The trilogy (U.K versions), in order of succession from left to right.

The trilogy (North American versions)

His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman, comprising Northern Lights (released as The Golden Compass in North America and published in 1995), The Subtle Knife (1997) and The Amber Spyglass (2000). The trilogy has also been published as a single-volume omnibus in the United Kingdom and North America, titled simply His Dark Materials. The three books of the HIS DARK MATERIALS trilogy. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (940x472, 95 KB)Scans This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who created the cover or the publisher of the book. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (940x472, 95 KB)Scans This image is of a book cover, and the copyright for it is most likely owned either by the artist who created the cover or the publisher of the book. ... A trilogy is a set of three works of art, usually literature or film, that are connected and can be seen as a single work, as well as three individual ones. ... This article is about the literary concept. ... For other definitions of fantasy see fantasy (psychology). ... Philip Pullman CBE (born October 19, 1946) is an English writer. ... The Golden Compass redirects here. ... North America North America is a continent[1] in the Earths northern hemisphere and (chiefly) western hemisphere. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... For the weapon mentioned in this book, see Æsahættr The Subtle Knife is the second novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 1997. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 2000. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full 2000 Gregorian calendar). ...

The trilogy follows the coming of age of two main characters, Lyra Belacqua and Will Parry, as they wander through a multiverse of parallel universes and a backdrop of epic events. The story begins in Northern Lights with fantasy elements such as witches and armoured bears. As the trilogy progresses, it acquires allegorical layers of meaning, introducing a broad range of ideas from fields such as physics (quantum physics), philosophy (metaphysics, philosophy of religion and, arguably, a degree of hylopathism), and theology (biblical symbolism). For other uses, see Coming of Age (disambiguation). ... Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue) is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Will Parry is one of the protagonists in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials, along with Lyra Belacqua. ... A multiverse (or meta-universe) is the hypothetical set of multiple possible universes (including our universe) that together comprise all of physical reality. ... Parallel universe or alternate reality in science fiction and fantasy is a self-contained separate reality coexisting with our own. ... This article is part of the Witchcraft series. ... In Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials novels, the Panserbjørne (armoured bears in Danish) are large polar bears which are most of times covered in a invulnerable cloud-iron armor. ... An allegory (from Greek αλλος, allos, other, and αγορευειν, agoreuein, to speak in public) is a figurative representation conveying a meaning other than and in addition to the literal. ... A magnet levitating above a high-temperature superconductor demonstrates the Meissner effect. ... Fig. ... For other uses, see Philosophy (disambiguation). ... Plato (Left) and Aristotle (right), by Raphael (Stanza della Segnatura, Rome) Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy concerned with explaining the ultimate nature of reality, being, and the world. ... Philosophy of religion is the rational study of the meaning and justification ( or rebuttal) of fundamental religious claims, particularly about the nature and existence of God (or gods, or the divine). ... Hylopathism, in philosophy, can mean either the belief that some or all matter is sentient or the belief that properties of matter in general give rise to the subjective experience. ... Theology finds its scholars pursuing the understanding of and providing reasoned discourse of religion, spirituality and God or the gods. ... Religious symbolism is the use of symbols, including archetypes, acts, artwork, events, or natural phenomena, by a religion. ...

Although the series is marketed to young adults, the audience includes many adult readers. Pullman has said: Young adult (YA) literature is literature written for, published for, or marketed to adolescents. ...

If I think about the audience I’d like to have, I don’t think about a particular age group, or a particular gender, or a particular class or ethnic group or anything specific at all. ... I’d like to think that I’m telling the sort of story that holdeth children from play and old men from the chimney corner, in the old phrase of Sir Philip Sidney. 'Everyone is welcome, and no one is shut out, and I hope each reader will find a tale worth spending time with.' ^[1]

Setting

The trilogy takes place across a multiverse, moving between many alternate worlds. In Northern Lights, the story takes place in a world with some similarities to our own; its society seems to resemble the 19th century with Victorian era dress style and steampunk technology level. It could also be speculated that in this world The Reformation never took place, John Calvin is referred to as a Pope. The church (referred to as the "Magisterium") controls all of the western world (and probably the entire planet). In The Subtle Knife, the story takes place in our world and the world of Cittàgazze, and in The Amber Spyglass it crosses through an array of diverse worlds. For other uses, see Multiverse (disambiguation). ... Queen Victoria (shown here on the morning of her ascension to the Throne, 20 June 1837) gave her name to the historic era The Victorian era of the United Kingdom marked the height of the British Industrial Revolution and the apex of the British Empire. ... For the comic book, see Steampunk (comics). ... Reformation redirects here. ... John Calvin (July 10, 1509 – May 27, 1564) was a French Protestant theologian during the Protestant Reformation and was a central developer of the system of Christian theology called Calvinism or Reformed theology. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Wycliffe Tyndale · Luther · Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Pope · Archbishop of Canterbury Patriarch of Constantinople Christianity Portal This box:      The Pope (from Latin... Cittàgazze (sometimes abbreviated to Cigazze), meaning City of the Magpies, is a fictional city within an unknown world (and parallel universe) in the bestselling fantasy fiction trilogy, His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman. ...

