Lewis, Tolkien, and Pullman

Ah, life and work can get very interesting at times. I've been asked to contribute to an anthology of essays on Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials. I thoroughly enjoyed Pullman's books, despite my objections to his constant attacks on my two favourite writers, CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Mind you, I'm sure he would shudder to hear that I didn't think he was attacking religion in his trilogy, but rather science! i.e. I thought the Church in the alternate Oxford was a reflection of the scientific community in our world. Afterall, it's scientists who experiment on living creatures and, if they get the chance, humans. Anyhoo, I've decided to write a paper discussing the influences of Lewis and Tolkien on Pullman's work. That should be fun. The anthology - which will also include an essay by my dear friend, Herbie Brennan of Faerie Wars - is due out at the same time as the first film. The publisher is American, based in Texas, www.benbellabooks.com.