12.3.25 Analysis of the Tennessee election, World Tour highlights, and the friendship between J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis

In 'Out of the Silent Planet', Dr. Elwin Ransom, a philologist, is kidnapped by his old school acquaintance Dick Devine and the scientist Edward Weston. They take him aboard a spaceship bound for Malacandra (Mars). Upon landing, Ransom escapes and encounters the planet's inhabitants, including the humanoid hrossa and the angelic eldil. He learns that Earth is isolated from the rest of the solar system and eventually meets Oyarsa, the ruler of Malacandra. After a series of adventures and interactions with the planet's diverse species, Ransom is directed to return to Earth along with his captors, who are ordered to leave Malacandra immediately.

The Lord of the Rings, written by J.R. R. Tolkien, is an epic high fantasy novel set in Middle-earth. The story follows Frodo Baggins, a hobbit who inherits the One Ring from his uncle Bilbo. The Ring, forged by Sauron, holds the power to control all other Rings of Power and must be destroyed in the fires of Mount Doom to prevent Sauron's return. Frodo is joined by a fellowship of other characters, including Gandalf the Grey, Samwise Gamgee, Aragorn, Legolas, Gimli, and Boromir, as they embark on a dangerous quest across Middle-earth. The novel explores themes of good vs. evil, the corrupting influence of power, and the struggle between fate and free will.