New book responds to “Golden Compass”

Nov 19, 2007 / 10:01 am

Both supporters and critics have described the upcoming children's fantasy movie "The Golden Compass" as the "anti-Narnia."  It is based on Philip Pullman's controversial "His Dark Materials" trilogy, a series which has been criticized for promoting atheism to children and attacking Christianity. 

A new book has been published to assist concerned parents and readers everywhere in responding to Pullman's vision.

Titled "Pied Piper of Atheism: Philip Pullman and Children's Fantasy", by Sandra Miesel and Peter Vere, the book examines the truth about Pullman and his books.  It explores his beliefs about God, religion, Christianity, the Catholic Church, and atheism as well as how he tries to advance his opinions through his written work. 

The authors also explain Pullman's strong disdain for Christian fantasy writers like C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, while comparing his work to that of other children's and fantasy literature.

The authors bring notable qualifications to their critique. 

Sandra Miesel, a co-author of the best-selling book "The Da Vinci Hoax", has master’s degrees in both biochemistry and medieval history from the University of Illinois.  A writer, critic, and editor of fiction, she has worked with many well-known fantasy and science fiction authors.

Her co-author Peter Vere, a canon lawyer and Catholic journalist, has previously written about Pullman's work for several publications, including The Washington Times and This Rock magazine.

"Pied Piper of Atheism" will address the many objectionable aspects of Pullman's books in a non-sensational, fair, but firm manner.