Space Trilogy
Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength (Boxed Set)
by C. S. Lewis · first published 1975
48% recommend48% neutral4% critical
Why HN recommends it
Science fiction blending spirituality, myth and ethics, with strong prose and less heavy-handed allegory than Narnia. Suits readers curious about a Christian worldview, aliens, and moral questions.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2012–2025Perelandra
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 189 recommend · 18 mention9 recommend · 189 recommend
2012–2026That hideous strength
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 10 · mentioned by 3310 recommend · 33 mention10 recommend · 3310 recommend
2010–2024The discarded image
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 7 · mentioned by 87 recommend · 8 mention7 recommend · 87 recommend
2010–2020So you want to be a wizard
Diane Duane
Recommended by 5 · mentioned by 65 recommend · 6 mention5 recommend · 65 recommend
2012–2025Out of the Silent Planet
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 8 · mentioned by 188 recommend · 18 mention8 recommend · 188 recommend
2015–2026Reaper Man
Terry Pratchett
Recommended by 6 · mentioned by 176 recommend · 17 mention6 recommend · 176 recommend
2009–2026The Abolition of Man
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 19 · mentioned by 3419 recommend · 34 mention19 recommend · 3419 recommend
2009–2026The Chronicles of Narnia
C. S. Lewis
Recommended by 15 · mentioned by 4515 recommend · 45 mention15 recommend · 4515 recommend
…think I had any problems like that with the writing of other fantasy series like Lord of the Rings and A Game of Thrones. Nor with two other trilogies I read for the first time this year, C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy and The Three‐Body Problem.
on “My experience writing and selling a short story” ↗…very deep book, and one which you'll probably find new insights in every time you read it. On the subject of recommendations that bridge science fiction and philosophy, might I also suggest C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy ( Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength )? It's another work that works on several levels. That Hideous Strength, in particular, is almost entirely a fictional expression of the…
on “What Would You Recommend to a Bright 14 Year Old?” ↗…size for things in this world? A gentle introduction to the romance of the small and distributism. * _A Leaf, by Nigel_ (http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Leaf_by_Niggle) - Tolkien's allegory. * _The Space Trilogy_ by C. S. Lewis - the adult version of _The Chronicles of Narnia_ * _All Hallow's Eve_ (https://openroadmedia.com/ebook/All-Hallows-Eve/978150400668... / http://gutenberg.net.au/ebooks04/0400061.txt)…
on “Ask HN: Great fiction books that have had a positive impact on your life?” ↗Perelandra (the second book in the "Space Trilogy") by C. S. Lewis is probably the most impactful book I've read in recent years. I read it once when I was in my early teens and it made no sense and was quite the slog, and I certainly didn't understand…
on “Ask HN: What is the best book you have read with the greatest impact on you?” ↗…trilogy explores some changes to human moral and ethics. Whether they are "advancements" might be a different question. There's a heavy Christian theme to them, but if you're okay with that, C.S. Lewis's Space Trilogy really dives into ethics and morals. The aliens we meet in the first book have no conflict, an interesting view of death and art and literature, and live in harmony with their planet. They are quite interesting…
on “Ask HN: Sci-Fi with advanced morals and ethics, not just technology?” ↗I really liked Perelandra and the space trilogy books from C.S. Lewis. Recommend read if your interested in exploring the Christian worldview and thoughts on aliens.
on “What If There _Is_ Life on Venus?” ↗Not sure whether this will "keep the brain working", but it definitely tied some knots in mine: The Space Trilogy [1], by C.S. Lewis, blends sci-fi with spirituality and classic mythology. The books should probably be read in sequence, as they follow the adventures of the same main character, but Lewis's almost fractal…
on “Ask HN: What are you reading?” ↗…version of science as a result of ignorance of the real thing) are IMO correct. That said, Lewis's prose is top-notch and many of the individual scenes are great. That Hideous Strength is the best of the Space Trilogy because by that point Lewis has mostly dropped the pretense that he's writing scifi. The first two feel derivative of better scifi writers (Lewis acknowledges H. G. Wells and Olaf Stapledon, and I suspect…
on “The Scientists Take Over: George Orwell Reviews “That Hideous Strength” (1945)” ↗Not quite a dystopia, but of you (like me) also loved those books, then a highly recommend CS Lewis' Space Trilogy. One of my favourite series of all time, especially the last one.
on “On “A Canticle for Leibowitz”” ↗1. CS Lewis is my all-time, favorite author. 2. I am a Christian who believes in Christ. 3. I love the Narnia series. But I really dislike how Lewis uses allegory in his Narnian series. The Space Trilogy is much better in that respect and I highly recommend it.
on “Tolkien Expressed a “Heartfelt Loathing” for Walt Disney” ↗The existence of God does not preclude the existence of intelligent extraterrestrial life. Even the Bible itself references intelligent non-human beings in Genesis. Read the Space Trilogy by CS Lewis.
on “Ask HN: What evidence would convince you of intelligent extra-terrestrial life?” ↗Came here to say this. The Space Trilogy is one of the best series I've ever read. That Hideous Strength reminds me a LOT of what's happening these days. Even moreso than 1984. Would love to see a great director tackle it as a film.
on “Not alive, but not dead: disembodied human brains used for drug testing” ↗…see how it turned out though. I'm currently reading Karamazov and it's good to have something a bit more jovial and dry witted. The main difficulty is the names. The names make it so hard. I love the Space Trilogy by Lewis but I lose my place when he describes a place. Dostoevsky is better at describing people (and bringing them to life in your mind) than Lewis is at describing a landscape.
on “Dostoyevsky Isn't Difficult” ↗The right one makes me think of a cheesy 70's sci-fi paperback. The discrepancy reminds me of C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy: “But Ransom, as time wore on, became aware of another and more spiritual cause for his progressive lightening and exultation of heart. A nightmare, long engendered in the modern mind by the mythology…
on “NASA’s Webb takes star-filled portrait of Pillars of Creation” ↗…(and, secondarily, whether Christ would have come to them separately had they fallen, or whether it would have been necessary to convert them to Catholicism; for more on this mindset, read C.S. Lewis' Space Trilogy and perhaps Poul Anderson's _The High Crusade_).
on “Pecking order: What chickens teach us” ↗