Perelandra

Perelandra by CS Lewis, 238 pages

In Perelandra, the second book in CS Lewis' Space Trilogy, Elwin Ransom is summoned by the eldils to travel to Perelandra, the world men call Venus, for unknown reasons.  Where Malacandra (Mars) boasted a civilization older than that of Thulcandra (Earth), Perelandra is younger - indeed, intelligent life is just beginning.  Ransom recognizes his purpose after he meets the Lady - the Venusian Eve - and the pair are joined by his old enemy Weston, there to play the role of the Tempter.  Or, at least, to be the host for the true Tempter.

Perelandra is less interesting as science fiction than Out of the Silent Planet.  There are some memorable creations - Venus' floating islands of vegetation primary among them - but the focus is now on the philosophical and religious elements of the story.  Lewis' real triumph is in the character of the Tempter.  There is none of the operatic grandeur of Milton's Satan in the thing possessing Weston, but only petty baseness and senseless - worse, passionless - cruelty.  Its arguments are the arguments its kind have made throughout human history, distilled into a few days of subversion, while the final battle between Ransom and not-Weston is one of the most epic fights in all of literature.