silent planets

The other day I found an anonymous manila envelope in my mailbox. Inside I found this book. A gift from K.! I wonder if he saw this part of my website and felt inspired to add to the collection? The edition will be a lovely addition.

The first book in C.S. Lewis' Space Triology, it is the story of a man kidnapped to Mars and all the hijinx that occurs thereafter. Apparently the religious themes are pretty heavy and I am intrigued by the idea of space Sci-Fi Chrisitianity parables. Could it be as compelling as the Chronicles of Narnia I grew up with as a kid? K. , is ths a subtle way of trying to save my soul?

The only science fiction I've ever gotten into has been that of Stanislaw Lem,but maybe silent planets deserve a chance too, especially if that creepy eye on the cover is there to peer at you.

Still, I've always fancied myself as Lem's character Pirx the Pilot - a space captain as mediocre talent that manages to live an interesting life all the same. In the linked video it is eerie how much the outfits in this (Polish?) show match to what I had always imagine; the music is also great.

I love in this clip in which robot laser beams sound a lot like chirping crickets in mid-summer.

All that said, I'm grateful for the new book. It fits in so well with the others in my stacks.