One defining aspect of Pullman's story is his concept of dæmons. In several universes in the trilogy's world, including that where the story's protagonist Lyra Belacqua is born, the human soul is manifested throughout life as an animal-shaped dæmon that always stays near its human counterpart. Witches and some humans have entered areas where dæmons cannot physically enter; as such, their dæmons can move as far away from their humans as desired. Dæmons will usually only talk to their humans, but they can communicate with other humans and dæmons autonomously. During childhood, the dæmon can change its shape at will, but upon adolescence it settles into one form. The final form reveals the person's true nature and personality, implying that these stabilize after adolescence. Spectres prey upon the dæmons of adolescents and adults, consuming them and rendering said dæmon's human essentially catatonic; they lose all thought and eventually fade away and die. Dæmons and their humans can also be separated by intercision, a process involving cutting the dæmon away from the human. This process can be conducted in a medical setting, such as the titanium and manganese guillotine used at Bolvangar, or as a form of torture used by the Skraelings. This separation has a high mortality rate and renders both human and dæmon little more than obedient zombies. Severing the link using the silver guillotine method releases tremendous amounts of unnamed energy which can be converted to anbaric, or electric, power. A dæmon is a physical manifestation of the soul of a conscious person in the Philip Pullman trilogy His Dark Materials. ... Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue) is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... A Spectre is a fictional being invented by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman for his trilogy, His Dark Materials. ... Intercision is a process created by Philip Pullman in his His Dark Materials trilogy. ... General Name, symbol, number titanium, Ti, 22 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 4, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 47. ... General Name, symbol, number manganese, Mn, 25 Chemical series transition metals Group, period, block 7, 4, d Appearance silvery metallic Standard atomic weight 54. ... This article is about the decapitation device. ... Bolvangar is the place where Lyra Belacqua is taken with other children, in the Northern Lights novel by Philip Pullman. ... ...

The universe of Northern Lights has interesting technology; at a glance, it appears to be considerably behind our own world, but in many fields it is equal or superior to ours. As evidence, it is revealed that Lyra's world has the same knowledge of particle physics, referred to as experimental theology, as we do. In The Amber Spyglass, an advanced interdimensional weapon is discussed which, when aimed using a sample of the target's DNA, can track the target to any universe and disrupt the very fabric of space-time to form a bottomless abyss into nothing, forcing the target to suffer a fate far worse than normal death. Other advanced devices include the Intention Craft, which carries an extremely potent energy weapon amongst other things. (Though this craft is first seen and used outside Lyra's universe, and may be the invention of engineers from other universes.) This is a list of objects of His Dark Materials trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman. ... An energy weapon can describe many types of real and fictional weapon which emit energy, rather than a physical projectile, and fire in one direction. ...

Plot summary

Northern Lights/The Golden Compass

Main article: Northern Lights (novel)

In Northern Lights (released in the United States and Canada as The Golden Compass), the heroine, Lyra Belacqua, a young girl brought up in the cloistered world of Jordan College, Oxford, and her dæmon Pantalaimon learn of the existence of Dust, a strange elementary particle believed by the Church to be evidence for Original Sin. Dust appears to be less attracted to the innocence of children, and this gives rise to grisly experiments being carried out by Church-controlled scientists on kidnapped children in the icy wastelands of the distant North. Lyra and Pantalaimon journey to save their best friend Roger Parslow and other kidnapped children from this peril, with the aid of the Panserbjørne (armoured bear) Iorek Byrnison, John Faa and Farder Coram, leaders of the Gyptians, the aeronaut Lee Scoresby, and the witch Serafina Pekkala. After dealings with armoured bears and witches and success in many arenas, Roger is killed by Lyra's father Lord Asriel in his own successful experiment to create a bridge into another world. Lord Asriel, followed by Lyra and Pantalaimon, journey through it separately in search of the source of Dust, unaware that they both mean to prevent the Church from destroying it. The Golden Compass redirects here. ... Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue) is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Jordan College is a fictional college of the University of Oxford which appears in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. ... A dæmon is a physical manifestation of the soul of a conscious person in the Philip Pullman trilogy His Dark Materials. ... Spoiler warning: Dust in Philip Pullmans trilogy of novels His Dark Materials is a fictional form of dark matter (as we call it in our world), an elementary particle that is of fundamental importance to the novels. ... “Original Sin” redirects here. ... Roger Parslow is a minor fictional character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... In Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials novels, the Panserbjørne (armoured bears in Danish) are large polar bears which are most of times covered in a invulnerable cloud-iron armor. ... Iorek Byrnison is a Panserbjørne (armoured bear) from Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials. ... Spoiler warning: John Faa, normally known as Lord Faa, is the King of the Gyptians in the fictional trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. ... Farder Coram is a very old, wise Gyptian in the trilogy His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman. ... Aeronautics is the mathematics and mechanics of flying objects, in particular airplanes. ... His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman. ... Serafina Pekkala is a witch queen in the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ...

