The Republic of Heaven

I went to see Philip Pullman talking today and I asked this question

How is the work going on The Book of Dust?

And he answered something to this extent

Slowly because of the work on "The Scarecrow and His Servant" but after this I am going to go home and lock my self in my room to write it, well that’s the plan anyway.

Note: My quote isn't exact and anyone who was there as well please feel free to correct the small errors in the quote.

Does he have some sort of button on him that makes him say that? That's all he's said for the last ooh, two years now.

It's a rather sad (and aggravating) state of affairs. He says he'll focus on writing the Book of Dust and we wait months for him to tell us more. But again he says the same thing. I agree with Will, he's just repeating . . I wonder if he's even started on it.

I'm very interesting in learning some prehistory of His Dark Materials. In fact, Pullman could write a book of HDM pudding recipes and I'd read it. But does anyone get the feeling that the Book of Dust is digressing?

~ Sarfa

I'm just waiting on 2009. Supposedly that's when the book will be coming out, but you never can tell.
I'm trying my hand at writing fantasy as well, and it does take a lot of time and effort to get something decent done, so I can kinda see why books keep getting delayed. I just hope this one doesn't, because I will have to scream if it comes out later than it's supposed to; it's already 2 years into the future and I'm impatient enough as is.

I've been waiting 6 years for the final book in Isobelle Carmody's Obernewtyn series. Each year, rumours fly around that she's written it, and it will be coming out in August. Then August rolls around, and no book. I think she doesn't know how to finish it, and I think the same is true for Pullman and TBOD.

That series hasn't finished? I thought The Keeping Place was a fine ending, but OK. Let's wait for August.

No, she needs to destroy the weaponmachines. The fifth book is going to be called 'The Sending', and she's then (according to Obernewtyn.net) going to start a series of prequels called 'The Beforetime Chronicles'. Apparently. I'm skeptical.

What is this "Obernewtyn" series of which you speak? I've heard some references to it before. Is it any good?

It's quite girly fantasy. If you're looking for lots of explosions - which you seem to be - then you'll probably be disappointed. It's about a bunch of mutant humans who have special powers and are hunted down by the authorities. They're kind of like a resistance group of peace-loving hippies. It's incredibly idealistic, and seemed like the Bible when I was an angsty teenager who thought the world was doomed. I did not realise she'd basically ripped off X-Men a whole lot.

I must admit I'm ont that much of a supernatural sort of person, although I do look for more than just explosions. I was never for mixing technology and supernatural (the fact that HDM did and I still liked it shows you just how good a series it is).

Thanks for your info.

In her defence though, it's written well and is, ignoring X-men rip-offs, quite original.

Yes. I really liked it, which is why I still care, 6 years on, about knowing what happened. The first book was written in 1989, which means there's a whole generation of fans who have grown up with the books. The series is almost as old as I am!

Im a new comer and am also tirelessly waiting for the book of dust......... but im currently writting a fantasy series myself and my head is always exploding with new ideas, i understamd that pullman is probly thinking up new things every week and changing old ideas so it could be a while before his head is empty and he feels satisfied

wow, well anyway i can't wait for the book its gonna be totally awesome

Mod edit: spelling.

I'm really excited about the Book of Dust too. I hope Pullman continues to use actual scientific theories in his writing! By the way, does anyone know if the Book of Dust will be fiction, or if it will just kind of explain Dust?

that's pretty cool that you're making a series. i'm actually doing something sort of like how he wrote lyra's oxford, but a different story line about will's life after breaking the knife

i read that it is going to be many stories put together. its going to tell different things like how lee scoresby and iorek byrnison met, how farder coram and serafina pekkala fall in love, will after breaking knife. Lyra's Oxford was also supposed to be in the book of dust, but PP took it out. Can't wait for it!!!

http://www.bridgetothestars.net/news/au ... il-in-him/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jh ... man130.xml

- he is writing a prequel to the trilogy which is expected in 2009 -

2009 ?

the little blue book comes out in 2008. i feel like it was ready for 2007 but they delayed it to space out releases. also, if TSK won't be ready for christmas season 2008, it means TBOD will be released around the same time as TSK and they'll be jointly publicised.