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Of This and Other Worlds
C.S. Lewis commands wider interest and influence today than ever before. Not only one of this century's best Christian writers and thinkers, he was also a noted literary scholar. In this collection of essays he combines the two elements as he considers the works of Tolkien, Charles Williams and others, pays tribute to Dorothy L. Sayers, and upholds quality in our language.
'The book bristles with sharp argumentative points.'
George Watson, TLS
'...a glorious book...much of the essential Lewis is here.'
Methodist Recorder
'The book bristles with sharp argumentative points.'
George Watson, TLS
'...a glorious book...much of the essential Lewis is here.'
Methodist Recorder
192 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
255 people are currently reading
4865 people want to read
About the author
C.S. Lewis
798 books47.3k 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 164 reviews
November 26, 2017
Though this is a slim volume (148 p.), editor Hooper, who was Lewis' secretary in the great author's last days, has here collected in one cover all of his scattered shorter writings that relate to fantasy and science fiction, the two fictional genres he wrote in and clearly liked best. (This also includes discussions of children's literature, since so many people, especially in Lewis' day, viewed fantasy as something only fit for children.) There are eight essays; the transcript of a recorded conversation about science fiction ("Unreal Estates") between Lewis, Brian Aldiss, and Kingsley Amis; three short stories; and the uncompleted fragment of a projected novel, After Ten Years, together with notes by two of Lewis' friends summarizing conversations he had with them about this work. (I didn't actually read the fragment or these notes, since my interest is rather in the finished writings; and I think this material would primarily interest Lewis scholars or completists.)
The three stories are "The Shoddy Lands," "Forms of Things Unknown," (both of which would be difficult to discuss in detail without spoilers), and "Ministering Angels." All of these show genuine originality; but the one that's my favorite by far, and that I'd say succeeds best in engaging the reader as a story, is the latter. According to Hooper's six-page Preface (which discusses, among other things, the provenance and publication history of the selections), that story was inspired by Lewis' reaction to a 1955 Saturday Review article by a Dr. Robert S. Richardson, who confidently predicted that the conditions of space travel and colonization, which he imagined would be engaged in by essentially all-male expeditions existing in what he pictured as unprecedented sexual deprivation (the question a character in "Ministering Angels" asks, "How does it differ from men on whalers, or even on windjammers in the old days? Or on the North West Frontier?" doesn't seem to have crossed his mind), would be the magic bullet that would finally force society to abandon all notions of sexual morality and enthusiastically embrace prostitution. (He wasn't alone in that idea; Robert A. Heinlein premised one of his worst short stories on it.) Lewis skewers that notion as only Lewis could. :-)
The essays show Lewis at his best in that form: intelligent, cogent in reasoning, clear and conversational in style, wise and insightful, well-read but not making a show of his erudition. His Christian faith underlies his whole way of looking at the world, which shapes his way of looking at literature, but the relationship is an organic one; that is, none of these essays are self-consciously theological or attempts to set forth "the Christian position on Literary Question X" (indeed, Lewis wouldn't claim that there necessarily IS a single "Christian position" on literary questions). His views just spring naturally from the person that he is. I can't say that I have a single favorite among the eight selections here (it would be too hard to choose), and all of them contain ideas that enriched, broadened, or clarified my thinking in some way or another. One important insight that's worth mentioning, though (and which recurs in more than one essay) is the concept that the qualities that make good children's literature are the same ones that make good literature in general, and can be appreciated as such by readers of any age. Another is that the literature of the magical and fantastic speaks to universal human interests and themes, and is not as such inherently "childish" in a reductionist or invidious sense.
Hooper takes his title from a line (which serves as an epigraph here) from Spenser's The Faerie Queen. One can't help but think that Lewis (who was deeply into 16th-century literature) would have approved! Another side note that's worthy of mention is the discussion, in the Preface, of Lewis' considerable body of juvenalia (written between the ages of six and fifteen, apparently) about Animal Land, and the instructive comparisons/contrasts Hooper draws between the vision here and the developed fantasy of the Narnia series written in Lewis' adult years. (Personally, I found this rather fascinating --I'd previously read A. N. Wilson's biography of Lewis, but don't recall any comparable discussion of this material there.)
The three stories are "The Shoddy Lands," "Forms of Things Unknown," (both of which would be difficult to discuss in detail without spoilers), and "Ministering Angels." All of these show genuine originality; but the one that's my favorite by far, and that I'd say succeeds best in engaging the reader as a story, is the latter. According to Hooper's six-page Preface (which discusses, among other things, the provenance and publication history of the selections), that story was inspired by Lewis' reaction to a 1955 Saturday Review article by a Dr. Robert S. Richardson, who confidently predicted that the conditions of space travel and colonization, which he imagined would be engaged in by essentially all-male expeditions existing in what he pictured as unprecedented sexual deprivation (the question a character in "Ministering Angels" asks, "How does it differ from men on whalers, or even on windjammers in the old days? Or on the North West Frontier?" doesn't seem to have crossed his mind), would be the magic bullet that would finally force society to abandon all notions of sexual morality and enthusiastically embrace prostitution. (He wasn't alone in that idea; Robert A. Heinlein premised one of his worst short stories on it.) Lewis skewers that notion as only Lewis could. :-)
The essays show Lewis at his best in that form: intelligent, cogent in reasoning, clear and conversational in style, wise and insightful, well-read but not making a show of his erudition. His Christian faith underlies his whole way of looking at the world, which shapes his way of looking at literature, but the relationship is an organic one; that is, none of these essays are self-consciously theological or attempts to set forth "the Christian position on Literary Question X" (indeed, Lewis wouldn't claim that there necessarily IS a single "Christian position" on literary questions). His views just spring naturally from the person that he is. I can't say that I have a single favorite among the eight selections here (it would be too hard to choose), and all of them contain ideas that enriched, broadened, or clarified my thinking in some way or another. One important insight that's worth mentioning, though (and which recurs in more than one essay) is the concept that the qualities that make good children's literature are the same ones that make good literature in general, and can be appreciated as such by readers of any age. Another is that the literature of the magical and fantastic speaks to universal human interests and themes, and is not as such inherently "childish" in a reductionist or invidious sense.
Hooper takes his title from a line (which serves as an epigraph here) from Spenser's The Faerie Queen. One can't help but think that Lewis (who was deeply into 16th-century literature) would have approved! Another side note that's worthy of mention is the discussion, in the Preface, of Lewis' considerable body of juvenalia (written between the ages of six and fifteen, apparently) about Animal Land, and the instructive comparisons/contrasts Hooper draws between the vision here and the developed fantasy of the Narnia series written in Lewis' adult years. (Personally, I found this rather fascinating --I'd previously read A. N. Wilson's biography of Lewis, but don't recall any comparable discussion of this material there.)
September 9, 2016
Science-Fiction and Literary Criticism
9 September 2016 - Singapore (or at least the airport)
While this book was eventually published in 1983 the essays that the book contains date back to the fifties and the sixties and tend to focus on both the emerging science-fiction and fantasy genre, as well as some essays looking at literary criticism in general. The thing with science-fiction and fantasy at this time was that it was still very much a fringe genre, generally looked down upon by the critics of Lewis' day, and these essays were designed to attempt to change the perception of this new form of literature, especially since it has existed in some form or another since people first started telling stories.
