True, but Lewis used his "Space Trilogy" as a Neo-Platonic Christian allegory to inveigh against materialism and what he saw as the hubris of science - specifically the notion of technological space travel. At one point, he suggests that the vast distances between planets are an intentional "quarantine" on the part of the Creator.
Exactly. He saw the mythology of Mars and chose to incorporate it into his mythology, bringing it into the eyes of a whole new audience. After all, other sci-fi writers brought the mythology of Mars to the same readership - he introduced it to a new audience.
That's gotta be worth a crater or two!
BTW, According to his "A Reply to Professor Haldane" it wasn't an allegory against the notion of technological space travel. Instead it is an attack on another belief :
To quote:
.. the belief that the supreme moral end is the perpetuation of our species, and that this is to be pursued even if, in the process of being fitted for survival, our species has to be stripped of all those things for which we value it- of pity, of happiness, and of freedom
In fact, he makes it clear in that essay (or was it another one?) that he doesn't think that science and technology is evil. Instead, science has become so trusted that any intelligent person wanting to encourage another to do evil would choose to phrase the invitation in scientific terms. In the past, an evil man in authority could just say "Do this, even though it goes against your natural instincts.". Now they would say "This is the scientific thing to do - even though it goes against your natural instincts".
Yes, he speculated that we should be careful before we just go rushing off into technological progress.
And for that, we should thank him - not forget him.
Mac