figured out a way to do it that makes sense. The beginning of the book is all about Orfieu's philosophy of time, which I find fascinating, and then, he reveals that he has a device that can replicate the Z substance in the human brain that deals with memory and allow people to travel through time. The whole scene is basically like The Time Machine with these men talking about this machine that can bring you through time. But the differences are major because the men share the experience, and they don't actually have to leave the room. The time "traveling" happens via a screen they can all watch together, and it shows them an Othertime that takes place in the Dark Tower, which the men recognize but can't place. Strange things happen in the Dark Tower, and there's a strange society and religion being played out in front of their eyes. It builds from there, and what follows is entertaining and disturbing. The tone of the book stands out as being very eerie, reminding me of the tone in THS. There's always a feeling of wrongness, even when they're not watching Othertime but talking about it. Of course, as Hooper points out, the idea of an Othertime, another dimension, essentially, to our world, comes up in the Narnia books. Technically, the Pevensies time travel, but that's not what they're actually doing. I really wish Lewis had finished this book, but I'm happy with what he wrote instead. Apparently, some people don't believe Lewis wrote even what we have of The Dark Tower, but if you've read the space books, you can see that he wrote it. It has soooo many similarities to OOTSP and THS, especially, that I don't know how anyone can argue that Hooper wrote it instead.
The Man Born Blind: This story wasn't that interesting (the title says it all--he's born blind then gets an operation to give him sight) until the end. It's philosophical, but that ending is so haunting...
The Shoddy Lands: Another story in which Lewis explores his strange aversion to the modern woman. It's really weird. the protagonist ends up in the head of his student's fiancée and what he sees allows him to understand her and the way she sees herself and the world. He wonders at the end if other people have ended up in his mind, but the whole story is really condemning the modern woman and her obsession with clothes, shoes, jewelry, pretty things, and herself. It's interesting, to say the least, but with the drastic change (at least outwardly) that hit society in the 40s, 50s, and 60s, I can understand why Lewis would feel a bit shook.
Ministering Angels: Super weird. Someone said that, if men were to go to Mars consistently (because it would be just men, mind you), society would need to send "nice girls to Mars at regular intervals to relieve tensions and promote morale" (his name's not important). So, Lewis ran with that idea. He sets this story on Mars and has these two "nice girls" sent out to keep the men company (wink, wink) in order to tide them over during their six-month stint on Mars. Now, the two women they send...well, they symbolize two of Lewis's aversions to female behavior--an old, obese, washed-up prostitute and an educated woman who believes in science and psychology and nothing else. I can't make this stuff up. Lewis did, though.
Forms of Things Unknown: you gotta love an author who quotes his own book in the epigraph to his short story. So, basically, there's this idea that whatever myths we have on earth are realities on other planets, that there can't really be surprises in the universe because we know about it all, we just don't believe it all (the Ancient Aliens guys would love this concept). Now, Lewis imagines a man going to the moon for humanity's fourth attempt. Why fourth? The first three landings were successful, but once the men (yes, all men again) transmitted their landing to Earth, their messages got cut off, and they were kaput. Now, Jenkin wants to go and find out what happened. He thinks he's discovered it, but he doesn't know what he got himself into. That ending....whew. It's excellent, it really is. But you do have to know your mythology.
After Ten Years: Another novel fragment, this one unfinished before Lewis's passing, begun before his wife got sick and passed, and worked on a bit after but never completed. The first chapter is really weird and curious. The last line makes sense of it all, and then, you think how brilliant Lewis was and why nobody thought of that before. It's interesting, for sure, but what's more interesting is wondering where Lewis was going with it. Two of his friends wrote notes about the story as Lewis discussed it with them, and it seems like he still wasn't sure how it would end, but the ideas are great. The last chapter, which was much later in the plotting than the first few, has a great hint at a twist that makes me wish Lewis had finished. Still, the fragment reminds me of Summerlong by Peter Beagle, a book written in the later years of an excellent author that hints at a loss of inspiration. Maybe it was a story Lewis had wanted to tell sooner and never got around to, maybe he was trying to explore different interests, I don't know, but there's a strange quality to it that makes me wonder.
Overall, I give this collection four stars because it was entertaining, and I enjoyed seeing different aspects of Lewis's talent. The Dark Tower is by far my favorite, but I really liked "Forms of Things Unknown" as well. I recommend this collection if you like eerie and strange science fiction from author in the 40s, 50s, and 60s.
***I said "strange" and "weird" a lot in this review. That should tell you something about this collection.
January 12, 2025
Die Auswahl von Fragmenten und Kurzgeschichten in The Dark Tower kam mir sowohl von den Thematiken als auch vom Stil wie eine Mischung aus Perelandra und Du selbst bist die Antwort vor. Also z.T. Science Fiction und z.T. Neuinterpretationen mythologischer Geschichten.
Der Höhepunkt ist auf jeden Fall das Fragment von „The Dark Tower“, welches noch einmal in der Welt von Ransom und Perelandra spielt. Wirklich schade, dass Lewis das nie fertig gestellt hat. Der Rest der Sammlung hat mich nicht wirklich umgehauen, für Lewis-Fans lohnt sich der Band aber auf jeden Fall.
Der Höhepunkt ist auf jeden Fall das Fragment von „The Dark Tower“, welches noch einmal in der Welt von Ransom und Perelandra spielt. Wirklich schade, dass Lewis das nie fertig gestellt hat. Der Rest der Sammlung hat mich nicht wirklich umgehauen, für Lewis-Fans lohnt sich der Band aber auf jeden Fall.
