Philip Pullman has said that His Dark Materials was written partly in response to Lewis's Christian worldview. Factually, the influence includes: Thematic Influence (strongest): Pullman deliberately challenges the Christian themes of The Chronicles of Narnia. Where Lewis presents obedience, faith, and redemption positively, Pullman emphasizes free inquiry, individual choice, and skepticism toward religious authority. Narrative Influence: Both series feature children traveling between multiple worlds, but Pullman uses this structure to explore different philosophical questions. Genre Influence: His Dark Materials builds on the tradition of children's portal fantasy established by works such as The Chronicles of Narnia, while taking the genre in a more complex, secular direction. Foundational Influence: Pullman has described his trilogy as, in part, an answer to Lewis's series. Rather than imitating Narnia, he sought to offer an alternative moral and philosophical vision. Character Influence: Pullman's Authority and religious institutions can be read as inversions of Lewis's benevolent divine order, although they are not direct counterparts to individual Narnia characters. The influence is therefore best described as a critical response rather than an imitation. Pullman borrowed the broad framework of children's fantasy involving parallel worlds but intentionally reworked it to express ideas that contrast with those of Lewis.
