Books about His Dark Materials

As a highly successful series, His Dark Materials has developed a small pantheon of books that take a look at the trilogy from all different angles; taking in the books' themes of religion and science, and its many classical influences from Milton to Blake. If you know of a book not featured here, please contact us. We are also accepting reviews for these books, so if you have read one, get in touch and it will be showcased here.

Dark Matter : a Thinking Fan's Guide to Philip Pullman

"Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy is rightly acclaimed as a modern classic. Pullman creates alternative worlds that fascinate and delight, and has built up a loyal army of readers. He has been described as the 'most significant', but also the 'most dangerous' author in Britain. Who is Philip Pullman, and why have his books provoked such a wide variety of strong opinions?"

Tony Watkins explains what makes His Dark Materials such a magnificent work of fiction. He explores the influences that shaped Pullman's writing and the major themes of the trilogy, including daemons, Dust and Pullman's perspective on God." A good outline of the book's contents is available on the publisher's website.

Our review found the book to contain "some excellent analysis that will be insightful to new readers and long-time fans alike."

Darkness Visible: Inside the World of Philip Pullman

"Darkness Visible looks at the strange world of His Dark Materials and its author Philip Pullman, discussing the sources that have influenced Pullman’s many books, the themes throughout, and the controversy and criticism that Pullman has attracted. There’s also a who’s who of His Dark Materials as well as an answer to the exasperating question, ‘What exactly is "dust"?’ "

The book is published by Wizard Books and there are two extracts available to read at their website.

Our review concluded that the book was to be "recommended to those who wish to know more about Pullman, his particular influences and thoughts on the books, but not to those actually looking for their own interpretation of the text."

Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials Trilogy: A Reader's Guide

Written by Claire Squires, this release is part of Continium's series of reader's guides. The book has a short biography of Pullman, a thematically oriented study of the novel in question, a summary of how it was received upon publication, and a list of discussion questions, suggestions for further reading, and useful websites.

Our review liked the book, calling it "a good resource, both for readers who had already been acquainted with the trilogy and its author for some time, and for those just discovering it," but raised a caveat about its somewhat short length.

The Science of His Dark Materials

Published by Hodder Children's Books, the Science of His Dark Materials takes a look at the science behind the trilogy, such as the Northern Lights, the quantum physics of parallel universes and so forth. It has an introduction by Philip Pullman.

Our review praised the book's "elegant and straightforward style," saying, "the authors provide fans with a fun, accessible reference guide to many of Pullman’s subjects."