December 30, 2023
C.S. Lewis derailed me with these stories. I really thought I knew him! There were so many sides to him that came as a surprise to me. I welcomed it, for the most part. Almost all of these stories have some sort of plot twist in them. I found myself saying out loud either “Whuuuuuuuut?!” or “NOOOO WAAAAAAY”. Every single story is well-written. Duh. It’s C.S.Lewis.
That being said, the Dark Tower was difficult at times to read. Lewis is too smart for me and I had to read back over the first few pages for comprehension. It’s Sci-fi and there’s a rabbit hole with diagrams. Once I could get into it, I was hooked. I would have loved to have known the ending. He never finished it. The other shorts are all very different from one another. I was met with a puzzle after each one and enjoyed figuring it out. I will have to revisit these stories again in the future. I’m sure they will read differently for me next time.
That being said, the Dark Tower was difficult at times to read. Lewis is too smart for me and I had to read back over the first few pages for comprehension. It’s Sci-fi and there’s a rabbit hole with diagrams. Once I could get into it, I was hooked. I would have loved to have known the ending. He never finished it. The other shorts are all very different from one another. I was met with a puzzle after each one and enjoyed figuring it out. I will have to revisit these stories again in the future. I’m sure they will read differently for me next time.
December 11, 2025
The story fragments are fascinating and vivid. I imagine they would have made a compelling story if finished.
The short stories, and especially the mythical retellings are fresh and compelling. They are the kind of thing that Lewis would have shared with his friends called the Inklings over a pint and with much good conversation.
It is clear that Lewis (as a professor of literature) knew the difference between publishable and unpublishable writing. The fact that he didn’t publish these raises my estimation of him.
Maybe read these fragments and short stories as a hobbyist’s sketchbook or as drafts that needed to go another way. Little glimpses of themes, turns of phrase, and even characters that show up elsewhere in his writings to great effect seem to have their roots in these unpolished drafts.
If anything, I think it shows that even writers that appear so causal as Lewis indeed invest a considerable amount of time in their work and word smithing.
It clearly takes a lot of effort to seem so effortless.
The short stories, and especially the mythical retellings are fresh and compelling. They are the kind of thing that Lewis would have shared with his friends called the Inklings over a pint and with much good conversation.
It is clear that Lewis (as a professor of literature) knew the difference between publishable and unpublishable writing. The fact that he didn’t publish these raises my estimation of him.
Maybe read these fragments and short stories as a hobbyist’s sketchbook or as drafts that needed to go another way. Little glimpses of themes, turns of phrase, and even characters that show up elsewhere in his writings to great effect seem to have their roots in these unpolished drafts.
If anything, I think it shows that even writers that appear so causal as Lewis indeed invest a considerable amount of time in their work and word smithing.
It clearly takes a lot of effort to seem so effortless.
November 28, 2024
Terrifying and infuriating.
December 13, 2024
This is one of those little treasures most people do not know about, and the story behind them is almost as fascinating as Lewis’s characters and his life itself. Edited and compiled by Walter Hooper, who was secretary to Lewis in his later years. The story behind this collection is that one day Walter was walking by the cottage that Lewis and his brother Warnie Shared, and saw Warnie burning some ‘rubbish’. Hooper asked what he was up to and Warnie replied he was clearing out some of Jack’s (C.S. Lewis’s) things. Hooper enquired into the contents and found out that they were unpublished manuscripts, stories … Hooper asked for them and Warnie replied if they were not taken then and there they were going into the fire. A fire which supposedly burned for 3 days. One will always wonder what was lost to us from such a purging.
So Hooper saved this collection and some of the other writings that were published posthumously by the late great C. S. Lewis. These six stories are of a science fiction or fantasy nature. The first story The Dark Tower is of particular interest because it is a partial fourth story in Lewis’s Science Fiction Trilogy Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. This one being set between the first and second book. This story makes up more than half of this collection. Yet one could ask what is a partial story with middle sections and the end missing be worth? Or be worth reading? And to be honest it would be a very good question.
I would have to state an emphatic yes it would! I would declare so for many different reasons. The first is that this is the only time we see Ransom in his office’s hanging out with a group of professors discussing life the universe and everything. Does that not indeed sound like Lewis, and Tolkien and the rest of the Inklings who did just that. There has been much debate by many scholars as to the questions of if Lewis inserted himself into his fiction, as ‘the professor’ in the Narnia books, and many believe as Professor Ransom in this series. This gathering of friends is almost a scene out of Lewis’s own weekly routine. The second reason is that we meet MacPhee here in this story, which chronologically takes place between book’s 1 and 2 in the series. MacPhee does not show up in the trilogy till the 3rd book. This book gives us a tantalizing taste of a story that would give the published trilogy a fuller more rounded flavor and be amusing to read and debate the end of the story and the progression of Lewis’s Thought.
Even if you only pick up this book for the first story it will be worth it. But the other 5 short pieces are worth a perusal as well.
So Hooper saved this collection and some of the other writings that were published posthumously by the late great C. S. Lewis. These six stories are of a science fiction or fantasy nature. The first story The Dark Tower is of particular interest because it is a partial fourth story in Lewis’s Science Fiction Trilogy Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength. This one being set between the first and second book. This story makes up more than half of this collection. Yet one could ask what is a partial story with middle sections and the end missing be worth? Or be worth reading? And to be honest it would be a very good question.
