Out of the Silent Planet
Ransom and Leibowitz
The last drops of the thundershower had hardly ceased falling when the Pedestrian stuffed his map into his pocket, settled his pack more comfortably on his tired shoulders, and stepped out from the shelter of a large chestnut-tree into the middle of the road. A violent yellow sunset was pouring through a rift in the clouds to westward, but straight ahead over the hills the sky was the colour of dark slate. Every tree and blade of grass was dripping, and the road shone like a river. The Pedestrian wasted no time on the landscape but set out at once with the determined stride of a good walker who has lately realised that he will have to walk farther than he intended. That, indeed, was his situation. If he had chosen to look back, which he did not, he could have seen the spire of Much Nadderby, and, seeing it, might have uttered a malediction on the inhospitable little hotel, which, though obviously empty, had refused him a bed.
Thus begins Out of the Silent Planet, the first book in C. S. Lewis’ “Ransom Trilogy.” As always, I love paying close attention to the first few sentences in any book to see what jewels the author buried there. Pay close attention to the thundershower, the sunset, the watery road, and the landscape in general. Lewis charges the landscape with mythical resonances.
Just yesterday, I recorded an episode of I Might Believe in Faeries with Andrew Synder, from The Mythic Mind Legacy Podcast. We discussed Out of the Silent Planet and that episode is available here. The two of us plan to record an episode on each book in the trilogy this summer, with Perelandra up next in July.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
The next book for the IMBIF Book Club will be A Canticle for Leibowitz by Water M. Miller, Jr. This book is considered a classic in the science fiction genre and will provide great fodder for discussion. The book mainly focuses on a monastery that collects and preserves knowledge after a nuclear holocaust has wiped out most of civilization. I am planning on having the discussion take place the first week of August. As always, participation in the book club is for paid subscribers only, but the episode will be available to all for free.
General Updates
Like most people, I have a birthday approximately once a year. Today is that day! My daughters birthday was two days ago, so this has been the birthday week for both of us. I don’t require gifts, only free subscriptions to this substack. If you want to pay me, then you are too generous (I didn’t say “no”).
Anyway, God bless you all!