Which fantasy series features the land of Narnia?
Quick answer
The magical land of Narnia comes from The Chronicles of Narnia, a series of seven fantasy books by British author C. S. Lewis, published from 1950 to 1956. The first, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, tells how four children enter Narnia through a wardrobe and help the great lion Aslan defeat the White Witch.
Key facts
- Author
- C. S. Lewis (1898–1963)
- Books
- 7
- Published
- 1950–1956
- Copies sold
- More than 100 million
The seven books
| Publication order | Book | Year |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | 1950 |
| 2 | Prince Caspian | 1951 |
| 3 | The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 1952 |
| 4 | The Silver Chair | 1953 |
| 5 | The Horse and His Boy | 1954 |
| 6 | The Magician’s Nephew | 1955 |
| 7 | The Last Battle | 1956 |
Fans still debate whether to read them in publication order or in story order, which begins with The Magician’s Nephew, the story of how Narnia was created.
Inside Narnia
- Talking animals, fauns, centaurs and giants
- Aslan, a wise and powerful lion, Narnia’s true king
- The White Witch, who makes it “always winter and never Christmas”
- The Pevensie children: Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy
Time in Narnia moves differently: years can pass there while only minutes pass in our world.
C. S. Lewis
Clive Staples Lewis, born in Belfast, was a scholar of medieval literature at Oxford and Cambridge. He was close friends with J. R. R. Tolkien, and both belonged to the Inklings writing group; see who wrote The Lord of the Rings. Lewis was also a well-known Christian writer, and many readers see Aslan’s story as a Christian allegory.
Narnia on screen
| Adaptation | Year |
|---|---|
| BBC TV series | 1988–1990 |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (Disney/Walden) | 2005 |
| Prince Caspian | 2008 |
| The Voyage of the Dawn Treader | 2010 |
Netflix acquired the rights in 2018, and director Greta Gerwig is making a new adaptation beginning with The Magician’s Nephew.
A real inspiration
During World War II, Lewis hosted children evacuated from London at his home near Oxford, much like the Pevensies in the first book. For another fantasy world entered through a strange door, see where Alice goes in Alice in Wonderland.
Still curious?
Jump to a random question from the archive.