The Space Trilogy

Synopsis

This striking one-volume edition marks the 75th anniversary of Lewis's classic SF trilogy featuring the adventures of Dr Ransom on Mars, Venus and Earth. It includes an exclusive Foreword compiled from letters by J.R.R. Tolkien, who inspired Lewis to write the first volume.

The Space Trilogy is a remarkable work of fantasy, demonstrating the powerful imagination of C.S..Lewis. This new one-volume edition marks the 75th Anniversary of the first publication of Out of the Silent Planet with an exclusive Foreword by J.R.R. Tolkien, on whom the main character of Ransom was largely based.

OUT OF THE SILENT PLANET
Dr Ransom, a Cambridge academic, is abducted and taken on a spaceship to the red planet of Malacandra, which he knows as Mars. His captors are plotting to plunder the planet's treasures and offer Ransom as a sacrifice to the creatures who live there…

PERELANDRA
Having escaped from Mars, Dr Ransom is called to the paradise planet of Perelandra, or Venus. When his old enemy also arrives and is taken over by the forces of evil, Ransom finds himself in a desperate struggle to save the innocence of this Eden-like world…

THAT HIDEOUS STRENGTH
Investigating the truth about her prophetic dreams, Jane Studdock encounters the fabled Dr Ransom, who is in great pain after his travels. A sinister society run by his old adversaries intends to harness the ancient powers of a resurrected Merlin in their ambition to subjugate the people of Earth…

Summary

Chapter 1: The Sands of Mars

* Introduces protagonist Hugh Bannis, a Martian colonist investigating ancient Martian ruins.
* Bannis discovers a glowing orb and ancient machinery, which grants him telepathic abilities.
* He learns of ancient Martians, the Tower of Old Ones, and the threat posed by the First Men, an extinct Martian species now awakening from suspended animation.

Chapter 2: The Hidden Planet

* Bannis joins an expedition led by Prescott to explore the newly discovered planet Tyfon.
* Tyfon is a massive, nearly lifeless planet with strange energy emanations.
* The crew encounters a mysterious alien artifact that transports them to a parallel dimension.

Chapter 3: The Puppet Masters

* In the parallel dimension, Bannis and his crew encounter the Puppeteer aliens, who have infiltrated and controlled Earth.
* Bannis leads a rebellion against the Puppeteers, using his telepathic abilities to rally support.
* The Puppeteers are defeated, and the Earth is liberated.

Chapter 4: The Tower of Old Ones

* Bannis returns to Mars and journeys to the Tower of Old Ones, seeking answers to the First Men threat.
* He learns that the Tower is a sentient entity that has observed Martian history for millennia.
* The Tower reveals that the First Men are a parasitical species seeking to dominate the galaxy.

Chapter 5: The Space Lords

* Bannis and the Tower ally with a mysterious race known as the Space Lords to combat the First Men.
* The Space Lords are enigmatic beings with advanced technology and knowledge.
* Together, they launch an assault on the First Men's stronghold on Venus.

Chapter 6: The Death of Terra

* The battle on Venus reaches its climax, with the First Men unleashing their full might.
* Terra, the human home planet, is ravaged by the conflict.
* Bannis sacrifices himself to destroy the First Men's leader and save the galaxy.

Chapter 7: The Cosmic Puppets

* The Space Lords reveal that the Puppeteers are merely puppets of a greater cosmic entity.
* Bannis's spirit encounters the Cosmic Puppets and learns that the universe is a vast and interconnected web of life.
* The Space Lords depart, leaving humanity to its own destiny.

Chapter 8: The Book of the Long Sun

* Many years later, Bannis reappears as the leader of a new Martian civilization, the Long Sun.
* He guides his people to embrace the wisdom he learned from the Space Lords and the Cosmic Puppets.
* The Long Sun civilization thrives and spreads throughout the galaxy, carrying the legacy of Bannis's sacrifice and the lessons he learned from his cosmic journey.