Out of the Silent Planet is the first book in C.S. Lewis' "Space Trilogy." The brief novel follows the adventures of Dr. Ransom, a philologist, as he unwittingly finds himself on a journey to the planet Malacandra.
In fact, Ransom had been kidnapped and brought to the planet by two men, Weston and Devine, who intend to sacrifice him to some of the planet's residents. Upon reaching the planet, Ransom escapes from his captors and eventually meets a friendly race of creatures known as the hrossa.
Eventually, a spirit known as an eldila summons Ransom to come to the residence of Oyarsa--a spirit-being who rules Malacandra. On his journey to Oyarsa, Ransom encounters a race of beings skilled in the scientific arts--the seroni (singular sorn). Ransom had previously been afraid of the seroni--thinking them the oppressors of the hrossa--but he finds the seroni are quite friendly and not malicious. One sorn, Augray, takes Ransom to Oyarsa.
Weston and Devine have also been summoned to Oyarsa, in part because they have murdered a hross. During his "trial," Weston reveals that he plans to invade Malacandra to help preserve the human race. Oyarsa expels Weston and Devine back to the Silent Planet--Earth. He offers Ransom the option to stay on Malacandra, but Ransom decides to return home as well. Eventually, he collaborates with C.S. Lewis to publish Out of the Silent Planet as fiction, since he does not think anyone will believe him if he publishes it as fact.
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