The Cosmic Trilogy (also referred to as the Space Trilogy and Ransom Trilogy) is a sci-fi/fantasy trilogy of the adventures of Dr Elwin Ransom.
In Out of the Silent Planet, Ransom is drugged and kidnapped by two men, Devine and Weston. They take Ransom to the planet Malacandra (Mars) where Devine and Weston intend to plunder the exotic world. Meanwhile, Ransom attempts to befriend and cooperate with the wonderful creatures who live there in order to prevent the schemes of the other two men.
In Perelandra, Ransom is sent to the unfallen world of Perelandra (Venus) to contend with a man possessed by evil who is tempting the Green Lady, the “Eve” of Perelandra.
In the third and final part, That Hideous Strength is set on Earth and follows Mark and Jane Studdock. Both are academics. The young couple married six months earlier and recently moved to the town of Edgestow where a secret organization is planted, an organization with an insidious plan and the means to re-engineer and control humanity. (Ransom does enter the narrative later to combat the evil plot.)
The first two novels, first published in 1938 and 1943 respectively, are like speculations on what unfallen (innocent) worlds look like and how might those who live there view a fallen world like Earth. Given the era in which the books were written, the sci-fi is not the “hard” sci-fi which exists today but rather the older style which can be a little more fantastical. Having said that, That Hideous Strength, first published in 1945, takes a darker and more disturbing tone compared to the previous two installments given the subject matter: secret societies, dark forces and conspiracies, including programmed conflicts, programmed media and the inhumane seizure of control.
On the whole, this trilogy is a parallel to the cosmic battle between good and evil, materially and philosophically, particularly the contrast and conflict between the modern, materialistic reductionism and deconstructionism versus the Christian (anti-reductionist) philosophy.
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