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Postscript

An archived study of the first book in Lewis' theological science fiction Space Trilogy.

Postscript

Postby Kanakaberaka » May 15th, 2006, 2:51 pm

Synopsis : The "real" Dr. Ransom corrects some details of the story as written by Lewis.
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This letter from Ransom would be called "Bonus Material" and "Comming Attractions" if it were part of a video. I suspect that C.S. Lewis really wanted all of the extra details about things like the smell of the Malacandrian forests at dawn included in the main story. However, he could not figure out a way to include them without interrupting the flow of the story. Being a philologist, he no doubt wanted more information included about the Malacandrian languages. But as an author he knew what would sell in the mass market.
"Ransom" made an interesting observation about the Malacandrian hnau not keeping pets -
Each of them is to the others both what a man is to us and what an animal is to us. They can talk to each other, they can co-operate, they have the same ethics; to that extent a sorn and a hross meet like two men. But then each finds the other different, funny, attractive as an animal is attractive. Some instinct starved in us, which we try to soothe by treating irrational creatures almost as if they were rational, is really satisfied in Malacandra. They don't need pets.
I have often wondered why people enjoy the company of pets. This explanation makes sense to me.
Also included are details about subspecies of hnau which Lewis could not fit into the main storyline. And he makes up for the short shrift given to the pfifltriggi by giving detials of their homeland on the bottom of ancient sea beds. Ransom even suggests that he could have invented a trip to one of their cities, but does not because he does not want to make excuses for lying to Oyarsa if ever they meet again. And Ransom hopes to see the Oyarsa of Malacandra again, eventualy.
There is also a technical note about how eldils can cause us to hear them when they do not breath. I just took in for granted that they could somehow vibrate the air to make noise in some manner audible to us.
Ransom also mentions discussing types of angels with Oyarsa and wonders if those assigned to Thulcandra are some sort of military caste "since our poor old earth turns out to be a kind of Ypres Salient in the universe". Lewis is of course refering to trench warfare in WW I which he as an officer in the British Army he was all too familiar with.
Near the end there is a lengthy discription of a hrossa funeral. This is a very informative detail put in to let us know about the acceptance of death as a natural happening on an unfallen world. Death is something serious and somber on Malacandra. But it is not tragic.
Next to last are the comming attractions. First Ransom remembers the rising of Glundandra (the planet Jupiter) over the handramit by night. And Hyoi mentions that it is connected with Maleldil, though they do not claim that He lives there. It sounds like a good reason for Ransom to travel there, but why? Could Maleldil ignite Jupiter to create a new Sun for the new Earth? That's what the Monoliths did in Clarke's "2010".
Finaly there is the conclusion that Weston has been cut off from any more inter-planetary flights -
Now that 'Weston' has shut the door, the way to the planets lies through the past; if there is to be any more space-travelling, it will have to be time-travelling as well ...!
To me this sounds as if "The Dark Tower" was meant to be the sequel to "Out of the Silent Planet". Could Lewis have been thinking about redoing H.G. Wells' Time Machine novel? But since TDT did not work out, it seems that Lewis found an excuse for Weston to make it to Venus, aka Perelandra.
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Kanakaberaka
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Original Postscript Comments

Postby Kanakaberaka » May 15th, 2006, 3:25 pm

so it goes...
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Kanakaberaka
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Posts: 1030
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Location: Just outside of Rego Park, NYC


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