I would have to state an emphatic yes it would! I would declare so for many different reasons. The first is that this is the only time we see Ransom in his office’s hanging out with a group of professors discussing life the universe and everything. Does that not indeed sound like Lewis, and Tolkien and the rest of the Inklings who did just that. There has been much debate by many scholars as to the questions of if Lewis inserted himself into his fiction, as ‘the professor’ in the Narnia books, and many believe as Professor Ransom in this series. This gathering of friends is almost a scene out of Lewis’s own weekly routine. The second reason is that we meet MacPhee here in this story, which chronologically takes place between book’s 1 and 2 in the series. MacPhee does not show up in the trilogy till the 3rd book. This book gives us a tantalizing taste of a story that would give the published trilogy a fuller more rounded flavor and be amusing to read and debate the end of the story and the progression of Lewis’s Thought.
Even if you only pick up this book for the first story it will be worth it. But the other 5 short pieces are worth a perusal as well.
January 6, 2020
One day Lewis and Tolkien were complaining that the sort of books they wanted to read weren’t being written, so they decided they would have to write them themselves. Lewis was to write a story about space travel and Tolkien a story about time travel. The result was Out of the Silent Planet by Lewis. Tolkien it seems never finished his story (though a fragment apparently exists in “the lost road and other writings”).
The Dark Tower is Lewis’ attempt at the time travel story, and perhaps the original sequel to Out of the Silent Planet—113 pages before it abruptly ends. It is a bit clunky in places but on the whole engrossing, fascinating, and disturbing. Just be prepared for the disappointment of an unfinished tale.
There are five other stories in the book. “The Man Born Blind” and “The Shoddy lands” are excellent. “Ministering Angels” and “forms of things unknown” and did not like very well.
I think perhaps the chief treasure of this collection is the final story “After Ten Years,” which is among the last things Lewis ever started. Like “The Dark Tower” it is painfully unfinished. It concerns the aftermath of the fall of Troy in classical mythology.
In the end this volume is well worth checking out. Ironically it leaves us in a state that Lewis had a lot to say about—longing—longing for the completion of these works!
The Dark Tower is Lewis’ attempt at the time travel story, and perhaps the original sequel to Out of the Silent Planet—113 pages before it abruptly ends. It is a bit clunky in places but on the whole engrossing, fascinating, and disturbing. Just be prepared for the disappointment of an unfinished tale.
There are five other stories in the book. “The Man Born Blind” and “The Shoddy lands” are excellent. “Ministering Angels” and “forms of things unknown” and did not like very well.
I think perhaps the chief treasure of this collection is the final story “After Ten Years,” which is among the last things Lewis ever started. Like “The Dark Tower” it is painfully unfinished. It concerns the aftermath of the fall of Troy in classical mythology.
In the end this volume is well worth checking out. Ironically it leaves us in a state that Lewis had a lot to say about—longing—longing for the completion of these works!
July 22, 2018
Excellent book for what it is: a collection of unpublished stories, some finished and some not, by C.S. Lewis. It's quite an interesting read as you discover what could have been, and Lewis had some pretty unusual concepts in here. That said, it's also a little frustrating because you get involved in a story and then it's like— oh, nope. Not finished.
That said, the story about the people who keep disappearing on the moon? Loved it. LOVED the twist at the end. I'd reread this in a couple years just for that.
That said, the story about the people who keep disappearing on the moon? Loved it. LOVED the twist at the end. I'd reread this in a couple years just for that.
January 27, 2020
I stayed up til 3:30am reading the first story! It’s dark, mysterious, and really gripping after a certain point (the first 10 pages or so feel really academic and stuffy). Really interesting to consider Lewis’s ideas about Time. The rest of the collection was good, too, but be warned, it’s a bit maddening because many of them are unfinished!
November 25, 2023
Two and a half stars for the collection as a whole, rounded up to three. Most of the stories consist exclusively of pseudoscientific/philosophical speculation about space/time travel, psychosexual issues, and/or casual (and not-so-casual) misogyny. The combination, naturally, is not a very winning one. At the same time, it’s only fair to acknowledge that Lewis himself did not publish these works, many of which were left unfinished. And the unflattering ideology notwithstanding . . . dang, could that man write. Forms of Things Unknown was quite well-executed, and I wish I could read an entire novel of After Ten Years.
February 5, 2025
Parts of this are better than others, but taking it at face value I really like it. You have to keep in mind that he didn't publish these for a reason. Maybe because they aren't very good or he didn't have time, but maybe also because he found others ways of developing these ideas in his published novels. I especially liked the last one, and his overall take on mythology.
April 3, 2025
Sept. 2015, 4 stars: I just read The Dark Tower. I'll have to come back for the other stories another time.
----
April 2025, 3 stars
I'm glad I didn’t read the two middle stories in high school - I am in a much better spot to point to what annoys me so much about them, and sort through what I accept and reject out of Lewis's worldview. Also, I understood the references of the last two stories MUCH better now than I would have then.
However, while the first two stories' rating ls pulled this to a 4 star, the remainder make it closer to 3 stars.
The Dark Tower - 3.5 stars
It's cool to read this so recently after Troy read through the Space trilogy - the series is much fresher on my mind than it would be otherwise. This is a much different direction that the series could have gone in, and much creepier to, I believe. I definitely don't remember the Stingingman from when I first read this at 16.
"And misfortune isn't hell, not by the long way. A man can't be taken to hell, or sent to hell: you can only get there on your own steam." There are flashes of his philosophy woven throughout the pretty crunchy sci-fi setting (I say crunchy because the last chapter is basically a bunch of textbook excerpts), which is classic.
I also enjoyed Lewis-as-a-character. I'm not surprised he never actually wrote a book that way, but it's something writers just gotta try out.