What we seem to have with regards to this genre are the generally recognised classics of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, however they weren't the only people who were experimenting with this new genre – Mary Shelley had published Frankenstein, which is basically about a robot that hunts down its master, and The Last Man, which is a post-apocalyptic story of the last man left alive on Earth. However, even around Wells' time we have writers such as Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the creator of Conan the Barbarian Robert E Howard. The thing is that in the case of Haggard, his stories about the adventures of Alan Quartermain, have found themselves moved out of the category of fantasy and into the category of adventure.
The reason for this is that when the world was smaller, and a lot less known, authors would imagine what the world was like in these mysterious places – Swift set is adventures out in the middle of the oceans, while Haggard set his adventures deep in the darkest parts of Africa. Even writers like Howard created a time that existed before recorded history, and created a civilisation that existed there but has since been all but destroyed. The problem is that as we explore and map the globe, and as we make educated guesses about the pre-historic times, setting stories in these places becomes less and less believable, so authors need to look for other worlds in which to set their stories – and the main reason for setting the stories in other, imaginary, worlds, is that there is a lot less demand for realism, while setting a story in, say, Hong Kong, probably requires a lot more research (not that writers actually do that). Mind you, when they made the film version of John Carter, one of the complaints was that now we know that Mars is little more than a barren rock so creating a movie where a civil war soldier lands up in a world full of Martians isn't going to sit all that well these days.
One interesting thing that Lewis comments on was how he was disappointed with a film version of King Solomon's Mines, and how the final cliff hanger was changed to make it somewhat more exciting. I can sort of see where Lewis is coming from here, because I'm sure many of us have been seriously disappointed when one of our favourite books has been put onto the big screen. However cinema is a completely different medium to a book, in the same way that a play isn't necessarily the same as a poem – reading a play and watching a play be performed are two completely different experiences, and as I have discovered watching the play performed means that you are able to understand it a lot better. However, noting Lewis' criticism of the cinema adaptation of Rider's classic adventure tail, we begin to see cinema take on a life of its own – Indiana Jones comes to mind. In fact Lewis even suggests that when he was writing we had only seen the beginnings of this genre and the best were yet to come – well, when I think about it after Lewis' death we did see the rise of cult sci-fi classics such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and of course Doctor Who.
Lewis also writes a couple of comments on literary criticism, which I'm sure should apply to us since many of us do write reviews on books on Goodreads. Lewis suggests that one of the worse jobs to have is to be a paid book reviewer. I sort of can appreciate that. I write reviews because I enjoy writing reviews – as soon as you start getting paid to do it the pleasure somehow disappears. Mind you, I suspect that you would be lucky these days to get a paid reviewing job, particularly since many of the websites that post reviews of, well, whatever, tend to rely upon the unpaid work of schmucks like us (yet will pocket the profits gained through click-bait advertising).
I can also appreciate how he mentions that as a paid reviewer your TBR list literally explodes, and you have a dead-line to read all of these books. Personally, I don't like being rushed when it comes to reading a book, which is basically why I ignore review requests from people on Goodreads (and I suspect that I am not the only one). Mind you, all you need is for one bad apple and even the most interesting book will be ignored (I had some guy request I review a book, and I agreed, only to have him hound me for a couple of weeks to write the review, and didn't even get a thankyou, or a like, when I did so – I also suspect that I am not the only person who had this problem). Mind you, since my tastes generally involve authors that are, well, dead, then it is going to be difficult for a Goodreads author to fall into that category.
What caught my attention though were the reviewers that would review a book that they had never even read, or review a book in an attempt to cover up some flaws in the story (though I'm sure it isn't possible to cover up bad grammar, or spelling, unless of course you are writing poetry then theoretically anything goes, but once again, as Lewis suggested, in former times a poet was simply another name for a writer of fiction and fantasy). Mind you, I do spend an inordinate amount of time trying to patch up the apparent contradictions in the X-men films, namely because they are supposed to be all in the same universe, but the more you think about it the more it makes your head hurt. As for reviewing books that one hasn't read – I'm sure nobody actually does that on Goodreads.
9 September 2016 - Singapore (or at least the airport)
While this book was eventually published in 1983 the essays that the book contains date back to the fifties and the sixties and tend to focus on both the emerging science-fiction and fantasy genre, as well as some essays looking at literary criticism in general. The thing with science-fiction and fantasy at this time was that it was still very much a fringe genre, generally looked down upon by the critics of Lewis' day, and these essays were designed to attempt to change the perception of this new form of literature, especially since it has existed in some form or another since people first started telling stories.
What we seem to have with regards to this genre are the generally recognised classics of Jules Verne and H.G. Wells, however they weren't the only people who were experimenting with this new genre – Mary Shelley had published Frankenstein, which is basically about a robot that hunts down its master, and The Last Man, which is a post-apocalyptic story of the last man left alive on Earth. However, even around Wells' time we have writers such as Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the creator of Conan the Barbarian Robert E Howard. The thing is that in the case of Haggard, his stories about the adventures of Alan Quartermain, have found themselves moved out of the category of fantasy and into the category of adventure.
The reason for this is that when the world was smaller, and a lot less known, authors would imagine what the world was like in these mysterious places – Swift set is adventures out in the middle of the oceans, while Haggard set his adventures deep in the darkest parts of Africa. Even writers like Howard created a time that existed before recorded history, and created a civilisation that existed there but has since been all but destroyed. The problem is that as we explore and map the globe, and as we make educated guesses about the pre-historic times, setting stories in these places becomes less and less believable, so authors need to look for other worlds in which to set their stories – and the main reason for setting the stories in other, imaginary, worlds, is that there is a lot less demand for realism, while setting a story in, say, Hong Kong, probably requires a lot more research (not that writers actually do that). Mind you, when they made the film version of John Carter, one of the complaints was that now we know that Mars is little more than a barren rock so creating a movie where a civil war soldier lands up in a world full of Martians isn't going to sit all that well these days.
One interesting thing that Lewis comments on was how he was disappointed with a film version of King Solomon's Mines, and how the final cliff hanger was changed to make it somewhat more exciting. I can sort of see where Lewis is coming from here, because I'm sure many of us have been seriously disappointed when one of our favourite books has been put onto the big screen. However cinema is a completely different medium to a book, in the same way that a play isn't necessarily the same as a poem – reading a play and watching a play be performed are two completely different experiences, and as I have discovered watching the play performed means that you are able to understand it a lot better. However, noting Lewis' criticism of the cinema adaptation of Rider's classic adventure tail, we begin to see cinema take on a life of its own – Indiana Jones comes to mind. In fact Lewis even suggests that when he was writing we had only seen the beginnings of this genre and the best were yet to come – well, when I think about it after Lewis' death we did see the rise of cult sci-fi classics such as Star Wars, Star Trek, and of course Doctor Who.
Lewis also writes a couple of comments on literary criticism, which I'm sure should apply to us since many of us do write reviews on books on Goodreads. Lewis suggests that one of the worse jobs to have is to be a paid book reviewer. I sort of can appreciate that. I write reviews because I enjoy writing reviews – as soon as you start getting paid to do it the pleasure somehow disappears. Mind you, I suspect that you would be lucky these days to get a paid reviewing job, particularly since many of the websites that post reviews of, well, whatever, tend to rely upon the unpaid work of schmucks like us (yet will pocket the profits gained through click-bait advertising).
