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

His Dark Materials
trilogy. Embedded in philosophical challenges, the nature of the various 
beings of Pullman’s secondary worlds is just as outstanding as their role in the novels. 
Probably the most remarkable physical entity introduced in His Dark Materials are the soul-
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Particularly dragons are still very popular with both fantasy authors and readers. Their topicality manifests 
itself in a number of high-quality fantasy novels. A modern trendsetter is the young American Paolini, who is 
strongly influenced by precursors Tolkien and Le Guin. Consequently, Paolini’s high fantasy Inheritance cycle 
is modelled on their literary legacy.
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The prime example here is Tolkien’s monumental work The Lord of the Rings, preceded by The Hobbit. The 
secondary world of Middle-earth is populated by a vast amount of original fantastic creatures. Beings like the 
Hobbits, the Ents, Tom Bombadil, the Balrog, Gollum or the Orcs represent the varieties the wide spectrum 
between good and evil offers. Not only are they endowed with distinct, individual and vivid traits, but also 
these fantastic creatures are credible. Later authors such as Le Guin take up Tolkien’s baseline and develop 
their own fantastic beings. Memorable specimen are for instance Earthsea’s dragons, Dahl’s Vermicious Knids, 
Pullman’s daemons and mulefa or even Pratchett’s box made from intelligent pearwood.
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Cliff McNish. The Doomspell. London: Orion, 2000; followed by The Scent of Magic. London: Dolphin, 2002 
[2001] and The Wizard’s Promise. London: Orion, 2002. 
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McNish, Doomspell, p. 108.
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Ibd., p. 2.

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daemons of humans in some of the secondary worlds, which take on an animal form – 
unsettled during the human’s youth, and in a fixed form when the human has reached 
maturity. Another of Pullman’s unique creations are the mulefa. Living in a peaceful, idyllic 
community, these beings are presented as a model society. Over time, the mulefa have 
adapted perfectly to their environment. Through their specialisation, they occupy a niche in 
their world’s ecosystem. Avoiding any ecological overexploitation, the mulefa only use 
natural products for their own purposes, without changing the shape of their environment. 
Comparable to park rangers, they look after their environment and ensure its smooth 
functioning. Avowed pacifists, these gentle creatures live in a world without conflicts. Despite 
their obvious superiority over other, belligerent life forms, the mulefa remain modest and 
noble creatures. Not only their harmonic community, but also their calmness and organisation 
contrast sharply with the hectic real world; thus underlining and promoting their values. Unity 
and teamwork are imperative for the mulefa’s survivability, as their anatomy necessitates 
constant interaction between the members of the group. To them, it comes naturally and with 
an ease humans can only dream of. So the mulefa are not just fantastic in respect of their 
appearance and nature, but also in respect of their functioning society. By showing how life 
could be for everyone these beings sharpen the awareness of just how far human society is 
still away from this ideal.
On the basis of their innovation, both daemons and mulefa hold an outstanding status 
among the fantastic creatures in Pullman’s trilogy. Other, perhaps initially less obvious 
fantastic creatures populate His Dark Materials; some of which are drawn from more 
traditional beings
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and some are entirely the author’s own inventions. It is these new creations 
which fascinate by their originality. In the icy regions of the North of Lyra’s world live 
armoured bears. These talking polar bears forge their own armour. Another of Pullman’s 
inventions are the tiny gallivespians, who, mounted on dragonflies, are perfect spies.
Of all the inventive authors and works in the corpus of this study, none manages to 
reach the creative diversity of the fantastic flora and fauna devised by the author team Stewart 
and Riddell. Their Edge Chronicles take the reader to an independent fantastic realm. The 
Edge itself is segmented in different characteristic zones, each replete
with their own 
creatures and plants. These are, in ascending topographical order from closest to furthest 
distance from the Edge itself, Undertown, Sanctaphrax, the Mire, the Twilight Woods and the 
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As in the case of the witches, the angels and the ghosts (cliff-ghasts and spectres) are rooted in literary 
traditions. Still, even in their cases Pullman takes care to add individual traits. 

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Deepwoods. In the light of the individual plot of the novels, one or more areas of the Edge 
World are presented and examined more closely. As a rule, the further away from the Edge, 
the more fantastic and spectacular the creatures of The Edge Chronicles become. The sole 
exception are Sanctaphrax and Undertown. Whereas the city of Sanctaphrax, erected on top of 
a buoyant rock and firmly anchored by means of a chain to Undertown, has developed into a 
sanctuary of an elite of academics, Undertown has become the crowded melting pot of the 
entire Edge. Here, diversity is at its greatest, albeit this motley crew is estranged from their 
natural habitat and thus has to adapt to the entirely different circumstances town life 
necessitates. 
In its quality of the most remote region of the Edge, the Deepwoods provide the 
greatest biodiversity. They are the stomping ground for a very large selection of the most 
different fantastic creatures, drafted from scratch for this secondary world. Both Stewart and 
Riddell appear to be infinitely creative as far as the invention of new species is concerned. 
Consequently the Edge Chronicles captivate with a menagerie of unique fantastic creatures in 
British fantasy literature for children. All sizes, forms and colours are represented amongst the 
ranks of the inhabitants. Among the vast array figure for instance fromps, ratbirds, 
prowlgrins, banderbears, the shryke sisterhood, slaughterers, nightwaifs and trolls.
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The 
individual creatures are described in much detail,
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and splendid pen-and-ink drawings 
support their plasticity as well as the reader’s imagination.
Whereas The Edge Chronicles are
teeming with fantastic creatures, Nicholson’s The