If you've read His Dark Materials, please answer this!

[CrashBang]

His Dark Materials are the greatest books I have ever EVER read and always will be. God, or 'The Authority' is a large part of the story, especially the sub-plot, but not part of the major thread. The story of Will and Lyra is what's important and it is epic, hugely epic. Read the books whether you know the ending or not. They are the greatest portrayal of antitheist thinking I've ever seen, they can open the eyes of even the most blind Catholic man

 

[Lekonua]

I hope that's what happens. Sounds like an awesome plot twist.

I have all the books, but I've been too busy to read them.

 

[Jim Grim]

To those of you who have: I'm planning to read the books, but I have learned that

Spoiler: Here be major spoilers!

in the end, it is revealed that God is actually just a being who fooled people into thinking it created the universe.

That's no final plot twist, it's pretty much the premise of the third book.

 

[similar.squirrel]

I..I can't remember. There's my Yuletide reading sorted, though. Thanks a lot =].

 

[JanatUrlich]

LOL I read them when I was like 13 so I can't remember. Honestly I can only remember a couple of things from the whole series. They're not as amazing as everyone claims, sorry to break it to ya D=

 

[Disaster Button]

Good god I have to re read these books. I read them when I was younger so a lot of it was lost on me sadly but I think I'm deffinitely going back.

Although when I did udnerstand em enough to decide they were pretty damn awesome.
Shame they went and made a kiddies movie out of it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

They are the greatest portrayal of antitheist thinking I've ever seen, they can open the eyes of even the most blind Catholic man

I think that it is actually more of a Gnostic story.

 

[thepj]

You've just made me register myself as a user, just so I could answer your question. Hehe.

"God" in His Dark Materials is indeed another being, known as the Authority. He is of course older than anything else in the world(s), and is only artificially kept alive through a crystal cage/throne. The plot surprised me a lot when the story about the Authority unfolded, and I can't tell you too much, since it would indeed spoil the whole bollocks.

The impression I had wasn't that the Authority had tricked anyone into believing in him. It was more like he really was the creator, although he turned out to be as fragile as a mere human being in the end.

But then again; the Authority is a totally minuscule part of the plot, and is far from the centerpiece here. The story about Will and Lyra and all the others is more intriguing by far!

Trust me.. You've GOT to read 'dem damn books, dude!

wellcome to the escapist, one rule: play nice

and this guy is right, it's true but it's more of a side note to the epic plot

 

[CrashBang]

They are the greatest portrayal of antitheist thinking I've ever seen, they can open the eyes of even the most blind Catholic man

I think that it is actually more of a Gnostic story.

Really, even all of the ideals it teaches about creating a society focussed on loving one another rather than a deity? That's a humanist ideal, part of atheism. And the fact that Philip Pillman is a well-known atheist and part of the National Secular Society

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Really, even all of the ideals it teaches about creating a society focussed on loving one another rather than a deity? That's a humanist ideal, part of atheism. And the fact that Philip Pillman is a well-known atheist and part of the National Secular Society

Being an Atheist doesn't mean that you can't write a fantasy story with a Gnostic universe. The idea that God is not the creator but is an imposter or a caretaker is pure Gnosticism as is the idea of human "divine spark" being separate from the body. He is probably being subversive in showing people a Gnostic universe as a contrast to a Roman Catholic universe so that in the end we see them both as the same sort of fantasy.

 

[cleverlymadeup]

They are the greatest portrayal of antitheist thinking I've ever seen, they can open the eyes of even the most blind Catholic man

they aren't anti-theist, they are anti-church, which is something vastly different