I can also appreciate how he mentions that as a paid reviewer your TBR list literally explodes, and you have a dead-line to read all of these books. Personally, I don't like being rushed when it comes to reading a book, which is basically why I ignore review requests from people on Goodreads (and I suspect that I am not the only one). Mind you, all you need is for one bad apple and even the most interesting book will be ignored (I had some guy request I review a book, and I agreed, only to have him hound me for a couple of weeks to write the review, and didn't even get a thankyou, or a like, when I did so – I also suspect that I am not the only person who had this problem). Mind you, since my tastes generally involve authors that are, well, dead, then it is going to be difficult for a Goodreads author to fall into that category.
What caught my attention though were the reviewers that would review a book that they had never even read, or review a book in an attempt to cover up some flaws in the story (though I'm sure it isn't possible to cover up bad grammar, or spelling, unless of course you are writing poetry then theoretically anything goes, but once again, as Lewis suggested, in former times a poet was simply another name for a writer of fiction and fantasy). Mind you, I do spend an inordinate amount of time trying to patch up the apparent contradictions in the X-men films, namely because they are supposed to be all in the same universe, but the more you think about it the more it makes your head hurt. As for reviewing books that one hasn't read – I'm sure nobody actually does that on Goodreads.
August 14, 2022
" Când am devenit bărbat am lăsat deoparte lucrurile copilărești, printre ele și teama de a fi copilăros și dorința de a fi foarte matur"
O companie plăcută și odihnitoare citită îndelung și fără nici o grabă. Totuși, e o carte atipică pentru cititorul obișnuit cu scrierile mai populare ale autorului, deoarece nu tratează subiecte de interes general valabil.
Volumul de față e o colecție de eseuri convingătoare despre importanța de a spune povești și a citi basme, despre arta de a picta imagini în cuvinte și alte asemenea despre literatură. M-a motivat ca viitor artist și totuși m-a pus la locul meu. Nu mai cred că voi ajunge vreodată scriitor, sau cel puțin niciodată unul bun. :)) Voi fi bine...in cele din urmă. Cel puțin am plăcerea de a mă bucura de acest proces prin perspectiva altora.
De altfel, ironia și felul tacticos in care Lewis își prezintă opiniile despre citit și preferințele literare m-au păstrat în continuare cucerită. #bigfan. Am subliniat o grămadă de cuvinte, deci o să mă mai întorc la ea. Recomand maxim spiritelor artistice
O companie plăcută și odihnitoare citită îndelung și fără nici o grabă. Totuși, e o carte atipică pentru cititorul obișnuit cu scrierile mai populare ale autorului, deoarece nu tratează subiecte de interes general valabil.
Volumul de față e o colecție de eseuri convingătoare despre importanța de a spune povești și a citi basme, despre arta de a picta imagini în cuvinte și alte asemenea despre literatură. M-a motivat ca viitor artist și totuși m-a pus la locul meu. Nu mai cred că voi ajunge vreodată scriitor, sau cel puțin niciodată unul bun. :)) Voi fi bine...in cele din urmă. Cel puțin am plăcerea de a mă bucura de acest proces prin perspectiva altora.
De altfel, ironia și felul tacticos in care Lewis își prezintă opiniile despre citit și preferințele literare m-au păstrat în continuare cucerită. #bigfan. Am subliniat o grămadă de cuvinte, deci o să mă mai întorc la ea. Recomand maxim spiritelor artistice
February 17, 2024
4.5
"Dacă ești sătul de peisajul real, uită-te la el într-o oglindă. Punând pâinea, aurul, calul, mărul sau drumurile însele într-un mit, nu ne retragem din fața realității: o redescoperim. Cât timp povestea zăbovește în mintea noastră, lucrurile reale sunt ele însele în mai mare măsură."
E impresionant cum C. S. Lewis reușește să facă orice subiect să fie atractiv.
"Dacă ești sătul de peisajul real, uită-te la el într-o oglindă. Punând pâinea, aurul, calul, mărul sau drumurile însele într-un mit, nu ne retragem din fața realității: o redescoperim. Cât timp povestea zăbovește în mintea noastră, lucrurile reale sunt ele însele în mai mare măsură."
E impresionant cum C. S. Lewis reușește să facă orice subiect să fie atractiv.
April 14, 2019
Siempre es interesante conocer un poco más de la forma de pensar de ciertos escritores, y en el caso de C.S. Lewis, resulta una experiencia de lo más aleccionadora.
Conocido por sus obras "para niños", en especial la saga de "Las crónicas de Narnia", Lewis nos lleva en un recorrido por la génesis de algunos de sus trabajos, el impacto de su cristiandad en su obra y comentarios acerca de la apreciación del siempre villipendiado género de la ciencia ficción. Además, se exponen comentarios acerca de otros escritores, como es el caso de Tolkien, de quien resulta candorosa la profeciá de Lewis acerca de que su "El señor de los anillos" probablemente se convertiría en uno de los grandes clásicos de la literatura de todos los tiempos, jeje.
Como punto extra, en cada uno de sus ensayos hay observaciones que pueden ser de mucha utilidad para aquellos a quienes les gusta escribir. No es que se trate de una guía específica, pero hay muchos tips que pueden resultar de provecho.
¡Muy recomendable!
Conocido por sus obras "para niños", en especial la saga de "Las crónicas de Narnia", Lewis nos lleva en un recorrido por la génesis de algunos de sus trabajos, el impacto de su cristiandad en su obra y comentarios acerca de la apreciación del siempre villipendiado género de la ciencia ficción. Además, se exponen comentarios acerca de otros escritores, como es el caso de Tolkien, de quien resulta candorosa la profeciá de Lewis acerca de que su "El señor de los anillos" probablemente se convertiría en uno de los grandes clásicos de la literatura de todos los tiempos, jeje.
Como punto extra, en cada uno de sus ensayos hay observaciones que pueden ser de mucha utilidad para aquellos a quienes les gusta escribir. No es que se trate de una guía específica, pero hay muchos tips que pueden resultar de provecho.
¡Muy recomendable!
September 4, 2017
My favorite thing about this collection, hands-down, was the fact that in every essay, Lewis offered Tolkien as a shining example of the art of whatever element of Story he was discussing. Honestly, I can only aspire to be that Extra™ in my support of my friends' creative endeavors! Aside from the insight into Lewis's personality and creative mind, I very much enjoyed the short story toward the end of the collection about man's travels to the moon.
February 4, 2019
I'd give the essays 5 stars and the stories 3. Some interesting thoughts on fiction, writing, and his own writings. Recommended especially for those who've read an enjoyed the Space Trilogy.
February 8, 2022
Anyone that knows me, knows that I love Lewis. This book was a wonderful peak at this inner thoughts and heart. Filled with essays, interviews, and unpublished manuscripts. This book shows another side of Lewis, that I could not help but be struck by.
August 1, 2024
This book seriously sparked my imagination! Reading “on three ways of writing for children”, “ sometimes fairy stories may say best what’s to be said”, and “it all begins with a picture…”, made me understand the importance of children’s literature.
Has anyone gone to target and noticed the horrible books available but smile when you see Narnia or Lord of the Rings? I do. Good children’s books are hard to find. And Lewis notes that a good children’s books can be read at 9 years old and at 65; all ages should enjoy them.
