Microsoft Word final-current Developments at the Intersection of British Children-online-version doc

Earthsea 
sequence consciously inquire into death and its implications, yet they are few and 
far between among fantasy novels for children. With death being pervasive in the media, this 
development is reflected in literature and children’s fantasy is not exempt from this 
development. Consequently, an increasing number of fantasy novels for children include 
death as a subject of importance. In his Discworld novels, Pratchett approaches it from the 
comical viewpoint with his character of DEATH and its smaller version for rats. In the Harry 
Potter
novels, death also plays an important role. Harry loses his parents as well as his 
godfather, and this trauma is one of the threads running through the novels. It is emphasised 
by recurring memories, appearances of his parents in the Mirror of Erised, their ghosts 
emanating from Voldemort’s wand in the cemetery, their photographs, memorabilia such as 
the cloak of invisibility or Harry’s physical resemblance to his parents. Death is presented as a 
rupture of life, not of feelings. Through the presence of hope, its horrors are moderated. The 
ghost of Nearly Headless Nick is even intended to show that death can have a comical side. In 
Delaney’s The Wardstone Chronicles death is a constant companion of both the Spook and 
his apprentice due to their profession. Over time, death’s initial horrors are put into 
perspective. Although it becomes an everyday occurrence dealing with ghosts, necromancers 
and dead witches, the subject always remains a dangerous one which calls for respect and 
never lapses into the banal or ridiculous. In Jacques’ Redwall series, death is treated as part of 
a package deal. If a villain cannot be brought round to reason, then death is presented as his 
just punishment. “Be good or die” is the motto Jacques’ concept boils down to, entailing a 
dulling in view of capital punishment.

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By contrast, Hoffman’s Stravaganza novels handle this sensitive topic in a very well-
thought-out and subtle way. Here, death is not seen simply as the end of life or an evil threat. 
Rather, it becomes a second chance for terminally ill Lucien and also for a handicapped boy 
from Talia. In our world Lucien dies, yet he translates to the parallel world of Talia, where he 
lives on. The boy from Talia dies in his world and carries on his life, albeit under new 
circumstances, in our world. In this alternative concept to heaven, the Stravaganza novels 
suggest a continuation of life in a different form in a secondary world.
In Nix’ The Keys of the Kingdom, the House represents heaven. Its denizens tend to 
live for thousands of years if they are not killed, especially the ones of high rank. As a human, 
the main character Arthur starts out much more frail. Suffering from asthma, he is about to die 
from an attack when he is suddenly appointed heir to the House. Within the House, his 
ailment is gone. With every key that he gathers, Arthur turns more into a strong and immortal 
denizen himself, so he has literally been saved from death in the secondary world. 
By contrast, in Nix’ Abhorsen trilogy death is the central idea for the entire plot. The 
three novels are dominated by death and the dead, as they focus on the life and work of 
necromancers. The task of the Abhorsen is to ensure the separation of the world of the living 
and that of the dead. Unsettled or risen again by evil necromancers, those dead have left their 
own realm, now threatening to overthrow the natural order of life and death. By binding the 
dead, evil spirits and zombies and by leading them back beyond the seventh gate the 
Abhorsen restore the balance between the two realms.
Pullman’s His Dark Materials eventually approach death from a classical point of 
view. In the third volume of the trilogy Lyra and Will set out to the mythical underworld, 
which strongly resembles the classical Greek model. Here too, an imbalance of life and death 
causes serious problems. Lyra and Will have to close the interrupted circle of life, i.e. the 
unhindered flow of the life particles called Dust. Particularly interesting from a religious point 
of view is the fact that in Pullman’s trilogy God is revealed to be nothing but an usurper, after 
the death and instant dissolution of whom life in all the worlds continues as before. For the 
resurrection
of the souls from the underworld no powerful or almighty God is required: To 
put it bluntly, two teenagers suffice. So in this version, God is superfluous for a functioning 
system of worlds. The recycling of souls and their particles back into the circle of life is 
presented as being of paramount importance; most probably inspired by modern, sustainable 
ecology. God is dead and no one notices or cares – this provocative message challenges faith. 

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