Lewis's descriptions of the 'modern' woman through Camilla are pretty funny, though his overall disdain is vaguely irritating. I liked the predictions the afternote made about what would happen to that plotline, though I'm sure I'd be annoyed having to watch it play out through Lewis's perspective.
Overall this was super interesting, and while I wouldn't trade it for Peralandra, I would be very happy to have finished reading this.
The Man Born Blind- 4 stars
Oh man. I had read this one before (though I don't remember when), and it really stuck with me. It's a very different type of story than Lewis's normal fiction (less overtly fantastical, and with a shocking ending), but still makes you think. There's a metaphor for God in it, if you want there to be.
The Shoddy Lands - 2 stars
This is the "women are stupid and boring" story.
It's an interesting idea, which makes it all the worse that it's weilded in such a way! While I'm sure I would be equally bored with a woman who's like how Lewis describes all these women, he spends so MUCH energy complaining about the 'modern' woman, specifically, that he clearly thinks a larger percentage of women are like this than there are. And there's not nearly the same energy levelled at frat bros or whatever the equivalent of podcast bros would be back then, which are equally ridiculous.
Ministering Angels - 1.5 stars
*rolls eyes*
I know it's a response to a possible-more-ridiculous article, but Lewis conveniently forgets that the person who wrote that article was a MAN. Again, if it was in complete isolation, it's funny and slightly insightful in places, but when the only main women he writes are like this it just makes me think he dislikes women.
Can't imagine Lewis's face when I meet him in heaven and I'm wearing trousers.
Forms of Things Unknown - 3.5 stars
Yes! This almost makes up for the last two stories lol.
The ending was an excellent surprise, and struck an excellent balance between subtle and clear. V impressed. (Apparently Lewis thought his audience wouldn't recignize the mythological allusion which is actually hilarious considering the myth resurgence now).
After Ten Years - 3 stars
"Ever heard of Clytemnestra giving me any trouble? She knows better." I am once again Lewis's target audience - balance has been restored.
The narrator was surprisingly disgusting - quite a bit darker than Lewis's normal main characters. And it was an odd twist to go in the direction of the Egypt plotline.
I did like the tension with Menelaus only being king by marraige, though, so I'm intrigued how it could have played out. I think it would have alienated a lot of his readers with the narrator, though.
----
April 2025, 3 stars
I'm glad I didn’t read the two middle stories in high school - I am in a much better spot to point to what annoys me so much about them, and sort through what I accept and reject out of Lewis's worldview. Also, I understood the references of the last two stories MUCH better now than I would have then.
However, while the first two stories' rating ls pulled this to a 4 star, the remainder make it closer to 3 stars.
The Dark Tower - 3.5 stars
It's cool to read this so recently after Troy read through the Space trilogy - the series is much fresher on my mind than it would be otherwise. This is a much different direction that the series could have gone in, and much creepier to, I believe. I definitely don't remember the Stingingman from when I first read this at 16.
"And misfortune isn't hell, not by the long way. A man can't be taken to hell, or sent to hell: you can only get there on your own steam." There are flashes of his philosophy woven throughout the pretty crunchy sci-fi setting (I say crunchy because the last chapter is basically a bunch of textbook excerpts), which is classic.
I also enjoyed Lewis-as-a-character. I'm not surprised he never actually wrote a book that way, but it's something writers just gotta try out.
Lewis's descriptions of the 'modern' woman through Camilla are pretty funny, though his overall disdain is vaguely irritating. I liked the predictions the afternote made about what would happen to that plotline, though I'm sure I'd be annoyed having to watch it play out through Lewis's perspective.
Overall this was super interesting, and while I wouldn't trade it for Peralandra, I would be very happy to have finished reading this.
The Man Born Blind- 4 stars
Oh man. I had read this one before (though I don't remember when), and it really stuck with me. It's a very different type of story than Lewis's normal fiction (less overtly fantastical, and with a shocking ending), but still makes you think. There's a metaphor for God in it, if you want there to be.
The Shoddy Lands - 2 stars
This is the "women are stupid and boring" story.
It's an interesting idea, which makes it all the worse that it's weilded in such a way! While I'm sure I would be equally bored with a woman who's like how Lewis describes all these women, he spends so MUCH energy complaining about the 'modern' woman, specifically, that he clearly thinks a larger percentage of women are like this than there are. And there's not nearly the same energy levelled at frat bros or whatever the equivalent of podcast bros would be back then, which are equally ridiculous.
Ministering Angels - 1.5 stars
*rolls eyes*
I know it's a response to a possible-more-ridiculous article, but Lewis conveniently forgets that the person who wrote that article was a MAN. Again, if it was in complete isolation, it's funny and slightly insightful in places, but when the only main women he writes are like this it just makes me think he dislikes women.
Can't imagine Lewis's face when I meet him in heaven and I'm wearing trousers.
Forms of Things Unknown - 3.5 stars
Yes! This almost makes up for the last two stories lol.
The ending was an excellent surprise, and struck an excellent balance between subtle and clear. V impressed. (Apparently Lewis thought his audience wouldn't recignize the mythological allusion which is actually hilarious considering the myth resurgence now).
After Ten Years - 3 stars
"Ever heard of Clytemnestra giving me any trouble? She knows better." I am once again Lewis's target audience - balance has been restored.
The narrator was surprisingly disgusting - quite a bit darker than Lewis's normal main characters. And it was an odd twist to go in the direction of the Egypt plotline.
I did like the tension with Menelaus only being king by marraige, though, so I'm intrigued how it could have played out. I think it would have alienated a lot of his readers with the narrator, though.