The Subtle Knife

Main article: The Subtle Knife

In The Subtle Knife, Lyra journeys through the Aurora to Cittàgazze, an otherworldly city whose denizens have discovered a clean path between worlds at a far earlier point in time than others in the storyline. Cittàgazze's reckless use of the technology has released soul-eating Spectres, rendering the world incapable of transit by post-adolescents. Here, Lyra meets Will Parry, a twelve-year-old boy from our own world who has stumbled into Cittàgazze after recently killing a man to protect his ailing mother in an effort to locate his long-lost father. Will becomes the bearer of the titular Subtle Knife, a tool forged 300 years ago by Cittàgazze's scientists of the same materials as the silver guillotine. One edge of the knife is capable of creating portals between worlds and the other edge easily cuts through any form of matter. After meeting with witches from Lyra's world, they journey on. Will finds his father, who has been lost in Lyra's world under the assumed name of Stanislaus Grumman, only to watch him murdered soon after, and Lyra is kidnapped by her mother, Mrs. Coulter, an agent of the Magisterium who has learned of the prophecy that Lyra is to be the next Eve. Will is then instructed by a pair of angelic lovers, Balthamos and Baruch, that he must travel with them to give the Subtle Knife to Lyra's father, Lord Asriel, as a weapon against The Authority. For the weapon mentioned in this book, see Æsahættr The Subtle Knife is the second novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 1997. ... Cittàgazze (sometimes abbreviated to Cigazze), meaning City of the Magpies, is a fictional city within an unknown world (and parallel universe) in the bestselling fantasy fiction trilogy, His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman. ... A Spectre is a fictional being invented by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman for his trilogy, His Dark Materials. ... Will Parry is one of the protagonists in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials, along with Lyra Belacqua. ... Marisa Coulter is a fictional character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Michelangelos Creation of Adam, from the Sistine Chapel. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... In Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Authority is the equivalent of God. ...

The Amber Spyglass

Main article: The Amber Spyglass

In The Amber Spyglass, Will ignores the angels and with the help of a local girl named Ama, the Bear King Iorek Byrnison, and Lord Asriel's Gallivespian spies, the Chevalier Tialys and the Lady Salmakia, rescues Lyra from the cave she has been hidden in. They journey to the Land of the Dead to release the ghosts from their captivity imposed by the oppressive God, The Authority. Mary Malone, a scientist of our world interested in Dust (or Shadows, as she knows them), travels to a land populated by strange sentient creatures called Mulefa. There she learns of the true nature of Dust, existing as panpsychic particles of self-awareness. Lord Asriel and a reformed Mrs. Coulter team up to destroy The Authority's Regent, Metatron, but are killed in the process, taking Metatron down with them. The Authority himself dies of his own frailty amongst a massive battle between the rebels and his servants. The Amber Spyglass is the third and final novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 2000. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... A Gallivespian is a fictional creature invented by Philip Pullman for his bestselling trilogy of novels His Dark Materials. ... A Gallivespian is a fictional creature invented by Philip Pullman for his bestselling trilogy of novels His Dark Materials. ... A Gallivespian is a fictional creature invented by Philip Pullman for his bestselling trilogy of novels His Dark Materials. ... In Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Authority is the equivalent of God. ... Mary Malone is a character in the second and third books of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. ... The mulefa are a fictional race of alien beings who inhabit a parallel Earth in the novel The Amber Spyglass, the third part of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... Marisa Coulter is a fictional character, the mother of Lyra Belacqua in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... For the Darkwell album, see Metatron (album). ...

Character histories

See Characters of His Dark Materials

• Lyra Belacqua is a wild, tomboyish 12-year-old girl who was brought up in the fictional Jordan College, Oxford. She prides herself on her capacity for mischief, especially her ability to lie with "bare-faced conviction". Because of this ability, she was given the surname Silvertongue by Iorek Byrnison. Her constant companion is her dæmon Pantalaimon, who settles upon the pine marten as his final form at the series' conclusion.

• Will Parry is a sensible, morally conscious, highly assertive 12-year-old boy from our world who serves as the bearer of the Subtle Knife. He is very independent and responsible for his age, having looked after his mentally unstable mother for many years. He is strong for his age, and knows how to remain inconspicuous. At the end of his adventures he discovers the name and form of his dæmon, Kirjava, a cat.

• Lord Asriel is known to Lyra as her uncle at first, but later she learns that he is in fact her father. He opens a rift between the worlds in his pursuit of Dust. His dream of establishing a Republic of Heaven to rival The Authority's Kingdom leads him to use his considerable power and force of will to raise a grand army from across the multiverse to rise up in rebellion. Stelmaria the snow leopard is his dæmon.

