C. S. Lewis on the Final Frontier: Science and the Supernatural in the Space Trilogy

by Sanford Schwartz

Lewis' Space Trilogy-Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra & That Hideous Strength-was completed over 60 years ago & has remained in print ever since. Schwartz offers a reading that challenges the conventional view of them as portraying a clear-cut struggle between a pre-modern cosmology & the modern scientific paradigm that supplanted it. Schwartz situates Lewis' work in the context of modern intellectual, cultural & political history. He shows that Lewis doesn't simply dismiss the modern evolutionary model, but discriminates among different kinds of evolutionary theory-"mechanistic" in Out of the Silent Planet, "vitalist" in Perelandra, "spiritual" in That Hideous Strength-& their distinctive views of human nature, society & religion. He also shows that in each book the conflict between Xian & developmental viewpoints is more complex than generally assumed. In line with the Augustinian understanding that "bad things are good things perverted," Lewis constructs each of his three beatific communities-the "unfallen" worlds on Mars & Venus & the terrestrial remnant at St Anne's-not as the sheer antithesis but rather as the transfiguration or "raising up" of the particular evolutionary doctrine targeted in the novel. In this respect, Lewis is deeply engaged with the main currents of modern thought. He's also far more prepared to explore the possibilities for reshaping the evolutionary model in a manner compatible with traditional Xian doctrine & committed to addressing the distinctive concerns of modern existence. C.S. Lewis on the Final Frontier highlights the relevance of Lewis' fiction to contemporary concerns on a variety of issues, including the ethical problems surrounding biotech & the battle between religious & naturalistic worldviews. Far from offering a black & white contrast between old-fashioned Xian humanism & newfangled heresy, the Space Trilogy will be seen as a religious apologist's searching effort to enrich the former thru critical engagement with the latter.
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
Introduction
Out of the silent planet
Perelandra
That hideous strength
Conclusion
Appendices
Notes
Bibliography
Index

256 pages, Hardcover

First published June 4, 2009

Reviews

[Rafael Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exceptionally stimulating. This literary study of Lewis' Ransom Trilogy is widely regarded as the best work on the subject, and not without reason. Schwartz holds a commanding knowledge of modern literature and traces the several influences on Lewis' imaginative elements in the books. His argument that the trilogy presents the antithesis of the developmental method (evolutionary paradigm) against the theistic Christian worldview through a combination of archetype/ectype comparison is remarkable. He outlines the process of transposition as each viewpoint critiqued by Lewis is developed and contrasted with a divine original.

For those intrigued by the series, this presents a succint presentation of the uniting elements and the distinguishing emphases of the books. (Also, I felt somewhat vindicated by the explanation of how THS is the more complex, strangest, and less Lewisian of the three.)

[Zach Hollifield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really solid work. The introduction and chapter one were worth the price is the book. Can’t say the same about the rest of the book. But good stuff there too.

[Micah Sharp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fine. If you’re going to read one book of literary criticism on the Ransom Trilogy it should certainly be Planets in Peril over this one.
I think the book suffers from a case of mistaken audience (or else I do; not sure). This means like the book for someone with a great interest in Lewis and the Ransom Trilogy in particular and while that is true to a point, it felt much more life a book written for those interested in 20th century literature and philosophy at large and with a passing interest in where Lewis fits in that conversation. For that reason about half the book was entirely uninteresting to me.
Where it did shine was the small amount of real literary an analysis done especially the genre and narrative criticism of That Hideous Strength. The recognition of similar structures across all three books should have had many more pages devoted to it and much less to many of the other topics.

[G. Salter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Schwartz takes the best of previous analyses of the Space Trilogy, then combines it with his own critical findings (including some great ones on Gothic fiction's connections to That Hideous Strength) to create maybe the best book on the Space Trilogy yet.

[Milana · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a study of Lewis' approach in various ideologies in the Space Trilogy, this book was very exhausting and complete. Though it was not a light reading, I enjoyed it very much!

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well done critical study of Lewis' space trilogy. A pleasure to read.

[Jon]

I was first introduced to Schwartz through a NYT article by Francine Prose, on a new book by John Updike. She stated about a handful of influential writers she recommended, that they "can not only write like angels but can make you see art in entirely new ways."

[Philski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting if somewhat dry read on the Space Trilogy by CS Lewis. The part that was most interesting to me was getting a better appreciation of the influences CS Lewis had, and the pervading thoughts of the day he was attempting to address.

[Bryan]

Introduction was good in presenting the view that each book of the trilogy interacts to a different model of modernism/scientism.