I was reading this book and all of a sudden flashes of pictures came into my head of this land where all the creatures and people have been led astray by evil and have forgotten the truth. Then a golden eagle came into it and then a high schooler who daydreams in class. So, reading this on July 5th began a new thing for me: a children’s book. I went home and started writing and 22 days later I had 30,000 words for a first draft. God is good and I hope my book glorifies Him.
Bomb quotes:
“we long to go through the Looking Glass to reach fairy land. We long to be immensely popular and successful schoolboy or schoolgirl, or the lucky boy or girl who discovers the spy’s plot or rides the horse that none of the Cowboys can manage”
“Since it is so likely that they(children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker…. Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end of the book.”
Has anyone gone to target and noticed the horrible books available but smile when you see Narnia or Lord of the Rings? I do. Good children’s books are hard to find. And Lewis notes that a good children’s books can be read at 9 years old and at 65; all ages should enjoy them.
I was reading this book and all of a sudden flashes of pictures came into my head of this land where all the creatures and people have been led astray by evil and have forgotten the truth. Then a golden eagle came into it and then a high schooler who daydreams in class. So, reading this on July 5th began a new thing for me: a children’s book. I went home and started writing and 22 days later I had 30,000 words for a first draft. God is good and I hope my book glorifies Him.
Bomb quotes:
“we long to go through the Looking Glass to reach fairy land. We long to be immensely popular and successful schoolboy or schoolgirl, or the lucky boy or girl who discovers the spy’s plot or rides the horse that none of the Cowboys can manage”
“Since it is so likely that they(children) will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker…. Let there be wicked kings and beheadings, battles and dungeons, giants and dragons, and let villains be soundly killed at the end of the book.”
August 13, 2025
This being my first Lewis work in a while, I was surprised and delighted by how timeless his thoughts are. I was able to relate his opinions to current pop culture, political affairs, and my own experiences as an author and reader. I especially enjoyed his critique of Theocracy and his defense of popular fiction (or works that are seen as "less intelligent" but still bring value to their readers). The transcript of a conversation with two fellow authors was delightful as well.
The short story section aged rather less well, given some of the one-dimensional portrayals of women, but I did enjoy reading his lesser-known but equally thought-provoking fiction.
I will definitely be reading more Lewis, hopefully sooner than later. ;)
The short story section aged rather less well, given some of the one-dimensional portrayals of women, but I did enjoy reading his lesser-known but equally thought-provoking fiction.
I will definitely be reading more Lewis, hopefully sooner than later. ;)
September 15, 2022
Whew. This is a hard one to review. It's a collection of essays on speculative fiction combined with actual short stories. One story, "The Shoddy Lands" really got to me. I LOVED it. One of the "space" centered short stories--about people landing on the moon and then their transmissions being cut off in the middle for no apparent reason--GENIUS! I went, "Wait, what?"
Most of the essays were really good as well, but the first was kind of hard to plow through, which made me wonder if I was insufficiently intelligent to understand Lewis. It didn't happen but one more time and only part of that essay, so maybe I'm not as thick-headed as previously assumed. Or maybe I only think I understand it.
Actually, looking at my chatter about the essays tells me I didn't remember how much I enjoyed most of them.
Most of the essays were really good as well, but the first was kind of hard to plow through, which made me wonder if I was insufficiently intelligent to understand Lewis. It didn't happen but one more time and only part of that essay, so maybe I'm not as thick-headed as previously assumed. Or maybe I only think I understand it.
Actually, looking at my chatter about the essays tells me I didn't remember how much I enjoyed most of them.
October 29, 2025
(research excerpts) What I read was utterly fantastic. It's killing me having to read so sparingly 🥲 I just need time, and then I will go back and read this entire marvelous collection.
December 14, 2018
This is a collection of essays by Lewis about stories and writing fiction. I personally don’t write fiction, nor have I read much fiction, but I really enjoyed these essays. All of them were interesting. Here’s just four take aways:
(1) Particularly, “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” was a fascinating read. It was less about ways to write, and more about fantasy, danger, and what children and adults read and like. This was worth the book alone. But his thoughts on science fiction were interesting (the last two essays).
(2) It was interesting and quite enjoyable to hear Lewis shed some details about how he came to write Narnia and the Space Trilogy. What was most interesting here is in multiple essays he makes it clear that he did not start with a message or moral and then make the story. He says all his stories—each book in Narnia and the Space Trilogy—started with him seeing a picture. For Narnia, it was a Faun with an umbrella carrying a package. From this picture, came a story. And he makes clear, the message and morals then come from the author as they write the story. It comes out of them.
On this, I read Narnia this year and enjoyed finding many of Lewis’ morals and messages throughout. What he tells me in these essays is that he did not think of these and then think about how to illustrate them. In example, he didn’t think of the theme pride, want to include it in Narnia, and then create Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Rather, he was writing the story and Edmund’s characters, and the message and morals about pride came. The story comes first; the messages flow from the author as he is creating the story. “I’ve never started from a message or moral” (138).
(3) Lewis’ thoughts about criticism were insightful. This was less about stories, but about reading and writing criticisms of books. And his points apply to all good criticisms. (By criticism, we’re talking about book reviews and such). He helpful shows that we often use words in criticism that we must avoid, namely, words that attempt to describe the origin of the work, rather than the work itself. For example, he says that calling a point “an after-thought” is unhelpful. It is trying to hypothesize the origin, but tells nothing about the statement itself. He points out that what the reviewer calls an after-thought might have in fact been the springboard for the entire book. Instead of making origin-statements, we should explain why it sounds like an afterthought. This is getting at content instead of origin. The same applies to words like “sincere,” “inspired,” and “painstaking.” His point here is great; as typical of him, this is something I’ve never thought of before.
(4) A couple times in the writings he makes the point that we can’t really judge a book until we’ve read it multiple times. He even goes so far as to saying about a book, “I thought it was pretty good. I only read it once; mind you, a book’s no good to me until I’ve read it two or three times” (140). Makes me think that I must do Lewis in a year multiple times in my life!
The last third of this book was short stories. These were the same stories listed in The Dark Tower. See that review for those.
Would I recommend this? Absolutely. But it is a specific set of essays. It’s also much less Christian, although these themes appear a few times. But as a person who enjoyed reading and writing, I enjoyed it, even though I’m not as particular about fiction. Yet reading Lewis, I have gained much more of an appreciation for fantasy.
(1) Particularly, “On Three Ways of Writing for Children” was a fascinating read. It was less about ways to write, and more about fantasy, danger, and what children and adults read and like. This was worth the book alone. But his thoughts on science fiction were interesting (the last two essays).
(2) It was interesting and quite enjoyable to hear Lewis shed some details about how he came to write Narnia and the Space Trilogy. What was most interesting here is in multiple essays he makes it clear that he did not start with a message or moral and then make the story. He says all his stories—each book in Narnia and the Space Trilogy—started with him seeing a picture. For Narnia, it was a Faun with an umbrella carrying a package. From this picture, came a story. And he makes clear, the message and morals then come from the author as they write the story. It comes out of them.
