The Republic of Heaven

I am yet another "newbie" on this board.

I first read "His Dark Materials" in 2002, after reading the interview that Christopher Hitchens did with Philip Pullman. I got interested and then read all three volumes in three days. (I am somewhat obsessive-compulsive about such matters.) I was deeply impressed.

Lyra's world is one of the most well-imagined fictional worlds I've ever encountered. I particularly like Pullman's way with language. I recognized "atomcraft" as the German "Atomkraft", meaning nuclear power. His characters drink "brantwijn", which is the Dutch word for brandy.

Then there is that list of maps in "Lyra's Oxford". It's peculiar in having both a "Hungarian Empire" and a "Magyar Republic". A curious absence is any place that might be equivalent to India.

I look forward to "The Book of Dust", but he's been working on it for so long that it's become like the Loch Ness Monster--I'll believe it when I see it.

I should enjoy this board.

Hi, Kansas Person, welcome to the forum! Are you from Kansas?

I'm sure you will enjoy the board, have a look around and see if there's anything that takes your interest. Please also be sure to read our Forum Rules! There's a thread here that I think might be relevant to what you said about the list of maps in Lyra's Oxford (there's a little bit about empires/geography in Lyra's world).

Pullman recently talked to us about The Book of Dust, so hopefully he's still working on it!

I look forward to "The Book of Dust", but he's been working on it for so long that it's become like the Loch Ness Monster--I'll believe it when I see it.

This is an awesome analogy.

Welcome! We're currently doing a re-read of HDM for our forum book club, so if you haven't read the books quite recently, you should join us. We've just started--this month is The Golden Compass/Northern Lights.

(Please note, I promote the book club frequently and shamelessly...)

So, tell us more about yourself! If you are from Kansas, I think that makes you our only current (ever?) mid-Westernern. I've been to Kansas (had family there) but much too long ago to remember much except that my mum kept telling us there'd me a tornado (never was), and the land was amazingly flat and green.

Welcome, welcome. I hope you enjoy the boards.

Did you ever read what Peter, Christopher Hitchens' brother had to say about HDM? It was quite amusing.

Thank you three for making me feel welcome.

Jaya: Yes, I am from Kansas, though currently I'm living a few miles inside of Missouri. Kansas is just Over the Rainbow from the land of Oz where the Wizard lives in the Emerald City. We Kansans are known for our sense of humor about the matter.

Bee: It's interesting that you've actually been to Kansas. I've lived there most of my life, and I've never been closer than ten miles to a toronado that actually touched down. I reread the HDM trilogy just last summer and it's too soon to reread it again, but I might look in on the discussion.

Soapy: I have read Peter Hitchen's attack on Philip Pullman. (You can find anything on the Net!) The fact that Pullman has evoked so much controversy shows that he is doing something right! From what I've read, Peter and Christopher Hitchens do not get along on anything.

In that my status as a Kansan has evoked comment, there was a newspaper article in "The Kansas City Star" last Sunday that might interest the Brits reading this. It was "How to be a Brit in KC." Go to their website "www.kansascity.com" and search for "Brits International". This might be slightly off-topic, but it was a good article.

Hi, Kansas Person! Welcome to The Republic of Heaven!

If you are from Kansas, I think that makes you our only current (ever?) mid-Westernern. I've been to Kansas (had family there) but much too long ago to remember much except that my mum kept telling us there'd me a tornado (never was), and the land was amazingly flat and green.

Oi! Michigan gets tornadoes and is flat and green
Also: Leif and Celestial Madness/Oodaaq/Sean, Wisconsin
Blinkus/Sean, Illinois plus uni in Iowa

Anyway, a somewhat belated welcome to you, Kansas Person. We promise not to drop any houses on you.

Oi! Michigan gets tornadoes and is flat and green
Also: Leif and Celestial Madness/Oodaaq/Sean, Wisconsin
Blinkus/Sean, Illinois plus uni in Iowa

I have a horrible horrible sense of geography and none of those places are in the mid-West in my mind... In fact, in my terrible geography world, the mid-West consists nearly entirely of Kansas and Nebraska.

That's actually more geographically accurate. Michigan and Wisconsin and Illinois are definitely in the eastern half of the country. But "The East" ends with New York and Pennsylvania if you're speaking regionally.

Bah. Now not only have I pulled this welcome thread off topic, I also miss the farm country in Western Michigan

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while. I've been off-line due to computer problems.

I'm sorry I haven't posted for a while. I've been off-line due to computer problems.

Oh no! Hope nothing to serious.

Bee, I'm not sure what is wrong with the computer. It seems to be working OK now. Yesterday, I was on the Net at the local public library.

Just out of curiousity, just where in the world are you located geographically? I notice that you use British spellings, but that could indicate a lot of places. Reading this Forum, I've noticed that there are posters from all over the world.

I'm from the U.S. I don't really have a valid excuse for my spelling, but I definitely blame this forum and its chat.