Out of the Silent Planet: Chapters 1-3

~ Levi ~ Leave a comment

It’s time for our Culturezoo summer series! For the next seven episodes we’re going to do a bi-weekly book club where we read three chapters of a book and… um… talk about it. The book we’ve picked is Out of the Silent Planet, by C.S. Lewis. In this episode we cover Chapters 1-3 where we meet Ransom, along with Weston and Divine who kidnap Ransom away from our terrestrial sphere.

Subscribe to Culturezoo on Apple or Sticher

Out of the Silent Planet: Book cover survey

~ Levi ~ 2 Comments

In preparation of our Culturezoo Summer Series where we read through Out of the Silent Planet by C.S. Lewis, I thought I’d put together a quick survey of all the different book covers I could find for this novel. There’s some interesting ones. I’ve broken them out into the following categories:

Did they actually read the book?

ef9e1abef044c74fc9e70772578c843d--sci-fi-books-cover-art.jpg
Good job! You correctly identified that there IS a man in this book. The rocket and the giant eyeball are, sadly, not to be found in the text.
image.png
Space suits? Easter egg halves? Me and the cover artist are both really confused.
4775388238_ba37ccf982_o.jpg
This is the copy I had as a kid. It’s interesting because it seems like the artist had a vague familiarity with the book. Enough to get the shape of the spacecraft right and there’s a slight nod towards the Malacandran structures in the background. Unfortunately this novel does not take place on the moon and nobody ever wears a spacesuit. The spacesuit seems to be a real sticking point for a lot of these covers. Also, check out the sweet Krazy Kat pattern on the side of the ship. Weston and Devine got style.

 

Thank you for your participation

image.png
This one feels somehow TOO faithful to the text. It manages to cram the entire plot into a single picture. Everyone except Ransom looks completely annoyed.
image.png
Cover artist: “So tell me about this book.” Publisher: “It’s a fantastic adventure that takes place on another planet where we meet a complex culture comprised of multiple species where religion, evolution, and myth all blend into one.” Cover artist: “I drew three guys and a globe with stars around it.” Publisher: “Nailed it.”
Image result for out of the silent planet cs lewis
This really belongs under the “We need a cover now! Any cover!” category.

Almost, not quite

7948991366_4946d80b1d_o.png
One of the key elements of the Malacandran landscape is bright, warm colors. So why does this cover scene take place inside a 1970s living room with an overabundance of dry houseplants? Ransom looks pretty non-plussed about it too.
image.png
This is the cover of that most of us are probably familiar with. It’s ok. They get the main details right. I don’t know why they put a Compsognathus at the bottom. The figures of Ransom and Hyoi seem a little awkwardly rendered and the perspective on the water feels off.

Winners

Image result for out of the silent planet cs lewis
The original cover perfectly hints at the fantastic Malacandran landscape. The titles are contained in two separated spheres, like the separation between Earth and Mars. The lettering is gorgeous. The color palate is subtle but fits the story. Love this cover.
Image result for out of the silent planet cs lewis
If you’re going for simple, this is a good way to do it. Some nice hints of Malacandran shapes but the real strength of this cover is a strong, graphic rendering.
Screen Shot on 2018-04-06 at 15:30:31.png
As far as more realistic renderings go, I think the Japanese edition is the best. The spaceship and color palette are especially on-point.
image.png
I love this cover but I can’t find a larger image of it anywhere. It’s an excellent modern take on the book. If anyone has a larger scan, please send it to me.

 

There they are, the good, bad, and ugly of Out of the Silent Planet covers. If I missed any, please send them my way.

Update: Reddit user, Jay-Em pointed out that I missed this one:

I’d say this falls under the “Beginner’s Guide to Photoshop” category. And who calls it the “Cosmic Trilogy”?

Culturezoo Junior: Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke

~ Levi ~ Leave a comment

This is a special Culturezoo episode where we are joined by Sam (11), Jane (9), Lucy (8), and Charlie (6) and talk about one of our family’s favorite comic trilogies, Zita the Spacegirl by Ben Hatke. We cover all three books Zita the Spacegirl, Legends of Zita the Spacegirl and Return of Zita the Spacegirl. We learned a lot of lessons from these books and had a great time talking about it.

Princess Kaguya

~ Levi ~ Leave a comment

This podcast about Princess Kaguya is being released on the day that it’s director Isao Takahata passed away. This is his final film and maybe his best. We spend a lot of time trying to wrap our heads around this beautiful, thought-provoking film and things get theological towards the end. Some of the things we talk about: Why are so many of the messages in this film radically different then anything you’d see in a western film? Who is the antagonist? Is heaven actually the villain of the story? Is one of the themes the tension be creation and creator? We might be totally off but it’s a movie that made us think.

Rest in peace, Mr. Takahata. We’re grateful for your work.