Philip Pullman announces a DARK MATERIALS sequel trilogy

[Werthead]

Well, that just happened.

Philip Pullman has written (and possibly completed) The Book of Dust, a prequel and sequel trilogy to His Dark Materials. It starts with Lyra as a baby and explores how she ended up at Oxford, and then jumps forward to 30 years after the original trilogy. Pullman has indicated that numerous other characters from the first trilogy will return and the focus will be on a confrontation between totalitarianism and liberty.

This started off as a very modest companion book/short story collection over a decade ago, but it sounds like the story grew in the telling.

Book 1 will be out in October.

 

[BAYLOR]

After reading the Trilogy, I have no desire to read anything else by him.

 

[hitmouse]

Brilliant news.

 

[Stable]

I think I would have been more excited about this ten years ago, but at least it seems like he's done most the writing already in the intervening time!

 

[Stephen Palmer]

YAY! Great Pullman news.

 

[Piper]

I'm not so interested to read about how Lyra winds up at Oxford- we already pretty much know her parents were questionable people, but I am excited to read about her future self. I get that some of the religious sub-text questions aren't for everyone and in fact know someone who refuses to read the CS Lewis "Planet" series because of the sub-context (although oddly has no problem with the Narnia series which I would argue has some of the same "issues")

 

[hitmouse]

Extract in The Guardian a couple of weeks ago: Before His Dark Materials: Philip Pullman's new novel – exclusive extract

 

[Harpo]

I'm listening to it being read on BBC Radio 4 right now. Perhaps this will be available online later.

 

[Ursa major]

Radio Four's Book of the Week has been moved to the 13:45 slot (but will be available on iPlayer Radio after transmission). Starting this coming Monday, the book is Dreaming of Spires:

In these personal, entertaining and deeply thoughtful essays, Philip Pullman examines the art of storytelling. Written over a period of 30 years, they reflect on a wide range of topics including the origins of his own stories, the practice of writing and the storytellers who have most inspired him. Today's essay reveals how his days at Oxford in the sixties provided the inspiration for the setting of His Dark Materials.

 

[Toby Frost]

I've got to say that I read Northern Lights and I couldn't see what the fuss was about. I didn't go any further. It seemed fairly entertaining, but when I heard the praise it's received, I feel as if I'd missed something.

 

[Stephen Palmer]

First two are great, Toby. Third one needs most of the middle edited out.

 

[HareBrain]

I started the original trilogy with The Subtle Knife, which I remember finding more interesting than the others, though I can't now recall why. Reading Northern Lights afterwards, it seemed an entertaining but fairly straightforward adventure romp.

when I heard the praise it's received, I feel as if I'd missed something.

I'm feeling exactly the same about this new one. Review after review praising it to the skies (apart from a few on Amazon or Goodreads) and I just can't see it.

 

[Toby Frost]

Perhaps this is unduly cynical but sometimes, when a genre novel gets reviews in the literary columns, I think the reviewers praise it to the rafters just because they're not used to books being enjoyable and exciting.