Who Knew? Sci-Fi C.S. Lewis Inspires!

Having been raised on the milk of the Chronicles of Narnia, enlivened and instructed by first The Great Divorce and then The Screwtape Letters, a dear friend discovered my innocence of Clive's Space Trilogy, and wouldn't let me leave her home without the first two in-hand.
Having devoured Out of the Silent Planet, I approached Perelandra with an assumed "knowledge" of the worlds... and then the devil entered into it all, and my horizons expanded!
The Screwtape Letters pales in comparison to the logical arguments and deceitful tactics found in Perelandra... to the point that it's unnerving.
I've included a few of my fave passages and encourage you to read the entire trilogy as well. In the meantime, we'll see how That Hideous Strength goes.

p. 95 the main character, Ransom, describes the devil's smile
"... not bitter nor raging, nor sinister; it was not even mocking. It seemed to summon Ransom, with horrible naivete of welcome, into the world of its own pleasures, as if they were the most natural thing in the world and no dispute could ever have occurred about them. It was not furtive, nor ashamed, it had nothing of the conspirator in it. It did not defy oodness, it ignored it to the point of annihilation. Rnasom perceived that he had never before seen anythin but half-hearted and uneasy attempts at evil. This creature was whole-hearted. The extremity of its evil had passed beyond all struggle into some state which bore a horrible similarity to innocence. It was beyond vice as the Lady was beyond virtue."
after reading some of the deceits, I would drop the book down and simply rage at the thought of how true it is the devil is the king of liars. I often found myself at a loss for words just as the main character did...
p. 97 "I do not want you to hear him at all,' said Ransom, 'He is ----' and then he hesitated. 'Bad,' 'liar,' 'enemy,' none of these words would, as yet have any meaning for her." They wouldn't have any meaning for us if we come face to face with the Father of Lies. So deceptive, yet so close to innocence, it is uncanny.

not sure of the page number, but it's beautiful...
"'How can I step out of [God's] will save into something that cannot be wished?'"

p. 179
"We have learned of evil, though not as the Evil One wished us to learn. We have learned better than that, and know it more, for it is waking that understands sleep and not sleep that understands waking. There is an ignorance of evil that comes from being young: there is a darker ignorance that comes from doing it, as men by sleeping lose the knowledge of sleep."

Of course it's not theology. Of course it's not truth... but it catches you off guard and makes you think.
The one truth that exists is, no matter how frightening, fearful, deceptive, or destructive the devil can be... Love is still more powerful.

Ahh! What a fresh taste of sweet writing lemonade. Thank you, Clive Staples for putting your thoughts on paper.