Science of Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" [Import] [Paperback]

Mary; Gribbin, John R. PULLMAN; Gribbin (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: Hodder Children's Books; 1st Ed. edition (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340881593
• ISBN-13: 978-0340881590
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 5.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,089,274 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Educational value, October 12, 2005

By 

Gary H. Cassel "Flamingnet Teen Book Reviews" (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (Hardcover)

As its name indicates, this book explains the science behind Phillip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy. The authors refer to passages from the trilogy and then explain the science behind them using easily comprehendable examples and analogies. Chapters speak of everything from the Northern Lights to the Amber Spyglass. This non-fiction book is a reference for the fictitious His Dark Materials. The science explained, though it is complex, can be understood easily by a lay reader.

I would recommend reading the His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman before reading this book to understand the references and the context of the examples given in the book. I really liked the analogies because they made the science easy to understand, even for those who either do not understand or have not yet studied Physics, Chemistry, and Astronomy behind many science fiction novels. I especially enjoyed the depth of the history that the authors gave of the different concepts, such as the explanation for the appearance of the Northern Lights. Whether you are looking to understand His Dark Materials or to better understand subjects in your science class, this book fulfills its duty to explain science. Eventhough I do not usually enjoy science fiction, I enjoyed this book for its educational value.

(...)

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars From spookiness to reality., March 6, 2007

By 

Stephen Thoemmes "All sins are just efforts t... (AZ, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (Hardcover)

The trilogy just stunned me and I worked at trying to understand its complexities. Then I read this book, and everything made sense. At first I declared that the trilogy was better than 'The Lord of the Rings' but could not explain why. This book nails it. It will be wonderful if you read the trilogy, read this book, and share everything with your children. Remember when 'expanding your consciousness' was all the rage? No? That's OK. All these books do it with a basis in science. Buy the darn books. Buy them for your friends.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unlocks What Otherwise is Magical Fantasy, August 20, 2008

By 

Miami Bob "Resurgent Reading" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Science of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials (Mass Market Paperback)

Fantasy for the sake of escapism is wonderful. Explanation of the same may become problematic. To the reader who enjoys escaping reality for fantasy, explanation for what otherwise has no reason is as inviting as the many hurtful "growing up" moments: e.g. when we learn that there is no Santa Claus or Easter Bunny or Tooth Afairy.

One of Great Britain's greatest fantasies is the Dark Materials' trilogy - where little children take on magical odysseys to cure what adults ruin. Similar to "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" or any of the J.K. Rowling "Harry Potter" books, Philip Pullman's fantasy has been the torch which lit many of a certain generation's children's dreams. A contemporary to Rowling, his writing has been the source of discussion and movie material.

And, so it is this book that makes it so unlike interpretations of many of its peer novels. Harry Potter novels are decried as the source for the intense growth of devil worshiping satanic cults. To the contrary, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" has been accused of being a Christian lesson in mythic tale. Narnia - the land of "The Lion . . . " - is separate from our own. It is heaven or the "other world." Potter's world coexists with our own - he is different, he is the devil incarnate. Or, so critics tells us.

Pullman's world is both "other" as well as part of our own. He has Lyra and Will meet, even though they are from different worlds. With magic knife, Will cuts his way into our world. How, the authors ask, can this be?

Metaphysics. This book teaches us about the fourth dimension, string theory, dust, dark materials, quantum physics and more - and how each relates to what we thought was a children's novel. Peeling away at the layers of plot in the Pullman books, the authors of this book teach us more science than we probably have learned in decades. At times I wondered whether I was learning more science in this book than I had forgotten in a lifetime.

And, so the authors explain that our childlike imaginations are actually rooted in truths - scientific truths. That our fantasy is actually reality. That our escape is merely a change in direction to what we otherwise do not know. In short, science is as magical as it is logical. Science can be as much fun as . . . dare I say it. . . Rowling or Pullman or C.S. Lewis.

I learned a lot from this book. And, although it awakened me to learn something that I may have otherwise been just as comfortable as not knowing, I have no regrets. To the contrary, I regret having been so ignorant. I enjoyed reading this book which unlocked many mysteries which have been hidden from me for years. And, I only wish that science could have been taught in a similar manner.