On this, I read Narnia this year and enjoyed finding many of Lewis’ morals and messages throughout. What he tells me in these essays is that he did not think of these and then think about how to illustrate them. In example, he didn’t think of the theme pride, want to include it in Narnia, and then create Edmund in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Rather, he was writing the story and Edmund’s characters, and the message and morals about pride came. The story comes first; the messages flow from the author as he is creating the story. “I’ve never started from a message or moral” (138).
(3) Lewis’ thoughts about criticism were insightful. This was less about stories, but about reading and writing criticisms of books. And his points apply to all good criticisms. (By criticism, we’re talking about book reviews and such). He helpful shows that we often use words in criticism that we must avoid, namely, words that attempt to describe the origin of the work, rather than the work itself. For example, he says that calling a point “an after-thought” is unhelpful. It is trying to hypothesize the origin, but tells nothing about the statement itself. He points out that what the reviewer calls an after-thought might have in fact been the springboard for the entire book. Instead of making origin-statements, we should explain why it sounds like an afterthought. This is getting at content instead of origin. The same applies to words like “sincere,” “inspired,” and “painstaking.” His point here is great; as typical of him, this is something I’ve never thought of before.
(4) A couple times in the writings he makes the point that we can’t really judge a book until we’ve read it multiple times. He even goes so far as to saying about a book, “I thought it was pretty good. I only read it once; mind you, a book’s no good to me until I’ve read it two or three times” (140). Makes me think that I must do Lewis in a year multiple times in my life!
The last third of this book was short stories. These were the same stories listed in The Dark Tower. See that review for those.
Would I recommend this? Absolutely. But it is a specific set of essays. It’s also much less Christian, although these themes appear a few times. But as a person who enjoyed reading and writing, I enjoyed it, even though I’m not as particular about fiction. Yet reading Lewis, I have gained much more of an appreciation for fantasy.
January 7, 2021
Essays: 4-5 stars. Stories:2-4 stars.
Some good quotes from the essay On Three Ways of Writing For Children...
I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story. The good ones last.
...
In a sense a child does not long for fairy land as a boy longs to be the hero of the first eleven. Does anyone suppose that he really and prosaically longs for all the dangers and discomforts of a fairy tale?--really wants dragons in contemporary England? It is not so. It would be much truer to say that fairy land arouses a longing for he knows not what. It stirs and troubles him (to his life-long enrichment) with the dim sense of something beyond his reach and far from dulling or emptying the actual world, gives it a new dimension of depth. He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods: the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.
...
Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.
...
And I think it possible that by confining your child to blameless stories of child life in which nothing at all alarming ever happens, you would fail to banish the terrors, and would succeed in banishing all that can ennoble them or make them endurable. For in the fairy tales, side by side with the terrible figures, we find the immemorial comforters and protectors, the radiant ones; and the terrible figures are not merely terrible, but sublime. It would be nice if no little boy in bed, hearing, or thinking he hears, a sound, were ever at all frightened. But if he is going to be frightened, I think it better that he should think of giants and dragons than merely of burglars. And I think St. George, or any bright champion in armour, is a better comfort than the idea of the police.
...
I feel sure that the question 'What do modern children need?' will not lead you to a good moral. If we ask that question we are assuming too superior an attitude. It would be better to ask 'What moral do I need?' for I think we can be sure that what does not concern us deeply will not deeply interest our readers, whatever their age. But it is better not to ask the question at all. Let the pictures tell you their own moral. For the moral inherent in them will rise from whatever spiritual roots you have succeeded in striking during the whole course of your life. But if they don't show you any moral, don't put one in. For the moral you put in is likely to be a platitude, or even a falsehood, skimmed from the surface of your consciousness. It is impertinent to offer the children that.
...
The child as reader is never to be patronized nor idolized: we talk to him as man to man. But the worst attitude of all would be the professional attitude which regards children in the lump as a sort of raw material which we have to handle. We must of course try to do them no harm: we may, under the Omnipotence, sometimes dare to hope that we may do them good. But only such good as involves treating them with respect. We must not imagine that we are Providence or Destiny. I will not say that a good story for children could never be written by someone in the Ministry of Education, for all things are possible. But I should lay very long odds against it.
Some good quotes from the essay On Three Ways of Writing For Children...
I am almost inclined to set it up as a canon that a children's story which is enjoyed only by children is a bad children's story. The good ones last.
...
In a sense a child does not long for fairy land as a boy longs to be the hero of the first eleven. Does anyone suppose that he really and prosaically longs for all the dangers and discomforts of a fairy tale?--really wants dragons in contemporary England? It is not so. It would be much truer to say that fairy land arouses a longing for he knows not what. It stirs and troubles him (to his life-long enrichment) with the dim sense of something beyond his reach and far from dulling or emptying the actual world, gives it a new dimension of depth. He does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods: the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.
...
Since it is so likely that they will meet cruel enemies, let them at least have heard of brave knights and heroic courage. Otherwise you are making their destiny not brighter but darker.
...
And I think it possible that by confining your child to blameless stories of child life in which nothing at all alarming ever happens, you would fail to banish the terrors, and would succeed in banishing all that can ennoble them or make them endurable. For in the fairy tales, side by side with the terrible figures, we find the immemorial comforters and protectors, the radiant ones; and the terrible figures are not merely terrible, but sublime. It would be nice if no little boy in bed, hearing, or thinking he hears, a sound, were ever at all frightened. But if he is going to be frightened, I think it better that he should think of giants and dragons than merely of burglars. And I think St. George, or any bright champion in armour, is a better comfort than the idea of the police.
...
I feel sure that the question 'What do modern children need?' will not lead you to a good moral. If we ask that question we are assuming too superior an attitude. It would be better to ask 'What moral do I need?' for I think we can be sure that what does not concern us deeply will not deeply interest our readers, whatever their age. But it is better not to ask the question at all. Let the pictures tell you their own moral. For the moral inherent in them will rise from whatever spiritual roots you have succeeded in striking during the whole course of your life. But if they don't show you any moral, don't put one in. For the moral you put in is likely to be a platitude, or even a falsehood, skimmed from the surface of your consciousness. It is impertinent to offer the children that.
...
The child as reader is never to be patronized nor idolized: we talk to him as man to man. But the worst attitude of all would be the professional attitude which regards children in the lump as a sort of raw material which we have to handle. We must of course try to do them no harm: we may, under the Omnipotence, sometimes dare to hope that we may do them good. But only such good as involves treating them with respect. We must not imagine that we are Providence or Destiny. I will not say that a good story for children could never be written by someone in the Ministry of Education, for all things are possible. But I should lay very long odds against it.
December 21, 2023
I quite like this collection of C.S. Lewis' accessible literary criticism. There is a surprising delight of the unexpected in each essay, and some great lines throughout. There is some overlap between the pieces. I typically hop around and keep the book on my bedside table for months. I have a blog post I'm working about this, but I have gotten busy. Some quick notes:
-Good preface by Walter Hooper at critical points; it is the "no book or tea long enough" quotation source
-"On Stories" sort of roots the volume, and Lewis is saying something pretty important about good reading; note that there is a simply terrible racial word that illustrates the age pretty well (and Lewis' distance from North America); in this article I am taking the principles "On Stories" combined with Lewis' original reviews of Tolkien's The Hobbit and LOTR in this book: From The Hobbit to Harry Potter, From Fairy Tale to Epic: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2015/05/...
