C.S. Lewis

"You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me."

Clive Staples Lewis (1898–1963) was one of the intellectual giants of the twentieth century and arguably one of the most influential writers of his day. He was a Fellow and Tutor in English Literature at Oxford University until 1954, when he was unanimously elected to the Chair of Medieval and Renaissance Literature at Cambridge University, a position he held until his retirement.

Lewis wrote more than thirty books, allowing him to reach a vast audience, and his works continue to attract thousands of new readers every year. C. S. Lewis’s most distinguished and popular accomplishments include Mere Christianity, Out of the Silent Planet, The Great Divorce, The Screwtape Letters, and the universally acknowledged classics in The Chronicles of Narnia. To date, the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies and been transformed into three major motion pictures.

What genres did C.S. Lewis write in?

Lewis wrote across several genres including children's and adult fantasy, Christian apologetics and devotional writing, science fiction, and literary criticism and essays.

What are C.S. Lewis's most well known works?

His best known works include The Chronicles of Narnia, Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, The Great Divorce, and the Cosmic Trilogy (Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength).

How should I read The Chronicles of Narnia series?

You can read the series either in publication order or in the internal series order. The listing commonly presents The Magician's Nephew as Book 1 and follows through titles such as The Horse and His Boy, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader and The Silver Chair according to the series numbering.

What is the Cosmic Trilogy and in what order are the books?

The Cosmic Trilogy is Lewis's science fiction series. The usual reading order is Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, and That Hideous Strength.

Where should a new reader start with C.S. Lewis?

For fantasy readers start with The Chronicles of Narnia; for adult readers interested in theology or moral philosophy try Mere Christianity or The Screwtape Letters; for science fiction try Out of the Silent Planet.