Reading order
| # | Title | Year | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern Lights / The Golden Compass | 1995 | Buy |
| 2 | The Subtle Knife | 1997 | Buy |
| 3 | The Amber Spyglass | 2000 | Buy |
His Dark Materials follows Lyra Belacqua, a twelve-year-old girl living in a parallel world Oxford. In her world, each person has a daemon - a physical manifestation of their soul in animal form. The trilogy follows Lyra’s journey north to save her friend, her discovery of cosmic threats, and her role in a war against the authoritarian Magisterium that controls her world.
Philip Pullman creates a sweeping epic that spans multiple parallel universes. The trilogy confronts organized religion, exploring themes of authority, knowledge, and consciousness. Pullman, a former teacher, creates worlds that are both fantastical and intellectually rigorous. The books argue for critical thinking and resistance to dogma, making them controversial with some religious groups while adored by others.
The trilogy was adapted into a BBC/HBO television series in 2019-2022. The films from 2007-2007 (The Golden Compass) and the 2003 stage play His Dark Materials brought the story to wider audiences. Pullman has returned to this universe with The Book of Dust, a prequel trilogy exploring events before Lyra’s birth.