November 28, 2013
This was so much different from Lewis' other work,and has got me interested more in science fictions stories of time travel, and I found the book fascinating and very interesting. I wish he would have been able to finish The Dark Tower story, and the idea for the story he had for "After Ten Years." I think my favorite out of this whole collection of stories is "The Man Born Blind." This is a book I will definitely return too.
February 14, 2021
Lewis drafted The Dark Tower in the middle of his career but abandoned the venture around the early 40's. I would have expected it to come later because it's so experimental; from what I've observed that stage usually comes at the end of an artist's career. It dabbles in reincarnation, spiritualism, and time travel which are concepts I never encountered in his other works. But that's what made it such a surprising and delightful read.
I also found his writing to be less pedantic which was refreshing. I don't think Lewis was as confident writing about this particular subject matter so he didn't have as much time to indulge his unique style of narration. However, Lewis still retained his ability to articulate his concepts clearly and vividly.
I also found his writing to be less pedantic which was refreshing. I don't think Lewis was as confident writing about this particular subject matter so he didn't have as much time to indulge his unique style of narration. However, Lewis still retained his ability to articulate his concepts clearly and vividly.
March 11, 2024
It's so sad that we are missing parts of C.S. Lewis works, but I love that someone put together the last of the pieces to create this book. Written much before its time, Lewis had an interest in the possibility of space travel as well as time traveling, his thoughts into this an interesting as well as a bit entertaining in 2024.
November 7, 2024
The saddest part about this is that it is an incomplete work. I have no doubt that this would have made the space trilogy a 4 part series if Lewis had finished it. And also...even not finished Lewis's work is still better than most.
February 3, 2018
If it had read ‘The Dark Tower by H.P. Lovecraft’ I wouldn’t have doubted it for a second. I really enjoyed The Dark Tower’s strangeness and ‘othertime,’ and wish it would have been longer. The other stories were unremarkable.
August 22, 2018
Wow. So sad that The Dark Tower was never finished. But what an interesting look into Lewis' mind and creative process.
June 28, 2014
Audible was selling this for a couple of dollars one day and I could not pass it up. Once again it does not matter at all what C.S. Lewis is saying, he says it so well. These are mostly quirky science fiction stories, some not even completed.
I wonder why no one has tried to finish The Dark Tower, it hangs at the end waiting for completion. Surely there is someone with enough bravado to attempt it.
The story of an ugly Helen after Troy was truly fascinating and I like the commentators idea that eventually Lewis would have had Menelaus fall in love all over again with this not so lovely Helen.
Lewis had a beautiful mind and Ralph Cosham really captures the feel of the writing, in my opinion.
I wonder why no one has tried to finish The Dark Tower, it hangs at the end waiting for completion. Surely there is someone with enough bravado to attempt it.
The story of an ugly Helen after Troy was truly fascinating and I like the commentators idea that eventually Lewis would have had Menelaus fall in love all over again with this not so lovely Helen.
Lewis had a beautiful mind and Ralph Cosham really captures the feel of the writing, in my opinion.
April 9, 2022
Not worth reading. The first story had some promise, I didn’t realize all of these are unfinished. And they should never have been published. It’s hard to realize that one of your very favorite writers in your formative years was clearly a misogynist. I’m sure most of them were but still. Two of the stories are especially bad, a man finds himself suddenly inhabiting the inner thought world of a woman and is disgusted by everything, and on a mission to mars some men mutiny and fly home to escape two recently arrived women, because one is fat and one…has opinions?Anyway it’s clear that women are a punchline, a morality lesson, pathetic and at most a plot point to get men to do something. Absolutely appalling
September 15, 2008
Not well done, but Lewis abandoned it. It's an interesting look at a story idea that apparently Lewis decided wasn't worth his time.
Some of the accompanying short stories are interesting because so untypical of what we've come to expect from Lewis. I'm not sure any of them merited publication, let alone twice--in this collection and in Of Other Worlds. But others have rather thoroughly questioned Walter Hooper's motives and competency as Lewis's "literary executor".
Some of the accompanying short stories are interesting because so untypical of what we've come to expect from Lewis. I'm not sure any of them merited publication, let alone twice--in this collection and in Of Other Worlds. But others have rather thoroughly questioned Walter Hooper's motives and competency as Lewis's "literary executor".
February 24, 2017
I wish there was a way to mark a book as unfinished. I read a couple of short stories and started into the dark tower, but, my word, I think it is no bad thing that these remain in their current state of obscurity. How twisted and macabre they are! I think poor Lewis overthought about overthinking sometimes. He rather just thought too much, which is why I am such a fan of many of his works, but golly. These are not my cup of tea.
March 18, 2019
Incredibly offensive caricatures of women in every story. I would get involved, find myself interested in the main (male) character's narrative, and then find an insulting, appalling and unsolicited opinion of a female character in every single story. Implying that an educated, modern woman loves less than an ignorant one? Mocking a fat and elderly woman's sexuality? Entering a woman's brain shows that she only cares about shopping? No thanks.
April 4, 2023
Yet another book discovered while shelving at the library. I had no idea that this book even existed until December of last year. This book of fiction short stories, with a preface by Walter Hooper, was discovered after Lewis passed away in 1963, as his estate was being cleaned out. In fact, they barely escaped being tossed into the fire.
But they were rescued, and are presented here, exactly as found. This, of course, presents a small problem, as two of the stories contained in this book are incomplete. Both the title story and the final story in the collection, After Ten Years, end in mid-sentence.
