On Fairy-Stories and Out of the Silent Planet- Ryan Webb

In his work On Fairy-Stories, Tolkien addresses three questions, the last of which is, "what, if any, are the values and functions of fairy-stories now?" According to Tolkien, this question is the most important of all because "it is often now assumed that children are the natural or the specially appropriate audience for fairy-stories." Tolkien strongly disagrees with this conclusion by expounding on the assumption in this way, "fairy-stories have in the modern lettered world been relegated to the 'nursery', as shabby or old-fashioned furniture is relegated to the play-room, primarily because the adults do not want it, and do not mind if it is misused." There seems to be a perspective revolving around fairy-stories that deems them immature, or at least lacking any type of mature use or purpose. This perspective rests on the idea that adults are far more superior in thought than children and thus have no need to participate in childish activities such as reading fairy-stories.
In Out of the Silent Planet, one of three books in the Space Trilogy, Lewis strongly disagrees and addresses this perspective within the book. There is a scene in which Professor Weston argues with Oyarsa. Prof. Weston out-rightly defends the right of the culturally superior humans to exterminate the martians. Lewis' counter argument rests in the ideology of the three martian species who understand that their planet is dying and decide to accept their fate by living harmoniously rather than conquering a new planet.
The idea offered by Lewis is both wise and profound. Why attempt to escape the inevitable? In a world defined by might equals right, nuclear proliferation, ideas of manifest destiny and war, and super powers which attempt to rule with an iron fist, the very idea of accepting corporate and individual fate of death seems unbearable. We would rather disguise our destiny with the superfluous and naive idea that we can control the world by conquering and ruling. This perspective is reflected in the modern perspective on fairy-stories. It seems much more "intellectual" or "productive" to read dense books on empirical or scientific data than it is to enjoy fiction. However, the truth is that we are covering over insecurity and fate with false intellectual drudgery. It is not the culturally superior who understand life, it is the culturally realistic who embrace truth and thus understand life deeply and accurately.