From Narnia to a Space Odyssey

From Narnia to Space Odyssey is the dialogue of letters between Arthur C. Clarke and C.S. Lewis in which they debate, discuss, and ponder the potential and potential dangers of the rise of technology. Their encounter sets the stage for much of what we face is technology the "beauty" that will lead to a more utopian society, or is it the "beast" that endangers our humanity and spirit? Clarke and Lewis began their correspondence in December 1943 when Clarke took Lewis to task for his remark about "little rocket societies bent on exporting the crimes of mankind to other planets." While they met only once (at a well-known pub in Oxford, with Lewis bringing along a good friend-the Oxford don, one J.R.R. Tolkein), their "encounters" lasted until 1954 when Clarke became involved in underwater exploration and left for the Great Barrier Reef. Their concern about the future of society, even from differing perspectives, is both provocative and illuminating, and bears close reading today when we are all confronted with the question whether mankind can control the explosion of technology or will become its slave.