How does one review stories that aren't finished? It does present a challenge. But I think I can give a review based on what I have to work with, here.
This collection shows a definite dark side of Lewis that makes me wish he had written more fiction. And it appears that The Dark Tower was intended to be a sequel to his space trilogy, as the character Ransom appears in the story. In this story, as four friends are discussing the possibility (or lack thereof) of time travel, one reveals that he has invented a thing he calls a "chronosphere," which enables one to see into a different time. The odd thing about it is that it seems to control what one is allowed to see. What the four friends are able to see is most disturbing, and they spend a bit of time discussing exactly what it is or when it is or where it is.
Even more disturbing, they note that there are, it would appear, doppelgangers for a couple of them in the time/place they are observing. At one point, one of the friends becomes so disturbed that he rushes the chronosphere, breaking it, and suddenly finding himself exchanged for his doppelganger in the other place. It is evident in the tale that he eventually makes his way back somehow, but, alas, we will never know how, because the story simply stops in mid-sentence. It is, most definitely a chilling tale, though.
In "The Man Born Blind," we encounter a man, as stated, who was born blind, who received his sight by some means. The problem he is having is that he hears everyone talk about "light," yet he cannot see any "light." It's an interesting dilemma, actually, when one considers that light, itself, cannot be seen, if one thinks about it. Light makes other things visible, and one can see the source of light, but can one actually see light, itself? It's a great story, with a somewhat horrific and tragic ending.
In "The Shoddy Lands," a man has a sort of vision while in the middle of a conversation with some people, in which most things are blurry to him. There are some things that are not blurry at all, and it doesn't seem to make much sense, the ones that are clear to him. However, when he mentally returns to the setting, he is overjoyed and becomes a much more positive person.
In "Ministering Angels," a somewhat humorous story, the circumstance is examined in which some men have volunteered to go on a mission to Mars, which will take, of course, some time out of their lives. The "powers that be" decide that morality can be suspended, and that these men need "female companionship" while they are there, so they send some women to "be with them." Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
In "Forms of Things Unknown," we encounter a rather famous mythical creature on the Moon, as several expeditions have traveled there, but never returned. In fact, in each case, they are interrupted in mid-transmission. Our "hero" is going on yet another expedition and discovers what has happened to the others.
Finally, "After Ten Years" is an interesting retelling of the story of Menelaus and Helen of Troy (of which I confess I am not familiar), which includes an interesting take on the Trojan Horse. This one, as well, stops mid-sentence.
I truly loved every one of these stories. And, again, I say it makes me wish that Lewis had written more such tales. And who knows but that he may have, and they were lost forever, in the cleaning out of his estate?
As for what genre these stories fall into, that is also difficult. A couple of them could definitely qualify for horror, while all of them, I believe, could be sci-fi/fantasy. Nevertheless, it is a great collection of stories.
But they were rescued, and are presented here, exactly as found. This, of course, presents a small problem, as two of the stories contained in this book are incomplete. Both the title story and the final story in the collection, After Ten Years, end in mid-sentence.
How does one review stories that aren't finished? It does present a challenge. But I think I can give a review based on what I have to work with, here.
This collection shows a definite dark side of Lewis that makes me wish he had written more fiction. And it appears that The Dark Tower was intended to be a sequel to his space trilogy, as the character Ransom appears in the story. In this story, as four friends are discussing the possibility (or lack thereof) of time travel, one reveals that he has invented a thing he calls a "chronosphere," which enables one to see into a different time. The odd thing about it is that it seems to control what one is allowed to see. What the four friends are able to see is most disturbing, and they spend a bit of time discussing exactly what it is or when it is or where it is.
Even more disturbing, they note that there are, it would appear, doppelgangers for a couple of them in the time/place they are observing. At one point, one of the friends becomes so disturbed that he rushes the chronosphere, breaking it, and suddenly finding himself exchanged for his doppelganger in the other place. It is evident in the tale that he eventually makes his way back somehow, but, alas, we will never know how, because the story simply stops in mid-sentence. It is, most definitely a chilling tale, though.
In "The Man Born Blind," we encounter a man, as stated, who was born blind, who received his sight by some means. The problem he is having is that he hears everyone talk about "light," yet he cannot see any "light." It's an interesting dilemma, actually, when one considers that light, itself, cannot be seen, if one thinks about it. Light makes other things visible, and one can see the source of light, but can one actually see light, itself? It's a great story, with a somewhat horrific and tragic ending.
In "The Shoddy Lands," a man has a sort of vision while in the middle of a conversation with some people, in which most things are blurry to him. There are some things that are not blurry at all, and it doesn't seem to make much sense, the ones that are clear to him. However, when he mentally returns to the setting, he is overjoyed and becomes a much more positive person.
In "Ministering Angels," a somewhat humorous story, the circumstance is examined in which some men have volunteered to go on a mission to Mars, which will take, of course, some time out of their lives. The "powers that be" decide that morality can be suspended, and that these men need "female companionship" while they are there, so they send some women to "be with them." Needless to say, it doesn't go well.
In "Forms of Things Unknown," we encounter a rather famous mythical creature on the Moon, as several expeditions have traveled there, but never returned. In fact, in each case, they are interrupted in mid-transmission. Our "hero" is going on yet another expedition and discovers what has happened to the others.
Finally, "After Ten Years" is an interesting retelling of the story of Menelaus and Helen of Troy (of which I confess I am not familiar), which includes an interesting take on the Trojan Horse. This one, as well, stops mid-sentence.