• Marisa Coulter is the coldly beautiful, highly manipulative mother of Lyra and former lover of Lord Asriel, who serves the Church in kidnapping children for research into the nature of Dust. She has black hair, a thin build, and looks younger than she is. She later captures Lyra and secludes her away, perhaps seeking to protect her. Later in the story, Mrs. Coulter switches sides regularly between the Authority and Lord Asriel's Republic. Her maternal instincts finally win out in the end, as she uses her duplicitous core to deceive the Regent Metatron, working together with her former lover to pull him down into the abyss. Her dæmon (named Ozymandias in the BBC Radio adaptations but never named in the books), is a golden monkey with a cruel, abusive streak. Though he often communicates with Mrs. Coulter, he is rarely heard to speak.

• Mary Malone is a physicist and former nun from the same world as Will whose studies of Dust (referred to as Shadows, shadow particles or dark matter in her world) draw her into Lyra's adventures. She lives for a time amongst the mulefa, and constructs the Amber Spyglass in an effort to discern why Dust appears to be leaving the universe. Mary relates a story of a lost love to Will and Lyra, serving as the catalyst for their coming of age and the halting of Dust's exodus. With effort, she discovers that she too has a dæmon, which, though unnamed, takes the shape of an Alpine Chough. It is found out that Mary is to play the part as the tempter (the snake).

• Iorek Byrnison is a massive armoured bear who regains his armour, his dignity, and his kingship over the Panserbjørne with Lyra's help. In gratitude, and impressed by her cunning, he dubs her "Lyra Silvertongue". A powerful warrior and armoursmith, Iorek repairs the Subtle Knife when it shatters and goes to war against The Authority when Lyra and Will are threatened. As a bear instead of a human, he has no dæmon; instead, his soul constitutes his armour, which he himself shapes.

• John Faa and Farder Coram are leaders of the community of river gyptians. When the gyptians' children are kidnapped by the Church to serve as experiments in the frozen outpost of Bolvangar, they mount a rescue expedition, bringing Lyra along. John Faa is also the name of several historical Gypsies and a romantic hero in a ballad about Gypsies.

• Lee Scoresby is a rangy Texan aeronaut who pilots a balloon for Lyra and the gyptians in their expedition North; he is also a friend of Iorek Byrnison, and comes to aid Lyra in a number of her battles. His loyal dæmon Hester takes the form of a hare. He dies while fending off enemy soldiers in an effort to save Stanislaus Grumman.

• Stanislaus Grumman, also known as John Parry, or Jopari, is Will Parry's father, an explorer, and a former officer in the Royal Marines. He leaves our world on an expedition into the far North, in which he finds one of the many trans-dimensional windows, leading to the world from which Lyra Belacqua originates. When he gets there, he becomes a shaman, and receives a ceremonial hole in his skull. Though not born in the world of external dæmons, he somehow acquires one: a female osprey named Sayan Kötör, who disappears when he dies. Lee Scoresby gives his life to save him, and eventually he meets up with his son, but he is shot down by a vengeful witch whose love he once spurned. Grumman's pseudonym is a possible allusion to Stanislaw Ulam, the renowned nuclear physicist.

• Serafina Pekkala is the beautiful queen of a clan of Northern witches. As with all witches, her snow goose dæmon Kaisa can travel much farther apart from her than the dæmons of normal humans. She comes to the aid of Lyra and her friends on a number of occasions. She is several hundred years old but, because she is not a human, she will live many hundreds more.

• Roger Parslow is a young boy, Lyra's best friend and loyal follower at Jordan College. His death at the hands of Lord Asriel tears open a bridge between the worlds, through which Lyra and Asriel travel in a search for the origins of Dust. Guilt-stricken over Roger's death, Lyra determines to travel through the Land of Dead to apologize and release him; in doing so, she and Will succeed in liberating the lost souls of the dead, allowing their essence to merge with the particles of Dust that permeate the universe. His dæmon was Salcilia, who frequently took the form of a terrier.

• The Authority The Authority is not the Creator, but God as conceived in Pullman's books. In fact, he was the first of the angels. The Authority is quite weak, having given most of his power to his regent, Metatron, and has spent most of his existence retired to "comprehend deeper mysteries". He is extremely aged, and is shown as fragile, kind, and naїve, unlike his bitter and thoroughly malicious underling. He eventually dies by being exposed to a gust of wind, his weak form unable to resist it, but appears to find death a release.

