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Elwin Ransom is the main character in the first two books of C. S. Lewis' The Space Trilogy, namely Out of the Silent Planet and Perelandra. In the final book, That Hideous Strength, he is a lesser character (the main characters being Mark and Jane Studdock) in charge of a group that is resisting demons that are trying to take over Earth, and playing the role of a mentor.
Ransom is a philologist at Cambridge, and a bachelor. According to several references in Perelandra, Ransom also served in the First World War, similarly to J.R.R. Tolkien, a good friend of C. S. Lewis's. Ransom prefers to spend his holidays alone, hence his capture by the antagonists Weston and Devine. When he is captured, Ransom discovers that his purpose is to serve as a 'ransom' for the entire human race, allowing Weston and Devine to continue their explorations of the planet Malacandra (Mars). By That Hideous Strength, Ransom had been thoroughly changed by his experiences. Ransom's past role of imparting Bible-like occurrences is passed on to the Studdocks.
Many books by C. S. Lewis can be considered "Theological Science Fiction" or "Christian Science Fiction". This genre is uncommon, and depicts sci-fi stories with the basic beliefs of Christianity tied into them.