3/1/2023- Lewis and Ethnographies

 Lewis takes a great deal of time with “Out of the Silent Planet” to describe the culture of the Hrossa and the other races of Mars. The Inklings share a unique penchant for the creation and exploration of fantasy worlds. Whether the grand and harsh land of Middle Earth, filled with kings, dragons, demons, prophecies, and wizards, or (much the same, but more child-friendly) versions for Narnia, or the vast landscapes and fantastical flora and Fauna of the planets of our solar system with the Space Trilogy- one can hardly claim that the world-building of Lewis and Tolkien is anything but remarkable. Not only does each of these authors take painstaking detail in the development of and the description of the scenery in which their characters inhabit, they have taken great pains to ensure that these rich worlds are not bereft of citizenry. In fact, a great deal of time is dedicated within the Space Trilogy and the Lord of the Rings to the vivid descriptions of these fantasy races. 

The Inklings pull no punches. Lewis writes the space Trilogy from the perspective of an Earth-man who recounts his tale of his journey to the other planets in the system to Lewis. Naturally, the tone and focus of many of his descriptions is through the eyes of an academic, given the greatest opportunity for discovery since the exploration of the New World. Lewis displays a palpable excitement for the communication of what these other worlds and their peoples are exactly like. Tolkien himself states that “Fantasy is a natural human activity. It certainly does not destroy or even insult Reason; and it does not either blunt the appetite for, nor obscure the perception of, scientific verity. On the contrary. The keener and the clearer is the reason, the better fantasy will it make.” Ransom describes the physical constitution, the histories, the stories, the diets, the young, the strengths and weaknesses, the procreation, the death-ritual, the temperament, and even the humor of the Hrossa.

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