Pullman is probably best known for his His Dark Materials trilogy, The Northern Lights, introducing Lyra, The Subtle Knife, introducing Will, and The Amber Spyglass. The first book has been made into movie (The Golden Compass, the book’s US title), and I imagine the other two will follow.
It’s a lovely set of books, especially the first, mainly because of the sheer delight of tough little Lyra. I adore this character. Her world is similar to ours with a few ‘minor’ differences, such as the personal daemon (kind of like a visible soul) attached to every person. Lyra lives in an enchanting version of Oxford, but is drawn into mystery about disappearing children. Eventually, the books cover many worlds, and it’s a well-realised and fascinating (if dark) universe.
Given the direction of the series by the third book, I’ve always been a little surprised it hasn’t been targetted by religious fanatics…I guess Harry Potter’s a little easier to attack since it’s got the wizards right there on the front cover so you don’t actually have to read what you want banned/burned.
There’s Pullman’s lesser-known Sally Lockhart quartet, now being made into BBC productions, starring Billie Piper (Doctor Who’s Rose) of all people. Sally’s another strongly-written female character, and the books are fun Victorian-style mysteries/thrillers. He has a couple of books also set in Victorian times, about the New Cut gang.
He also has a couple of contemporary novels, also with young lead females. I’ve read one (The Butterfly Tattoo), but I do prefer exotic settings (fantasy/history). Lastly, Pullman has a set of illustrated stories and fairytales. I’ve only read one of these, Clockwork and found it beautifully creepy (What? Kids love creepy).
Though he is often positioned as YA (young adult), Pullman’s quality of writing and depth of ideas (plus his dark streak) make him good reading for adult fans as well. His (endearingly humble) website is here.
