What Did Philip Pullman Base His 'His Dark Materials' Trilogy Upon?

The 'His Dark Materials' trilogy is based on John Milton's Paradise Lost, which is where the trilogy's title is derived, as well as many of its basic ideas.

Other literary influences are the essay 'On the Marionette Theatre' by Heinrich Von Kleist, and the works of William Blake.

The trilogy has been compared with books such as 'A wrinkle in Time' by Madeleine L'Engle, and J. K. Rowling's Harry Potter, which shows its popularity.

A film of the trilogy is in production, and on March 14th 2006, open auditions were announced for the role of the main character, Lyra.

The titles of the books are as follows (in order):

Northern Lights (entitled The Golden Compass for the North American Versions)
The Subtle Knife
The Amber Spyglass

His Dark Materials has been a subject of controversy, particularly with Christian groups. The novels draw heavily on gnostic ideas.