The Rose Field takes Philip Pullman's 'Dust' to its philosophical conclusions

"This trilogy accompanies Pullman's earlier series, His Dark Materials, and tells stories that happen both before and after those original books. Both trilogies follow Lyra Belacqua and her daemon, Pantalaimon - a manifestation of her soul in animal form. In The Rose Field, Lyra journeys deep into the desert for one final discovery about the mysterious substance that connects both series: Dust."

"In Milton's poem, the "dark materials" are the chaotic and primordial matter from which God could create new worlds. In Pullman's stories, however, "dark materials" take the form of Dust - also called shadow particles, Rusakov particles, or dark matter. