An old friend recently asked me if C.S. Lewis' Cosmic Trilogy (also know as the Space Trilogy ) would make it into my top 100 list.  My response was 'Yes, it would'. Masterpieces such as The Screwtape Letters , The Chronicles of Narnia and Mere Christianity still stand as some of the best Christian writings since John wrapped up the book of Revelation. But nestled somewhere in Lewis’ back catalog are three books that remain somewhat obscure and are simply referred to as the ' Space Trilogy.' The result is a work that is much more complicated than a single reading can capture but also one that is rewarding beyond words for any reader willing to seek out these books. These books capture Lewis at the top of his creative game and his ability to distill his favorite themes and ideas into the universe. [1]

Men have been at war for centuries with the reptilian race called 'Basics'.  As conquerors always have, the winners of each bloody encounter have made slaves of the losers - but in this far-future war, each side has improved upon its slaves with genetic engineering.  And so at last there came to be two neighboring worlds: Aerlith, where men have raised a race of fearsome dragons to be their servants, and nearby Coralyne, where the descendants of those very dragons are served  by strong, savage mutants who once were human.  Inevitably, those two worlds would meet in one final contest... Above, Book blurb. The Dragon-Masters by Jack Vance.

How I met Harry Potter and one of the challenges I encountered running a Christian bookstore which didn't stock J.K. Rowling's books... 

   For centuries the men of the Sword Worlds have preyed on the soft helpless inner worlds, and in a pattern as old as human history have built a new civilization from the wreckage of the old.   Only one Sword-Worlder, Lord Trask of Trask, has spoken out against the continuing depredations - not from pity for the old, fallen worlds of the dead Federation, but from the fear for his own. For more and more of the Space Viking are refusing to return to their home planets, preferring instead to stay and enjoy the fruits of conquest: just as once the strongest and the brightest of the Federation forsook their home planet for adventure and profit, so too the Sword-Worlds are being bled dry.   This s the story of Lord Trask, who began as a voice of peace and reason - and ended as the greatest Space Viking of them all.

Description: As a child Lawrence Newton wanted nothing more than to fly starships and explore the galaxy.  But on the colony world of Amenthi in the 24th Century  the age of human star flight was drawing to a close... So, like many other teenage rebels, he runs away. Twenty years later, he's the sergeant of a washed-out platoon taking part in the bungled invasion of another world. The giant corporations who own the remaining starships euphemistically call such campaigns "asset realisation". In practice, it's simple piracy. But while he's on the ground being attacked by disturbingly effective resistance forces, Lawrence hears stories about the Temple of the Fallen Dragon–the holy place of a sect devoted to the worship of a mythical creature. Its priests are said to guard treasure large enough to buy lifelong happiness for any man, prompting him to mount an enterprise of his own...

Description:   This book is a record of the passionate convictions that motivated the ministry of David Watson, exploring what evangelism is and how it can be carried out by both Church and individual.  

Description:   The book is crammed with information on health and cooking, and encourages men to discover the joys of cooking and good eating. About 150 recipes of all sorts. Winner of the Australian Food Writers' Award and first prize at the International Cookbook Fair at Perigueux, France.

Description : The Day of the Triffids is a post-apocalyptic novel published in 1951 by the English science fiction author John Wyndham Parkes Lucas Beynon Harris, under the pen-name John Wyndham.  This classic sf novel traces the fate of the world after a comet shower blinds most of the world's population. The few with sight must struggle to reconstruct society while fighting mobile, flesh-eating plants called triffids.

I received the first book ' The Search for Fierra ' for my 17th birthday, and have read both these books a great many times since then.  I would say the Empyrion Saga is a personal favourite which I will be reading again real soon.

Description: Revised translation by D.C.H. Rieu Introduction by Peter Jones This book recounts the story of Odysseus' return to Ithaca from the Trojan war and tells how, championed by Athene and hounded by the wrathful sea-god Poseidon, Odysseus encounters the ferocious Cyclops, escapes Scylla and Charybdis and yields temporarily to the lures of Circe and Calypso before he overcomes the trials awaiting him on Ithaca. Only then is he reunited with his faithful wife Penelope, his wanderings at an end.

Starting in the next few weeks I am beginning a new project called 'A Book a Month' .  The first sequence in this series will be entitled 'Origins' .  I will be presenting books which where firsts for me.  Like the first book I read which introduced me to one of my favourite authors or first book I read of a literary genre.  It will be a trip down memory lane for me and I am looking forward this project. Enjoying the blog? Why not... Then head over to my Facebook page  The BistroMath to join the conversation. You can also follow me on Twitter or YouTube. To do so click on the images below.