// See Lyra Belacqua Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue by Iorek Byrnison) is a young girl who inhabits a parallel universe to our own. ... Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue) is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Jordan College is a fictional college of the University of Oxford which appears in the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. ... Pantalaimon is the daemon, or embodied soul, of Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of the His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Binomial name Martes martes (Linnaeus, 1758) This article is about the European Pine Marten. ... Will Parry is one of the protagonists in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials, along with Lyra Belacqua. ... Binomial name Felis catus Linnaeus, 1758 Synonyms Felis lybica invalid junior synonym The cat (or domestic cat, house cat) is a small carnivorous mammal. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... Binomial name Schreber, 1775 Range map Synonyms Uncia uncia The Snow Leopard (Panthera uncia[3] or Uncia uncia[1]), sometimes known as the Ounce, is a large cat native to the mountain ranges of central and southern Asia. ... Marisa Coulter is a fictional character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... The word manipulation can refer to: Joint manipulation Social influence Sleight of hand tricks in magic. ... Marisa Coulter is a fictional character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... For the Darkwell album, see Metatron (album). ... OZYMANDIAS I met a traveller from an antique land Who said: Two vast and trunkless legs of stone Stand in the desert. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... Approximate worldwide distribution of monkeys. ... Mary Malone is a character in the second and third books of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. ... Not to be confused with physician, a person who practices medicine. ... For other uses, see Nun (disambiguation). ... The mulefa are a fictional race of alien beings who inhabit a parallel Earth in the novel The Amber Spyglass, the third part of the His Dark Materials trilogy by Philip Pullman. ... Binomial name Pyrrhocorax graculus (Linnaeus, 1766) The Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax graculus), also called Yellow-billed Chough (pronounced ) is a Eurasian member of the crow family, Corvidae. ... Iorek Byrnison is a Panserbjørne (armoured bear) from Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials. ... For other uses, see Armour (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bear (disambiguation). ... This article is about modern humans. ... Spoiler warning: John Faa, normally known as Lord Faa, is the King of the Gyptians in the fictional trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. ... Farder Coram is a very old, wise Gyptian in the trilogy His Dark Materials, by Philip Pullman. ... Gyptians are a fictional ethnic group in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... John Faa can refer to: John Faa, a character in a the Phillip Pullman series His Dark Materials. ... Languages Romani, languages of native region Religions Christianity, Islam Related ethnic groups South Asians (Desi) The Roma (singular Rom; sometimes Rroma, Rrom) or Romanies are an ethnic group living in many communities all over the world. ... Illustration by Arthur Rackham of the ballad The Twa Corbies A ballad is a story, usually a narrative or poem, in a song. ... His Dark Materials is a trilogy of novels by the fantasy fiction author Philip Pullman. ... State nickname: Lone Star State Other U.S. States Capital Austin Largest city Houston Governor Rick Perry Official languages None Area 696,241 km² (2nd)  - Land 678,907 km²  - Water 17,333 km² (2. ... For other uses, see Balloon (disambiguation). ... Gyptians are a fictional ethnic group in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... For other uses, see Hare (disambiguation). ... Northern Lights cover Northern Lights is the first novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 1995. ... Northern Lights cover Northern Lights is the first novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 1995. ... Lyra Belacqua (also known as Lyra Silvertongue) is the heroine of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... StanisÅ‚aw Ulam in the 1950s. ... Serafina Pekkala is a witch queen in the His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman. ... This article is part of the Witchcraft series. ... Binomial name Anser caerulescens (Linnaeus, 1758) The Snow Goose (Anser caerulescens) is a North American species of goose. ... Roger Parslow is a minor fictional character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy. ... For other uses, see Terrier (disambiguation). ... In Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Authority is the equivalent of God. ... For the Darkwell album, see Metatron (album). ...

Influences and criticism

The three major literary influences on His Dark Materials acknowledged by Pullman himself are the essay On the Marionette Theatre by Heinrich von Kleist (which can be found at southerncrossreview.org), the works of William Blake, and, most importantly, John Milton's Paradise Lost, from which the trilogy derives its title as well as many of its basic ideas.^[2] Pullman's stated intention was to invert Milton's story of a war between heaven and hell.^[3] In his introduction, he adapts a famous description of Blake to quip that he (Pullman) "is of the Devil's party and does know it." The novels also draw heavily on gnostic ideas, and His Dark Materials has been a subject of controversy, especially with Christian groups.^[4][5] The verse from Paradise Lost in which the phrase "his dark materials" is used follows: Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (October 18, 1777 Frankfurt an der Oder, Prussia – November 21, 1811 Wannsee, near Berlin) was a German poet, dramatist, novelist and short story writer. ... Bernd Heinrich Wilhelm von Kleist (October 18, 1777 – November 21, 1811) was a German poet, dramatist and novelist. ... William Blake (November 28, 1757 – August 12, 1827) was an English poet, visionary, painter, and printmaker. ... For other persons named John Milton, see John Milton (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Paradise Lost (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... The Inferno redirects here. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Topics in Christianity Movements · Denominations · Other religions Ecumenism · Preaching · Prayer Music · Liturgy · Calendar Symbols · Art · Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul · Church Fathers Constantine · Athanasius · Augustine Anselm · Aquinas · Palamas · Luther Calvin · Wesley Arius · Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury · Catholic Pope Coptic Pope · Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box:      Christianity is...

…Into this wilde Abyss,
The Womb of nature and perhaps her Grave,
Of neither Sea, nor Shore, nor Air, nor Fire,
But all these in thir pregnant causes mix't
Confus'dly, and which thus must ever fight,
Unless th' Almighty Maker them ordain
His dark materials to create more Worlds,
Into this wilde Abyss the warie fiend
Stood on the brink of Hell and look'd a while,
Pondering his Voyage...

