C. S. Lewis’s Space Trilogy ends with That Hideous Strength, the only book in the series that does not take place in space. It follows the story of Mark and Jane Studdock, a young and newly married couple. Jane is feeling restricted by married life as she struggles to finish her own schooling when she starts having weird dreams, dreams that seem to feature people she recognizes but is unfamiliar with. At the same time Mark is a sociologist at the local school who is offered a potential position with the organization N.I.C.E. though he unfamiliar with what exactly the organization does. Slowly getting drawn in he discovers that the organization is attempting to control all of humanity and has potentially hidden motives for doing so. When Jane seeks help for her dreams from the community at St. Anne’s she meets their leader, Dr. Ransom, and discovers that dreams might have something to do with what Mark is involved with. Things get potentially difficult when it looks like Merlin might be involved and that they facing the possibility of a literal battle with the forces of Hell in the form of N.I.C.E.
This book is part of the same storyline as the rest of the series but I have to admit that in many ways it didn’t feel like it if that makes sense. Now that was primarily due to the difference in protagonists from the previous books but the beginning also just has this feel of discontinuity as well. There are no references to the characters or events of the previous books until relatively late so there are no obvious connections until later which rather makes it feel disconnected. In addition to that the Christian overtones returned to the more subtle levels of the first book instead of the more overt levels of the second book. It makes it feel more understated and of less importance even though it is actually more important to this particular storyline. In many ways it also plays up the horror elements in order to highlight just how potentially evil or unnatural the forces of Hell are or are willing to be. The plot was also fairly complex in comparison to the earlier books which made for a nice change. It was still the basic fight between good and evil but the way the fight was played out was rather different as it was in part an internal conflict but also in part a conflict based on their ability to influence and control the public. These are both things you see pretty frequently in fiction but not nearly as subtly as this one played out. While the story was good and it was interesting to meet new characters and see how this worldview played out on Earth there were a few things I didn’t like. A big one for me was how it implied Jane had to consult Mark before making decisions which I vehemently disagree with even though I know that idea is a product of the belief system and time period in which this book was written. The book was well written but I just don’t agree with some of what it includes so I am only giving this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This book is a decent example of science fiction though it does have a different feel to a lot of modern sci-fi. While it should hold the most appeal to readers who enjoy that genre it may also hold some appeal for readers who enjoys Christian fiction. At the same time readers who don’t enjoy stories with heavy Christian overtones may want to stay away. Considering the Christian overtones and the author you don’t have to worry about if the book has questionable content though. I will still recommend younger readers be careful but only because some of the philosophy sprinkled throughout can be somewhat dense or difficult to understand. Otherwise the book is good and I hope you will consider trying it. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments if you do.