I truly loved every one of these stories. And, again, I say it makes me wish that Lewis had written more such tales. And who knows but that he may have, and they were lost forever, in the cleaning out of his estate?
As for what genre these stories fall into, that is also difficult. A couple of them could definitely qualify for horror, while all of them, I believe, could be sci-fi/fantasy. Nevertheless, it is a great collection of stories.
November 26, 2018
As explained in the preface, this book is the definitive collection of Lewis’ other fiction books. Combine this with Til We Have Faces, the Narnia books, and the Space Trilogy, and one has all of Lewis’ fiction.
This book itself consisted of two uncompleted longer works (‘The Dark Tower’, ‘After Ten Years’) and then four short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them—some more than others, but all were great.
My favorite was definitely ‘The Dark Tower.’ At around 115 pages, one really begins to get into the storyline and characters. The original Stingingman scene was terrific and terrifying at the same time. The mysterious awe that hovered in the plot from then on out was fantastic. It’s so sad it was never completed! I really enjoyed it. It was a real page turner for me. (As a side note, some say that this piece and others are a forgery, and not written by Lewis. They say that it’s writing and plot is nowhere near as good, and that it didn’t sound like him. If I had to guess, I’d say it was written by him. It read a lot like Lewis to me. And I loved the plot! But I’m not well-read in fiction. Nevertheless, the structure and feel of it was Lewis-like, just a little creepier when it came to ‘The Dark Tower.’)
The other larger work, ‘After Ten Years’, was interesting as well, although I didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as ‘The Dark Tower.’ It’s about the fall of Troy and an ancient marital relationship. As explained in the preface, it seems that Lewis wrote the first 5 chapters, and then wrote part of the final one. The taste of the ending made you wish he wrote more. This one read a lot more like ’Til We Have Faces.’
The four short stories were: ’The Man Born Blind’ (about a previously blind man searching for what light actually is), ’The Shoddy Lands’ (about a woman’s self-absorption), ‘Ministering Angels’ (about a trip to Mars and the silly idea of sending women to essentially be concubines to the men), ’Forms of Things Unknown’ (about a trip to the moon and a lunar Medusa). Some were better than others, but all were worth reading. They were all interesting right off the bat, and in them he made some thoughtful observations.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely; but as your final reading of Lewis’ fiction. It made me want to actually read the Space Trilogy (I only listened to them on audiobook). And it made me excited to one day read Narnia and Til We Have Faces again and again.
This book itself consisted of two uncompleted longer works (‘The Dark Tower’, ‘After Ten Years’) and then four short stories. I thoroughly enjoyed reading all of them—some more than others, but all were great.
My favorite was definitely ‘The Dark Tower.’ At around 115 pages, one really begins to get into the storyline and characters. The original Stingingman scene was terrific and terrifying at the same time. The mysterious awe that hovered in the plot from then on out was fantastic. It’s so sad it was never completed! I really enjoyed it. It was a real page turner for me. (As a side note, some say that this piece and others are a forgery, and not written by Lewis. They say that it’s writing and plot is nowhere near as good, and that it didn’t sound like him. If I had to guess, I’d say it was written by him. It read a lot like Lewis to me. And I loved the plot! But I’m not well-read in fiction. Nevertheless, the structure and feel of it was Lewis-like, just a little creepier when it came to ‘The Dark Tower.’)
The other larger work, ‘After Ten Years’, was interesting as well, although I didn’t enjoy it anywhere near as much as ‘The Dark Tower.’ It’s about the fall of Troy and an ancient marital relationship. As explained in the preface, it seems that Lewis wrote the first 5 chapters, and then wrote part of the final one. The taste of the ending made you wish he wrote more. This one read a lot more like ’Til We Have Faces.’
The four short stories were: ’The Man Born Blind’ (about a previously blind man searching for what light actually is), ’The Shoddy Lands’ (about a woman’s self-absorption), ‘Ministering Angels’ (about a trip to Mars and the silly idea of sending women to essentially be concubines to the men), ’Forms of Things Unknown’ (about a trip to the moon and a lunar Medusa). Some were better than others, but all were worth reading. They were all interesting right off the bat, and in them he made some thoughtful observations.
Would I recommend this book? Absolutely; but as your final reading of Lewis’ fiction. It made me want to actually read the Space Trilogy (I only listened to them on audiobook). And it made me excited to one day read Narnia and Til We Have Faces again and again.
August 9, 2024
The story behind this collection of (mostly) unpublished short stories and uncompleted manuscripts is rather interesting. Most notably, it contains The Dark Tower is the abandoned sequel to Out of the Silent Planet. After he abandoned this project (after about 65 pages), he later went on to complete the series with Paralandra and That Hideous Strength.
As the story goes, C. S. Lewis' brother, Warren, had instructions to get rid of all of Lewis' notes and manuscripts after his death. So Warren burned heaps of papers and the bonfire apparently lasted for days. Walter Hooper, a friend of the Lewis brothers, arrived at the Kilns before the last of it was burned and asked if he could save some of Lewis' manuscripts. He took as much as he could and in the manuscripts found what would later be published in this book. Then, years later after the story was published, a notable Lewis scholar brought into question the credibility of the Dark Tower, claiming that it was not truly written by CS Lewis. The main reason was because of the stories thematic dissimilarity to other works by Lewis and the fact that none of his close friends ever heard him talk about it. This controversy continued until one Lewis's colleagues, who sometimes joined the Inklings, recalled (from almost 50 years earlier) a single evening when Lewis shared the first section of the story and discussed some of it themes with his friends.