Pullman denies that His Dark Materials can be seen as the antithesis of The Chronicles of Narnia, the seven-book fantasy series by C. S. Lewis.^[6] Pullman has accused Lewis of being "blatantly racist" and "monumentally disparaging of women" in his novels.^[7] Look up Antithesis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Narnia redirects here. ... Clive Staples Jack Lewis (29 November 1898 – 22 November 1963), commonly referred to as C. S. Lewis, was an Irish author and scholar. ...

Institutional religion is criticized by some of the characters. For example, Ruta Skadi, a witch and friend of Lyra's calling for war against the Magisterium in Lyra's world, says that "For all of [the Church's] history...it's tried to suppress and control every natural impulse. And when it can't control them, it cuts them out." (see intercision). Skadi later extends her criticism to all organized religion: "That's what the Church does, and every church is the same: control, destroy, obliterate every good feeling." (By this part of the book, the witches have made reference to how they are treated criminally by the church in their worlds.) Mary Malone, one of Pullman's main characters, states that "the Christian religion…is a very powerful and convincing mistake, that's all." She was formerly a Catholic nun, but gave up her vows when the experience of being in love caused her to doubt her faith. Ruta Skadi is a witch queen, and a lover of Lord Asriel, in the fictional trilogy His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. ... Intercision is a process created by Philip Pullman in his His Dark Materials trilogy. ... Mary Malone is a character in the second and third books of Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials trilogy, The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. ...

Pullman portrays the Christian heaven to be a lie. In the third book, the real afterlife is depicted as a bleak place where people are tormented by harpies until Lyra and Will descend into the land of the dead. Through their intercession, the harpies agree to stop tormenting the dead souls, and instead receive the true stories of the dead in exchange for leading them again to the upper world. When the dead souls emerge, they dissolve as they become one with the universe. For other uses, see Heaven (disambiguation). ... Harpy (from Latin: Harpyia, Greek: Άρπυια, Harpuia, pl. ...

Pullman's "Authority" is worshipped on Lyra's earth as God, but he turns out to be the first angel instead. It is explicitly stated that the Authority was in fact not the creator of worlds. Pullman's trilogy does not speculate on who or what might have created worlds. Members of the Church are typically displayed as zealots. Two characters who once belonged to the Church, Mary Malone and Marisa Coulter, are both displayed in a positive light only insofar as they have rebelled against the Church.^[8][9] Zealotry denotes zeal in excess, referring to cases where activism and ambition in relation to an ideology have become excessive to the point of being harmful to others, oneself, and ones own cause. ...

Cynthia Grenier, in the Catholic Culture, has said: "In the world of Pullman, God Himself (the Authority) is a merciless tyrant, His Church is an instrument of oppression, and true heroism consists of overthrowing both."^[10]

Pullman has, however, found support from other Christians, most notably Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, who argues that Pullman's attacks are focused on the constraints and dangers of dogmatism and the use of religion to oppress, not on Christianity itself.^[11] Pullman himself has said in interviews and appearances^[6][12] that his argument can be extended to all religions. The trilogy shows the downfall of the Kingdom of Heaven, a hierarchy under the control of the Authority and his regent. In its place is the task to build the Republic of Heaven. For the English boxer, see Rowan Anthony Williams. ... The Archbishop of Canterbury is the spiritual leader and senior clergyman of the Church of England, recognized by convention as the head of the worldwide Anglican Communion. ... For other senses of this word, see dogma (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Oppression (disambiguation). ...

In terms of popularity, the trilogy is sometimes compared with fantasy books like A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle,^[13] the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling^[14] and the Narnia books themselves.^[15] For the movie adaptation, see A Wrinkle in Time (film) . A Wrinkle in Time is a science fantasy[1] novel by Madeleine LEngle, written between 1959 and 1960[2] and published in 1962 after at least 26 rejections by publishers[3] because it was, in LEngles words... Madeleine LEngle (November 29, 1918 – September 6, 2007)[1] was an American writer best known for her childrens books, particularly the Newbery Medal-winning A Wrinkle in Time and its sequels A Wind in the Door, A Swiftly Tilting Planet and Many Waters. ... This article is about the Harry Potter series of novels. ... Joanne Jo Murray, née Rowling OBE (born 31 July 1965),[1] who writes under the pen name J. K. Rowling,[2] is an English writer and author of the Harry Potter fantasy series. ... Narnia redirects here. ...

Awards

The Amber Spyglass won the 2001 Whitbread Book of the Year award, a prestigious British literature award. This is the first time that such an award has been bestowed on a book from their "children's literature" category. See also: 2000 in literature, other events of 2001, 2002 in literature, list of years in literature. ... The Whitbread Book Awards are among the United Kingdoms most prestigious literary awards. ...

The first volume, Northern Lights, won the Carnegie Medal for children's fiction in the UK in 1995.^[16] In 2007 it was selected by judges of the CILIP Carnegie Medal for children's literature as one of the ten most important children's novels of the past 70 years. The Carnegie Medal in Literature was established in the UK in 1936 in honour of Scottish philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. ... The year 1995 in literature involved some significant events and new books. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ...

