Out of the Silent Planet

Published in 1938, Out of the Silent Planet is a science fiction novel by author C. S. Lewis, best known for his bestselling fantasy children’s series, The Chronicles of Narnia. It is the first book in Lewis’s Space Trilogy, followed by Perelandra (1943) and That Hideous Strength (1945). With Out of the Silent Planet, Lewis sought to write a narrative that differed from contemporary popular science fiction, which he believed promoted harmful ideas like human supremacy and xenophobia. Out of the Silent Planet explores themes of morality, theology, and humanity’s place in the universe through the intergalactic journey of protagonist Dr. Elwin Ransom.

Plot Summary

An unnamed narrator introduces protagonist Dr. Elwin Ransom, a linguistics professor at Cambridge University who is taking a year-long sabbatical to complete a walking tour of England. While searching for lodging one night, Ransom comes across a house inhabited by an old schoolmate named Devine and a radical physicist named Dr. Weston. He interrupts the men in the midst of their unexplained attempt to restrain a young man named Harry. After serving Ransom a drugged drink, Weston and Devine abduct him instead, bringing him aboard a spaceship bound for the planet Malacandra. Ransom is intended as a human sacrifice to a species of Malacandrian creatures called “sorns.” Despite his grim intended fate, Ransom has a transformative spiritual experience during the month-long flight, realizing that space is not a cold abyss but a bright sea of life akin to the heavens.

After landing on Malacandra, Weston and Devine attempt to turn Ransom over to the humanoid sorns, but Ransom breaks free and flees into a forested landscape called the “handramit.” As he wanders the surface of the unfamiliar planet, he meets Hyoi, a member of an intelligent seal-like species called “hrossa.” Hyoi’s ability of distinct language enables Ransom to overcome his initial fear of the hross’ unfamiliar body. He befriends Hyoi, spending several weeks in his village among other hrossa. Although Ransom initially assumes that the hrossian culture is primitive, he discovers that they are skilled at several crafts and that they follow a peaceful religion that unites all the creatures of Malacandra.

From the hrossa, Ransom learns that Malacandra’s spiritual ruler, Oyarsa, is the greatest of a group of angelic creatures called “eldila.” Oyarsa serves two higher powers known as Maleldil the Young and The Old One, a Christlike and Godlike figure, respectively. Each planet in the solar system has an oyarsa except Earth, which is consequently known as “Thulcandra,” or “the silent planet.” Ransom also learns about the concept of “hnau,” a label covering corporeal and rational creatures like hrossa, “séroni” (the hrossian plural form of sorns), and another species called “pfifltriggi.” Humans are also hnau. The hnau of Malacandra all live in harmony under Oyarsa’s rule, with no one species considered supreme.

About a month after his arrival on Malacandra, Ransom sets out on a hunting expedition with the hrossa to capture a reptilian creature called a “hnakra.” While aboard a boat with Hyoi and another hross, an eldil appears with a message for Ransom. The eldil instructs him to meet with Oyarsa at a place called Meldilorn, but Ransom ignores the summons so that the hunt can continue. Their hunting party manages to kill the hnakra, but as they celebrate on shore, Hyoi is shot and killed by Weston and Devine. Understanding that Hyoi’s death is a consequence of his refusal to obey his summons, Ransom reluctantly begins the journey to Meldilorn, which takes him out of the forests and into the highlands of Malacandra known as the “harandra.” He is helped along the way by a sorn named Augray, who provides him with an oxygen mask to combat the thin air of the harandra and carries him to the paradisiacal island of Meldilorn. At Meldilorn, Ransom finds many stones engraved with complex storytelling scenes by the artistic pfifltriggi. Through examining the etchings, Ransom discerns that Malacandra is Mars.

Ransom is soon called to meet Oyarsa, who appears before him as a wavering figure of light. Oyarsa assures Ransom that he means no harm and only wants to know the motives behind the Ransom’s journey to Malacandra. Oyarsa explains why Earth is known as the silent planet. Long ago, Earth had a powerful oyarsa, but he became “bent,” or evil. As a result, the Old One confined the Bent One to Earth and sent Maleldil to battle for control of humanity. While the battle now continues, Earth is shut out from the rest of the universe. The Bent One’s influence has corrupted humanity, making all humans “bent” by nature.

A party of hrossa arrives with Weston and Devine, who killed two more hrossa during their capture. Oyarsa addresses them, but Weston, unable to see him, believes that one of the nearby hnau must be performing ventriloquism. Assuming that the hnau of Malacandra are primitive creatures, Weston unsuccessfully attempts to scare and bribe them into letting him go before finally accepting that Oyarsa is real. When questioned about his motives for coming to Malacandra, Devine admits that he only cares about leeching Malacandra’s abundant supply of gold. Faced with the same question, Weston gives a lengthy speech about the superiority of humans, outlining his goal of colonizing every planet in the solar system so that humanity may live on forever. Oyarsa counters that it is not Maleldil’s way for things to live forever, a truth that allows the hnau of Malacandra to live in peace.

After hearing out all three men, Oyarsa deems Weston and Devine irredeemable and orders them to return to Earth. He offers Ransom the option of staying on Malacandra, but Ransom eventually decides to return with Weston and Devine. After a perilous voyage to Earth, Ransom initially stays quiet about his experiences on Malacandra, fearing retribution from Weston. He only breaks his silence after he is contacted by the narrator, revealed to be C. S. Lewis himself and a former student of Ransom’s. Lewis writes him asking about the definition of the word “Oyarses,” found in an ancient Platonic text. Ransom then reveals the story of his journey to Lewis, and together the two men write Out of the Silent Planet as a way to familiarize the public with Ransom’s story in the palatable form of a novel. They hope that planting the seeds of Malacandrian ideals in humanity will prove useful in the ongoing battle between Maleldil and the Bent One.