The story alone and related works make this an interesting and worth while read. However, I couldn't help but feel that Lewis' original intuitions on what projects were worth completing and publishing were well founded. Regrettably, I see why he never bothered to finished these stories. These stories are interesting and well-written, of course... it's CS Lewis, but they pale in comparison with his truly great works. In hindsight, it is obvious that CS Lewis would be a great editor as well as a great writer, indeed the two are inseparable. This is especially obvious when you consider the fact that he also had the Inklings as his fellow editors and sounding board for his projects. Nevertheless, the vain-hope for discovering some great lost masterpiece inevitably shows itself when reading this story about the works of such a gifted writer and storyteller.
As the story goes, C. S. Lewis' brother, Warren, had instructions to get rid of all of Lewis' notes and manuscripts after his death. So Warren burned heaps of papers and the bonfire apparently lasted for days. Walter Hooper, a friend of the Lewis brothers, arrived at the Kilns before the last of it was burned and asked if he could save some of Lewis' manuscripts. He took as much as he could and in the manuscripts found what would later be published in this book. Then, years later after the story was published, a notable Lewis scholar brought into question the credibility of the Dark Tower, claiming that it was not truly written by CS Lewis. The main reason was because of the stories thematic dissimilarity to other works by Lewis and the fact that none of his close friends ever heard him talk about it. This controversy continued until one Lewis's colleagues, who sometimes joined the Inklings, recalled (from almost 50 years earlier) a single evening when Lewis shared the first section of the story and discussed some of it themes with his friends.
The story alone and related works make this an interesting and worth while read. However, I couldn't help but feel that Lewis' original intuitions on what projects were worth completing and publishing were well founded. Regrettably, I see why he never bothered to finished these stories. These stories are interesting and well-written, of course... it's CS Lewis, but they pale in comparison with his truly great works. In hindsight, it is obvious that CS Lewis would be a great editor as well as a great writer, indeed the two are inseparable. This is especially obvious when you consider the fact that he also had the Inklings as his fellow editors and sounding board for his projects. Nevertheless, the vain-hope for discovering some great lost masterpiece inevitably shows itself when reading this story about the works of such a gifted writer and storyteller.
November 2, 2020
I’m always a bit skeptical when well-intentioned family members and close confidants of a deceased artist choose to release scraps of things the original author perhaps had not intended to release. Sometimes these haphazard collections smack of private disconnected sketches, things I would feel the artist would have intended for the bin and not intended to be repurposed beyond their usefulness... Or perhaps, at worst, something lacking from the artist’s better known finished work that would take away from the strength of their fame and respect.
Well despite the fragmented nature of a few of the stories collected here I was pleasantly delighted to find many intriguing, beguiling and insightful tales contained in this collection. Even just the main event, the Dark Tower itself, is a quite enchanting, even menacing tale. It certainly takes the beloved ‘Space Trilogy’ in a much different direction, and one can see why it was ultimately abandoned, it really is a quite fascinating story.
A few of the other shorts are quite magical in their own right, with only a few being a bit underwhelming. The final larger chunk, a story built out of Lewis’ love of Greek Mythology is perhaps the low point of the set for me. It’s aimed at a particular audience and never quite grips beyond it’s world, which I am less familiar with and perhaps less immediately taken by.
For any Lewis enthusiast this is certainly a rewarding read and one that shows his great power with ideas and a real mastery of scientific wonder. Worth adding to your next read through the major three!
Well despite the fragmented nature of a few of the stories collected here I was pleasantly delighted to find many intriguing, beguiling and insightful tales contained in this collection. Even just the main event, the Dark Tower itself, is a quite enchanting, even menacing tale. It certainly takes the beloved ‘Space Trilogy’ in a much different direction, and one can see why it was ultimately abandoned, it really is a quite fascinating story.
A few of the other shorts are quite magical in their own right, with only a few being a bit underwhelming. The final larger chunk, a story built out of Lewis’ love of Greek Mythology is perhaps the low point of the set for me. It’s aimed at a particular audience and never quite grips beyond it’s world, which I am less familiar with and perhaps less immediately taken by.
For any Lewis enthusiast this is certainly a rewarding read and one that shows his great power with ideas and a real mastery of scientific wonder. Worth adding to your next read through the major three!
November 16, 2024
I read a collection of C. S. Lewis’ short stories when I was a teenager and have looked for it ever since. I couldn’t remember any of the story titles, and the “keywords” I could remember (self-centered girl, missing astronauts, Medusa) yielded nothing in online searches. I came across The Dark Tower and Other Stories on Hoopla, started listening, and discovered that I had found the long-lost short story collection! These are not Lewis’ best works. Most of the stories are unfinished, and he may not have intended some of them to be published. I still think Lewis fans will appreciate them even though they are lacking his finishing touch.
Stories:
- The Dark Tower
- The Man Born Blind
- The Shoddy Lands (This is the one I remembered as The Self-centered Girl. I really like this one. Now I know that it’s not so much about one girl’s self-centered thoughts as it is about the importance of my own thoughts.)
- Ministering Angels (This is the one I thought of as Missing Astronauts and Medusa! I really like the surprise ending of this one.)
- Forms of Things Unknown
- After Ten Years
Stories:
- The Dark Tower
- The Man Born Blind
- The Shoddy Lands (This is the one I remembered as The Self-centered Girl. I really like this one. Now I know that it’s not so much about one girl’s self-centered thoughts as it is about the importance of my own thoughts.)
- Ministering Angels (This is the one I thought of as Missing Astronauts and Medusa! I really like the surprise ending of this one.)
- Forms of Things Unknown
- After Ten Years
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