Multiple words, extraordinary creatures, cracking adventures, and quantum physics – welcome to Philip Pullman’s universe. It’s a world you may be familiar with world you like reading fantasy novels. Now, a previously unseen “His Dark Material” story written by Pullman over a decade ago, which he never intended to publish, will be released this month. Are you ready to dive into Pullman’s universe?
Early life
In 1956, Pullman, along with his stepfather, visited the area affected by the River Murray floods in Australia. The swelling floodwaters had devastated entire towns in three States, leaving an immense grey mass as far as the eye could see. Everything was submerged under water. It inspired him to pick up the pen. These memories helped him write “His Dark Materials” – trilogy and “La Belle Sauvage: The Book of Dust.”
What’s the new book about?
The new book called “Serpentine”, is a novella set after the end of the trilogy “His Dark Materials”, but before the start of Pullman’s recent book, “The Secret Commonwealth.” The story sees Lyra and her daemon Pantalaimon return to Trollesund, the remote town where she first met the armoured bear lorek Byrnison and aeronaut Lee Scoresby in “Northern Lights”
Pullman wrote the story for a charity auction in 2004, at the request of Nicholas Hytner, then director at the National Theatre, during the company’s production of “His Dark Materials.”
Who is Lyra?
Lyra is the main character in Philip’s trilogy of books called “His Dark Materials.”
First released in 1995, the books have now sold more than 17 million copies around the world, and been turned into a film and TV series.
He also wrote a follow-up series called the “Book of Dust”, which tells the story of Lyra as a baby, and as an adult.
Pullman is currently writing the final book in the “Book of Dust” trilogy which will perhaps be the last on Lyra’s story.
Oh Really?
- On September 1, 2020, he ignited a debate on Twitter on punctuation, saying: “apparently young people feel that full stops are threatening or angry and messages are friendlier without them bunch of wimps”.
- Popular singer Ed Sheeran is a fan of Pullman. Sheeran has named his newborn daughter Lyra, after the heroine of his favourite “His Dark Materials” series.
- While writing “La Belle Sauvage”, Pullman had vowed not to cut his hair until it was finished. Judith, his wife of 47 years, finally chopped off his ponytail after he completed the book.
- Pullman writes only three pages a day. The rituals sacred and he has been following it since he started writing.
Picture Credit : Google
