From Narnia to the Space Trilogy to Mere Christianity — C.S. Lewis was the 20th century's great Christian apologist and one of its finest fantasy writers.
About C.S. Lewis
C.S. Lewis (1898–1963) was a British novelist, academic, and Christian apologist. His Chronicles of Narnia — seven fantasy novels written between 1950 and 1956 — remain among the best-loved children's books ever written, with over 100 million copies sold.
Lewis was a close friend of J.R.R. Tolkien, and both were members of the Oxford literary group The Inklings. Tolkien's influence was decisive in Lewis's conversion from atheism to Christianity in 1931, an event that shaped everything he wrote thereafter.
Lewis is unusual in that both his fiction and his non-fiction are considered classics. Mere Christianity (1952) and The Screwtape Letters (1942) are among the most influential Christian texts of the 20th century.
Start Here
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Four children step through a wardrobe into a world of eternal winter, talking animals, and a great lion named Aslan. The starting point for Narnia — and still the best entry.
Publication order: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe first. Lewis himself later suggested starting with The Magician's Nephew, but most readers and scholars recommend publication order for a richer experience.
Lewis didn't write "for children" — he wrote the kind of story he wanted to read. The Narnia books work on multiple levels and are widely enjoyed by adults. The Last Battle in particular has themes that land harder with adult readers.
Mere Christianity if you're interested in his apologetics. The Screwtape Letters if you want something lighter. Till We Have Faces (1956) is his most sophisticated novel and many consider it his masterpiece.
They were close friends for decades and crucial to each other's work. Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity; Lewis championed The Lord of the Rings when Tolkien was ready to abandon it.