Part of what Lewis wanted to do in The Magician's Nephew was explore the Godlike creation of an entire world. Therefore, he draws on the Bible for the pattern of creation. He begins with a world that "was uncommonly like Nothing," much as "the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep."

(Genesis 1:1) in the Bible. Genesis 1:2 says that "the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." Lewis imagines the movement of God's spirit as a song: A voice had begun to sing. It was very far away and Digory found it hard to decide from what direction it was coming. Sometimes it seemed to come from all directions at once. Sometimes he almost thought it was coming out of the earth beneath them. Its lower notes were deep enough to be the voice of the...