On May 19, 2005, Pullman was invited to the British Library in London to be formally congratulated for his work by culture secretary Tessa Jowell "on behalf of the government"; and shortly afterwards received the Swedish government's Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award for children's and youth literature (sharing it with Japanese illustrator Ryôji Arai). In Sweden, the prize is second only to the Nobel Prize in Literature and is worth 5 million Swedish Kronor or approximately £385,000. is the 139th day of the year (140th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... // Events February 25 - Canada Reads selects Rockbound by Frank Parker Day as the novel to be read across the nation. ... British Library main building, London The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is a UK cabinet position with responsibility for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. ... Tessa Jowell (born September 17, 1947 in London) is a British politician who is Labour MP for Dulwich and West Norwood, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for the Olympics, following the selection of London to host the 2012 Olympic Games. ... The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award is the worlds largest childrens and youth literature award. ... Ryôji Arai Japanese illustrator, born in Yamagata in 1956 and resident in Tokyo. ... Nobel Prize in Literature medal. ...

The trilogy came third in the 2003 BBC's Big Read, a national poll of viewers' favourite books, after The Lord of the Rings and Pride and Prejudice. It was one of only two books in the top five not to have had a screen adaptation at that time (the film version of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, which came fifth, was not released until 2005), and those two books were the only entries in the top ten to have been written in the last twenty-five years. Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... The Big Read was a 2003 survey carried out by the BBC, with the goal of finding the Nations Best-loved Book by way of a viewer vote via the Web, SMS and telephone. ... This article is about the novel. ... For films named Pride and Prejudice, see Pride and Prejudice (film). ... Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire is the fourth novel in the Harry Potter series written by J. K. Rowling. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Adaptations

His Dark Materials has been adapted for radio, theatre and film. It was made into a radio drama on BBC Radio 4 starring Terence Stamp as Lord Asriel and Lulu Popplewell as Lyra. The play was broadcast in 2003 and is now published by the BBC on CD and cassette. In the same year, a radio drama of Northern Lights was made by RTÉ (Irish public radio). Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... Terence Henry Stamp (born July 22, 1938[1]) is an English actor. ... Lord Asriel is a major character in Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials series. ... CD redirects here. ... Typical 60-minute Compact Cassette. ... Radio Telefís Éireann[1] (RTÉ; IPA: ,  ) is the Public Service Broadcaster of the Republic of Ireland. ... Public broadcasting (also known as public service broadcasting or PSB) is the dominant form of broadcasting around the world, where radio, television, and potentially other electronic media outlets receive funding from the public. ...

A theatrical version of the books was directed by Nicholas Hytner as a two-part, six-hour performance for London's Royal National Theatre in December 2003, running until March 2004. It starred Anna Maxwell-Martin as Lyra, Dominic Cooper as Will, Timothy Dalton as Lord Asriel and Patricia Hodge as Mrs Coulter with dæmon puppets designed by Michael Curry. The play was enormously successful and was revived (with a different cast and a revised script) for a second run between November 2004 and April 2005. It has since been staged by several less known theatres in the UK, notably at the Playbox Theatre in Warwick (a major youth theatre company in the West Midlands). The play had its Irish Premiere at the O'Reilly Theatre in Dublin when it was staged by the dramatic society of Belvedere College. Nicholas Hytner (born May 7, 1956) is an award-winning British theatrical and opera producer and director. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... The Royal National Theatre from Waterloo Bridge The Royal National Theatre is a building complex and theatre company located on the South Bank in London, England immediately east of the southern end of Waterloo Bridge. ... Anna Maxwell Martin (sometimes credited as Anna Maxwell-Martin) is an English actress who has won acclaim for her performances as Lyra in His Dark Materials at the Royal National Theatre and as Esther Summerson in the BBC adaptation of Bleak House (2005). ... Dominic Cooper (born June 2, 1978) is an English actor who has performed on stage, film, television and radio. ... Timothy Peter Dalton (born March 21, 1946[1]) is an English actor of stage and screen, best known for portraying James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) and Licence to Kill (1989) and in his roles in Shakespearean related films and plays. ... Patricia Hodge (born on 29 September 1946 in Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire, England) is a British actress. ... If you mean the puppet designer, see Michael Curry (Puppet Designer). ... Belvedere College SJ is a private secondary school for boys located on Great Denmark Street, Dublin, Ireland. ...

A film adaptation, titled The Golden Compass, is to be released in December 2007 by New Line Cinema, the company behind The Lord of the Rings film trilogy. The film was to be directed by Chris Weitz, who also acts as screenwriter. Weitz felt himself unable to deal with the "technical challenges" of the film, and so was replaced for a time by Anand Tucker, but Tucker ultimately left the project due to creative differences and Weitz returned. The Golden Compass is a forthcoming fantasy film based upon Northern Lights (titled The Golden Compass in the US), the first novel in Philip Pullmans trilogy His Dark Materials, slated for release on December 7, 2007 by New Line Cinema. ... Amputee boxer Baxter Humby, as Spider-Man, throws a computer-generated punch through the chest of Sandman, portrayed by Thomas Haden Church 2007 has been referred to, by film and media critics, as the year of the threequels, a nickname referring to both the 2004 summer movie season and several... New Line Cinema, founded in 1967, is one of the major American film studios. ... This article is about the Peter Jackson films. ... Chris Weitz (born 1970 in New York, New York) is the producer and director (along with brother Paul Weitz) of American Pie, About a Boy, and other movies. ... Sample from a screenplay, showing dialogue and action descriptions. ... Anand Tucker (born 24 June 1963) is a film director and producer. ...