-There is an original C.S. Lewis BBC recording of "The Novels of Charles Williams" (his voice) that you can purchase online; it's pretty great, you can hear Lewis smiling (find also his "De Descriptione Temporum" essay which he reads on the BBC as "The Great Divide)
-the tribute pieces are bril: Charles Williams, E.R. Eddison, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rider Haggard, George Orwell, and notes in "Unreal Estates"
-although this volume is mostly about writing all throughout, it has most of his great pieces specifically on the craft: on Narnia (mostly): "On 3 Ways of Writing for Children," "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to be Said," "On Juvenile Tastes"; on Narnia and his SF: "It All Began with a Picture...," "On Science Fiction," and "Unreal Estates"--I break these up when I read them because they have some overlap
-A great way to read "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to be Said" is to read the New York Times original piece, which I reproduce here: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2019/05/...
-I only read the unfinished "A Reply to Prof. Haldane" after reading That Hideous Strength; to be helpful, I published "A Sarcasta-Review of the Ransom Trilogy by J.B.S. Haldane" (my title) so that folks know the background: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2015/04/...
-there is some overlap with Of Other Worlds, which I reviewed here: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2012/07/...
-my "How to Read All of C.S. Lewis’ Essays" piece might be helpful to some: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2017/02/...
(a very self-promotey review! enjoy or ignore at will)
-Good preface by Walter Hooper at critical points; it is the "no book or tea long enough" quotation source
-"On Stories" sort of roots the volume, and Lewis is saying something pretty important about good reading; note that there is a simply terrible racial word that illustrates the age pretty well (and Lewis' distance from North America); in this article I am taking the principles "On Stories" combined with Lewis' original reviews of Tolkien's The Hobbit and LOTR in this book: From The Hobbit to Harry Potter, From Fairy Tale to Epic: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2015/05/...
-There is an original C.S. Lewis BBC recording of "The Novels of Charles Williams" (his voice) that you can purchase online; it's pretty great, you can hear Lewis smiling (find also his "De Descriptione Temporum" essay which he reads on the BBC as "The Great Divide)
-the tribute pieces are bril: Charles Williams, E.R. Eddison, J.R.R. Tolkien, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rider Haggard, George Orwell, and notes in "Unreal Estates"
-although this volume is mostly about writing all throughout, it has most of his great pieces specifically on the craft: on Narnia (mostly): "On 3 Ways of Writing for Children," "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to be Said," "On Juvenile Tastes"; on Narnia and his SF: "It All Began with a Picture...," "On Science Fiction," and "Unreal Estates"--I break these up when I read them because they have some overlap
-A great way to read "Sometimes Fairy Stories May Say Best What's to be Said" is to read the New York Times original piece, which I reproduce here: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2019/05/...
-I only read the unfinished "A Reply to Prof. Haldane" after reading That Hideous Strength; to be helpful, I published "A Sarcasta-Review of the Ransom Trilogy by J.B.S. Haldane" (my title) so that folks know the background: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2015/04/...
-there is some overlap with Of Other Worlds, which I reviewed here: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2012/07/...
-my "How to Read All of C.S. Lewis’ Essays" piece might be helpful to some: https://apilgriminnarnia.com/2017/02/...
(a very self-promotey review! enjoy or ignore at will)
March 4, 2025
A very helpful volume for discovering Lewis' opinion on the power of narrative, myth, and fantasy. I hope someone has done a comparative study of some of these essays with Tolkien's 'On Fairy-Stories.' If not, someone should.
I am not sure, on second thoughts, that the slow fading of the magic... is, after all, a blemish. It is an image of the truth. Art, indeed, may be expected to do what life cannot do: but so it has done. The bird has escaped us. But it was at least entangled in the net for several chapters. We saw it close and enjoyed the plumage. How many 'real lives' have nets that can do as much?
In life and art both, as it seems to me, we are always trying to catch in our net of successive moments something that his not successive. Whether in real life there is any doctor who can teach us how to do it, so that at last either the meshes will become fine enough to hold the bird, or we be so changed that we can throw our nets away and follow the bird to its own country, is not a question for this essay. But I think it is sometimes done—or very, very nearly done—in stories. I believe the effort to be well worth making. .
This volume also includes four of Lewis' fantasy stories. I wish he had finished 'After Ten Years.' Lewis was such a brilliant classicist! Next year in the new Jerusalem, I will speak with him in God's presence and I cannot wait. (Don't mind me, I definitely haven't cried three times about Lewis tonight)
I am not sure, on second thoughts, that the slow fading of the magic... is, after all, a blemish. It is an image of the truth. Art, indeed, may be expected to do what life cannot do: but so it has done. The bird has escaped us. But it was at least entangled in the net for several chapters. We saw it close and enjoyed the plumage. How many 'real lives' have nets that can do as much?
In life and art both, as it seems to me, we are always trying to catch in our net of successive moments something that his not successive. Whether in real life there is any doctor who can teach us how to do it, so that at last either the meshes will become fine enough to hold the bird, or we be so changed that we can throw our nets away and follow the bird to its own country, is not a question for this essay. But I think it is sometimes done—or very, very nearly done—in stories. I believe the effort to be well worth making. .
This volume also includes four of Lewis' fantasy stories. I wish he had finished 'After Ten Years.' Lewis was such a brilliant classicist! Next year in the new Jerusalem, I will speak with him in God's presence and I cannot wait. (Don't mind me, I definitely haven't cried three times about Lewis tonight)
May 29, 2025
I had to read through this one quickly in order to have it done in time for a book club discussion, but I still enjoyed each of the essays. The short stories were intriguing, and while not my favorite Lewis, were ones I think I may ponder. I'll definitely revisit this book and will pull out more next time. As it was, there were some insights throughout the essays that made for great discussion, and thoughts about atmosphere, setting, intention, and enchantment I want to keep in mind for my own writing. The finally essay, a transcript of a recorded conversation between Lewis and a few friends is fascinating--the content of the conversation is great, but it gives a glimpse into the personalities of these men and how Lewis chatted. Other essays like "On Stories," "On Science Fiction," and "Three Ways to Write for Children," were particularly insightful.
February 10, 2017
"It is usual to speak in a playfully apologetic tone about one's adult enjoyment of what are called 'children's books'. I think the convention is a silly one. No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally (and often far more) worth reading at the age of fifty - except, of course, books of information."
Of This and Other Worlds is a small collection of essays written by C. S. Lewis in regards to facets of writing, reading, the art of story, critique, fantasy, science fiction, myth, and literature as a whole. It also includes several essays directed at or in response to certain individual's works or critiques. As is usual for Lewis, his wit and logical examination of topics is applied here, not to theological matters, though one can see the foundations from which he approaches varying matters and hear the echo of his religious works, but to matters of art.
The proper statement is that some men like bad art: but that good art produces a response for which ‘liking’ is the wrong word. And this other response has, perhaps, never been produced in anyone by bad art.
Many of these essays were refreshing; refreshing in the sense that they inspired me to re-examine my own viewpoint on the fantasy genre as a whole, restoring to myself a certain enjoyment and fascination of The Hobbit for example, which has not been a consideration of mine for some time. Lewis' statement that a book we had a particular fondness for at ten can and should still do so when we are fifty. Not because we are lowering our standards and allowing juvenile delights to enter our hearts, but because those delights have never left us, and the genuine application of what Lewis calls the 'inevitable' is equally true at ten as it is when we are grown. The themes of life and death, love and loss, courage and fear, are themes which are not only applicable in fairy tales, far from it, but are incurred and contemplated within our personal and professional schedules.
