Philip Pullman is a British author best known for his trilogy His Dark Materials, consisting of The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife, and The Amber Spyglass. Although this trilogy, and some of his other works, would generally be classified as fantasy, Pullman dislikes this sort of classification, noting that the fantasy in his books is all intended to advance the exploration of ideas. Similarly, he disagrees with the view that his books are "children's books" or "young adult novels," but suggests that anyone who enjoys them should read them. As more about these books can be found at the His Dark Materials node, I will move on to Pullman's other accomplishments and views.
Pullman has written many non-fantastic works set in England. His book Clockwork, a semi-fantastic work set in "a little German town," is one of the scarier books I have read, period. As Pullman's bio notes, he was born is Norwich, England, on October 19th, 1946. He is a lifelong fan of comic books and graphic novels, especially Superman and Batman.
Pullman is known for his criticism of C.S. Lewis, especially for The Chronicles of Narnia, which, in his essay "The Dark Side of Narnia," he describes as "one of the most ugly and poisonous things I've ever read." He also refers to "the misogyny, the racism, the sado-masochistic relish for violence that permeates the whole cycle."
Pullman's books
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Ancient Civilizations, 1978
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Galatea, 1978
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Count Karlstein, 1982
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The Ruby in the Smoke, 1985
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How to Be Cool, 1987
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The Shadow in the Plate aka The Shadow in the North, 1987
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Spring-Heeled Jack, 1989
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The Broken Bridge, 1990
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The Tiger in the Well, 1990
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The White Mercedes aka The Butterfly Tattoo, 1992
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Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Limehouse Horror, 1993
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The Tin Princess, 1994
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The Golden Compass aka Northern Lights, 1995
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The Subtle Knife, 1997
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Clockwork, 1998
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The Amber Spyglass, 2000
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Puss in Boots, 2001
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I Was a Rat!, 2001
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The Firework-Maker's Daughter, 2002