The production hopes to stay as true to the book as possible. Prior to his initial departure from the project, Weitz suggested that its film treatment might minimize the explicitly religious character of The Authority so as to avoid offending some viewers. This suggestion sparked a fan backlash that some believe was the real reason for Weitz's leaving. Pullman has since stated that "All the important scenes are there and will have their full value." A treatment or more properly film treatment is a short piece of prose intended to be turned into a screenplay for a motion picture. ... Religious is a term with both a technical definition and folk use. ...

On March 14, 2006, open auditions for the role of Lyra were announced.^[17] Dakota Blue Richards has been cast as Lyra. Nicole Kidman has been cast as Mrs. Coulter, Daniel Craig has signed to play Lord Asriel, and Eva Green will play Serafina Pekkala throughout the trilogy. It is not known how the most recent reversal of directors will alter the course of the auditions that have already taken place. Principal filming is finished as of late January 2007. is the 73rd day of the year (74th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dakota Blue Richards (born 1994) is an English actress, who will play Lyra Belacqua in the upcoming film His Dark Materials: The Golden Compass. ... Nicole Mary Kidman AC (born June 20, 1967), is an Australian [1] actress. ... Daniel Wroughton Craig[1] (born 2 March 1968[2]) is a BAFTA-nominated English actor best known as the sixth actor to portray secret agent James Bond in the official film series from EON Productions. ... Eva Gaëlle Green[1] () (born July 5, 1980) is an actress, raised in Paris and living in London. ...

References in popular culture:

In the second series of television's Waterloo Road, an American Christian comes to sponsor the school and encourages pupils to burn books - Philip Pullman's works are clearly seen and mentioned by name as evil. Waterloo Road is a BBC television drama series set in Rochdale[1], and is about a failing comprehensive school. ...

Author/musician/actor Saul Williams references The Subtle Knife in his song "Talk To Strangers." Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is most known for his blend of spoken word poetry and hip-hop. ... For the weapon mentioned in this book, see Æsahættr The Subtle Knife is the second novel in the His Dark Materials series, written by British novelist Philip Pullman, and published in 1997. ...

Progressive rock band Odin's Court recorded a song on their 2003 album Driven by Fate called "His Dark Materials". The song summarized the trilogy lyrically, and was set to a surreal musical landscape. // Odins Court is a progressive metal and rock band from Maryland, USA. The bands music has a large range of influences, including Pink Floyd, Symphony X, Rush, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Dream Theater, Journey, and Boston. ...

Terminology

Main article: His Dark Materials terminology

This article details the various terminology used in the His Dark Materials trilogy written by Philip Pullman. ...

See also

• Sally Lockhart, another series by Philip Pullman
• The Doctor Who episode Doomsday has many plot similarities. ^{[citation needed]}
• "Dust" and "Shadows" are arguably related to a philosophical position called hylopathism.

Sally Lockhart is a fictional character in a series of books by Philip Pullman. ... This article is about the television series. ... Doomsday is an episode in the British science fiction television series Doctor Who. ... Hylopathism, in philosophy, can mean either the belief that some or all matter is sentient or the belief that properties of matter in general give rise to the subjective experience. ...

Further reading

• Gribbin, John and Mary (2005). The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Knopf Books for Young Readers. ISBN 0-375-83144-4. 
• Lenz, Millicent (2005). His Dark Materials Illuminated: Critical Essays on Phillip Pullman's Trilogy. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 0-8143-3207-2. 
• Squires, Claire (2003). Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy: A Reader's Guide. Continuum International Publishing Group. ISBN 0-8264-1479-6. 
• Yeffeth, Glenn (2005). Navigating the Golden Compass: Religion, Science and Daemonology in Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. Benbella Books. ISBN 1-932100-52-0. 
• Frost, Laurie (2006). The Elements of His Dark Materials: A Guide to Phillip Pullman's trilogy. Fell Press. ISBN 0-9759430-1-4. 
• Squires, Claire. Philip Pullman, Master Storyteller - A guide to the worlds of his dark materials

References

Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 67th day of the year (68th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article deals with The Daily Telegraph in Britain, see The Daily Telegraph (Australia) for the Australian publication The Daily Telegraph is a British broadsheet newspaper founded in 1855. ... Year 2003 (MMIII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 307th day of the year (308th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 51st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 102nd day of the year (103rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also see: 2002 (number). ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era in the 21st century. ... is the 95th day of the year (96th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Guardian. ... Guardian Unlimited is a British website owned by the Guardian Med