Perelandra is the second novel in what is known as C.S. Lewis's "Space Trilogy" (the first being Out of the Silent Planet, and the conclusion being That Hideous Strength). These works of science fiction are notably out of keeping with the rest of Lewis's writing; most of his works are either children's fantasy (The Chronicles of Narnia) or theological nonfiction (The Problem of Pain, The Abolition of Man, etc.). Originally published in 1943, before The Chronicles of Narnia, Perelandra follows the intrepid Professor Elwin Ransom as he journeys to Venus, exploring the planet at the inception of human life and undertaking an attempt to save the Venusian Adam and Eve from a fall from grace à la Garden of Eden.
This trilogy is some of Lewis's only fiction intended for adults (in the company of Till We Have Faces and The Pilgrim's Regress, arguably along with The Great Divorce). Interestingly, the concept for the trilogy emerged in a discussion with Lewis's friend J.R.R. Tolkien; the conversation concluded with an agreement for Lewis to write a "space travel" story and Tolkien a "time travel" one. Tolkien never completed The Lost Road, but Lewis's space trilogy came to fruition. Interestingly, the character of Elwin Ransom is at least partially based on Tolkien himself, by his own admission in his letters.