To limit such grand aspects of life to mere fairy tales is to do a disservice to such stories, to those who enjoy them, the virtues represented, and to our spirit which is itself an immediate and an 'inevitable' which longs for that same virtue. It's not entirely distant from stating that virtue, as represented by heroes of story and legend, is not the same virtue we find when we overcome an evil in our own world; courage is courage, whether required to fight a great dragon, or to stand against racism, and when we read of it in the stories of our youth we are inspired to live as our heroes do. If we dismiss that in exchange for the dull and serious pursuit of 'adult entertainments' (those upon which a child is not sophisticated enough to understand rather than those defined by perversions) we can see that the virtues of courage, bravery, sacrifice, and heroism are things relegated to the nursery rather than to be held as pursuits in adult life. Fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction, and myth, then, are a conduit for experiencing the aspects of life that are already and ever present, allowing us to examine them as they really are - the dragons and demons of our daily life and the things we must find courage to conquer.
"For [Myth] deals with the permanent and the inevitable, whereas an hour's shelling, or perhaps a ten-mile walk, or even a dose of salts, might annihilate many of the problems in which the characters of a refined and subtle novel are entangled.
I think that Lewis may have single-handedly inspired me to reconsider the fantasy genre, at least those that break the traditional mold of stereotypical monomyth, with several of these works. In regards to his friend Tolkien's work, The Lord of the Rings, which he praises, he states:
The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by 'the veil of familiarity'. the child enjoys his cold meat (otherwise dull to him) by pretending it is buffalo, just killed with his own bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savoury for having been dipped in a story; you might say that only then is it the real meat. If you are tired of the real landscape, look at it in a mirror. By putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it. As long as the story lingers in our mind, the real things are more themselves. [The Lord of the Rings] applies the treatment not only to bread or apple but to good and evil, to our endless perils, our anguish, and our joys. By dipping them in myth we see them more clearly. I do not think [Tolkien] could have done it any other way.
The phrase 'dipped in story' has an almost self-evident exuberance that manifests its own energy, just as what Lewis is suggesting happens when we read fantasy and then examine the pillars of our lives through the lens of the fantastic. His treatise on fantasy and his reasoning for loving it so was enough to convince me to hasten a reading of The Worm Ouroboros and one of The Lord of the Rings this year; I'll add them to my list.
Of This and Other Worlds is a very welcome series of discourses that offer the Lewis reader a view on matters not necessarily Christian-centric. Recommended for readers of Lewis' other works, those who appreciate the fantasy genre and wish to have many of its virtues articulated in concise fashion, or those interested in literary criticism.
Of This and Other Worlds is a small collection of essays written by C. S. Lewis in regards to facets of writing, reading, the art of story, critique, fantasy, science fiction, myth, and literature as a whole. It also includes several essays directed at or in response to certain individual's works or critiques. As is usual for Lewis, his wit and logical examination of topics is applied here, not to theological matters, though one can see the foundations from which he approaches varying matters and hear the echo of his religious works, but to matters of art.
The proper statement is that some men like bad art: but that good art produces a response for which ‘liking’ is the wrong word. And this other response has, perhaps, never been produced in anyone by bad art.
Many of these essays were refreshing; refreshing in the sense that they inspired me to re-examine my own viewpoint on the fantasy genre as a whole, restoring to myself a certain enjoyment and fascination of The Hobbit for example, which has not been a consideration of mine for some time. Lewis' statement that a book we had a particular fondness for at ten can and should still do so when we are fifty. Not because we are lowering our standards and allowing juvenile delights to enter our hearts, but because those delights have never left us, and the genuine application of what Lewis calls the 'inevitable' is equally true at ten as it is when we are grown. The themes of life and death, love and loss, courage and fear, are themes which are not only applicable in fairy tales, far from it, but are incurred and contemplated within our personal and professional schedules.
To limit such grand aspects of life to mere fairy tales is to do a disservice to such stories, to those who enjoy them, the virtues represented, and to our spirit which is itself an immediate and an 'inevitable' which longs for that same virtue. It's not entirely distant from stating that virtue, as represented by heroes of story and legend, is not the same virtue we find when we overcome an evil in our own world; courage is courage, whether required to fight a great dragon, or to stand against racism, and when we read of it in the stories of our youth we are inspired to live as our heroes do. If we dismiss that in exchange for the dull and serious pursuit of 'adult entertainments' (those upon which a child is not sophisticated enough to understand rather than those defined by perversions) we can see that the virtues of courage, bravery, sacrifice, and heroism are things relegated to the nursery rather than to be held as pursuits in adult life. Fairy tales, fantasy, science fiction, and myth, then, are a conduit for experiencing the aspects of life that are already and ever present, allowing us to examine them as they really are - the dragons and demons of our daily life and the things we must find courage to conquer.
"For [Myth] deals with the permanent and the inevitable, whereas an hour's shelling, or perhaps a ten-mile walk, or even a dose of salts, might annihilate many of the problems in which the characters of a refined and subtle novel are entangled.
I think that Lewis may have single-handedly inspired me to reconsider the fantasy genre, at least those that break the traditional mold of stereotypical monomyth, with several of these works. In regards to his friend Tolkien's work, The Lord of the Rings, which he praises, he states:
The value of the myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which has been hidden by 'the veil of familiarity'. the child enjoys his cold meat (otherwise dull to him) by pretending it is buffalo, just killed with his own bow and arrow. And the child is wise. The real meat comes back to him more savoury for having been dipped in a story; you might say that only then is it the real meat. If you are tired of the real landscape, look at it in a mirror. By putting bread, gold, horse, apple, or the very roads into a myth, we do not retreat from reality: we rediscover it. As long as the story lingers in our mind, the real things are more themselves. [The Lord of the Rings] applies the treatment not only to bread or apple but to good and evil, to our endless perils, our anguish, and our joys. By dipping them in myth we see them more clearly. I do not think [Tolkien] could have done it any other way.
The phrase 'dipped in story' has an almost self-evident exuberance that manifests its own energy, just as what Lewis is suggesting happens when we read fantasy and then examine the pillars of our lives through the lens of the fantastic. His treatise on fantasy and his reasoning for loving it so was enough to convince me to hasten a reading of The Worm Ouroboros and one of The Lord of the Rings this year; I'll add them to my list.
Of This and Other Worlds is a very welcome series of discourses that offer the Lewis reader a view on matters not necessarily Christian-centric. Recommended for readers of Lewis' other works, those who appreciate the fantasy genre and wish to have many of its virtues articulated in concise fashion, or those interested in literary criticism.
March 11, 2021
ANOTHER useless collection of essays already published in other collections. Fortunately it’s never a bad thing to re-read Lewis.
December 30, 2010
If you're a writer who enjoys CS Lewis' works, then this collection (9 Essays, 3 Short stories, and an unfinished Novel fragment) is a treasure trove. Here, CS Lewis writes about writing - the creation "of other worlds," as editor Walter Hooper decided to title it.
