On my reading list
My friend Linda Barnes and I were talking about science fiction (can't remember now what she doesn't like about Sci-Fi; what I don't like is the dystopic technological space ship future without grass and blue skies and birds) and she recommended that this year I plan to read CS Lewis's space trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, (apparently also called Voyage to Venus) and Hideous Strength especially because the hero is a linguist. I did like Narnia, so maybe I'll like this too. Any thoughts?
All images from Amazon but much difficulty in placing them nicely here. My apologies.
posted by Sara Jameson at 8:04 AM
2 Comments:
I haven't read the space trilogy since I was very young, but I remember enjoying it. It reminded me of Madeleine L'Engle's Kairos books (A Wrinkle in Time, A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet) because of all of the traveling to new worlds, meeting different kinds of people, often with animalistic features but minds comparable to those of humans or even more advanced, and having to deal with the problems that arise learning to communicate with them. The Space Trilogy addresses morality wholeheartedly and Christianity, but much less subtly than in Narnia, as I don't believe they are meant for children. Of course, it's been so long I can't recall everything I thought of them, only that they were enjoyable and for a while, they made me want to become philologist. :) Thanks for reminding me of them. I shall have to reread them when I get a chance.
Thanks for the really helpful feedback. I like Madeleine L'Engle's books, so that's persuasive. I'm re-reading her Irrational Season right now. I also like some of Ursula LeGuin's "science fiction" (I put quote marks because she doesn't really like that genre designation). Of course I liked Narnia, too. So - OK, as soon as I can make time for recreational reading (ha ha), I'll get these. Nice to find a fellow reader in Corvallis.
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