Speculative fiction writers in particular will find this collection fascinating, as it contains the essay "On Science Fiction" and "Ministering Angels." In the latter in particular, see CS Lewis come as close as he's ever gotten to sounding like Isaac Asimov.
But readers of regular fiction will find something useful too. "On Stories", "On Writing for Children", and "On Juvenile Tastes" are must-reads for anyone who wants insight from the writer of the Narnia stories. Speaking of which, "It began with a picture..." is exactly that, a description of how the Narnia books were developed.
If you're collecting CS Lewis' minor essays, then this is certainly a good place to start, although of course you'll likely want to start with major essays first. But for a writer, I would definitely recommend reading this BEFORE, say, The Abolition of Man or The Weight of Glory. But Do read "Till We Have Faces" or "A Grief Observed" first.
That is, of course, unless you've decided to collect ALL his essays - not a task for any but a very serious collector. If you don't want to go that far, you need not read further. Enjoy reading "Of Other Worlds."
If you DO, I must warn you that, given how much Lewis wrote in a great many variant publications the years, you'll have to put a lot of thought into before you start making purchases. The collections published by the CS Lewis estate overlap, and there are Lewis essays that are published today such that you'll end up buying an entire book of essays you already own just so you can get that essay. Perhaps someday the estate will come up with a definitive and streamlined compilation of essays and short stories (which they've already done with Lewis' letters.) Until then, collector beware.
- RE de Leon, December 30, 2010
Speculative fiction writers in particular will find this collection fascinating, as it contains the essay "On Science Fiction" and "Ministering Angels." In the latter in particular, see CS Lewis come as close as he's ever gotten to sounding like Isaac Asimov.
But readers of regular fiction will find something useful too. "On Stories", "On Writing for Children", and "On Juvenile Tastes" are must-reads for anyone who wants insight from the writer of the Narnia stories. Speaking of which, "It began with a picture..." is exactly that, a description of how the Narnia books were developed.
If you're collecting CS Lewis' minor essays, then this is certainly a good place to start, although of course you'll likely want to start with major essays first. But for a writer, I would definitely recommend reading this BEFORE, say, The Abolition of Man or The Weight of Glory. But Do read "Till We Have Faces" or "A Grief Observed" first.
That is, of course, unless you've decided to collect ALL his essays - not a task for any but a very serious collector. If you don't want to go that far, you need not read further. Enjoy reading "Of Other Worlds."
If you DO, I must warn you that, given how much Lewis wrote in a great many variant publications the years, you'll have to put a lot of thought into before you start making purchases. The collections published by the CS Lewis estate overlap, and there are Lewis essays that are published today such that you'll end up buying an entire book of essays you already own just so you can get that essay. Perhaps someday the estate will come up with a definitive and streamlined compilation of essays and short stories (which they've already done with Lewis' letters.) Until then, collector beware.
- RE de Leon, December 30, 2010
September 30, 2020
I review only the essays, the fiction being most curiosities.
But it includes his treatment of stories, and science fiction, with many interesting insights, and his own work in some respects. Two essays are incomplete.
But it includes his treatment of stories, and science fiction, with many interesting insights, and his own work in some respects. Two essays are incomplete.
October 16, 2024
A series of essays on literary matters rather than religious. Lewis is always worth reading as he helps the reader to reason better.
February 11, 2019
This is an intriguing collection in two parts. For any C.S Lewis mega-fans (such as myself) this kind of anthology is irresistible. The essays are a joy to read but there is rather a lot of repetition throughout which is a shame. Reading C.S Lewis’s views on story, ‘children’s books’, and science fiction is a treat.
The short stories are a mixed bag. Most do bear the unmistakeable magic of the best of C.S Lewis but some of the descriptions of women feel a little uncomfortable. I don’t buy into the whole ‘Susan went to hell because C S Lewis hated independent women’ nonsense, but these stories get a bit weird. ‘Ministering Angels’ is so ridiculously rude and silly that I still can’t believe it was written by the same man as the Cosmic Trilogy.
Worth a read but not the best collection of Lewis related bits and pieces I’ve come across.
The short stories are a mixed bag. Most do bear the unmistakeable magic of the best of C.S Lewis but some of the descriptions of women feel a little uncomfortable. I don’t buy into the whole ‘Susan went to hell because C S Lewis hated independent women’ nonsense, but these stories get a bit weird. ‘Ministering Angels’ is so ridiculously rude and silly that I still can’t believe it was written by the same man as the Cosmic Trilogy.
Worth a read but not the best collection of Lewis related bits and pieces I’ve come across.
April 19, 2020
A lover of novels, yet looking for some non-fiction options, I picked this collection up as a kindle deal. While I have read the Chronicles of Narnia and the The Great Divorce, most of my Lewis exposure has been non-fiction. As someone who himself loved and wrote stories and fairy tales, I was interested to hear Lewis' take on the value and importance of stories. I have known some to dismiss fiction as of lesser value, or merely escapism or entertainment, but I believe they are valuable to us for much more than that. Lewis concurs and goes so far as to say that some things just can't be said as well in any other way. I like that.
Some of the essays in this collection were great, vintage Lewis, logically and winsomely making his point. Some of them were more obscure, less interesting and/or responses to someone else from many years ago. The ones arguing about science fiction were least interesting to me, as a genre I care little about. So the 3 stars are a result of this particular collection of items. Surprisingly, as I picked this up for the non-fiction look at fiction, it was the stories at the end I enjoyed the most. Maybe that's not surprising after all...
Some of the essays in this collection were great, vintage Lewis, logically and winsomely making his point. Some of them were more obscure, less interesting and/or responses to someone else from many years ago. The ones arguing about science fiction were least interesting to me, as a genre I care little about. So the 3 stars are a result of this particular collection of items. Surprisingly, as I picked this up for the non-fiction look at fiction, it was the stories at the end I enjoyed the most. Maybe that's not surprising after all...
March 8, 2018
I really enjoyed the essays in part one of this book - getting some information on the background of Space Trilogy from some of the essays was excellent. The second part (the Stories) are all contained in "The Dark Tower" which I read last year. They are good, too, for the short stories that they are.
June 5, 2019
This book was not at all what I expected. The first half was his thoughts on writing literature, specifically science fiction and fantasy and children's literature. It was interesting, but not enough for me to read every word. I skimmed some of it. I thought of my sister as I read, who is writing a book of her own. The second half were short, science fiction stories and a partially written one about Helen of Troy. All were pretty good, but again, just not what I was expecting.
July 19, 2022
So cool to read Lewis’ essays about writing and stories and where his inspiration comes from. Two of the four short stories included are really good.
Lewis talks about childrens stories, escapism, film, science fiction, reading criticism of his own work.
The short essay on what inspired Narnia is great.
“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally worth reading at the age of fifty”
Lewis talks about childrens stories, escapism, film, science fiction, reading criticism of his own work.
The short essay on what inspired Narnia is great.
“No book is really worth reading at the age of ten which is not equally worth reading at the age of fifty”
May 21, 2020
It's a fine book, it just so happens to be a collection of essays written on topics that I am not all that interested in. "So, why did you read it, Chris?" I don't know. I really don't know.
December 12, 2022
The essays in this book are gold!
February 5, 2023
Read for the essays only. They're seriously and endlessly fascinating. Especially if you're a writer/storyteller.
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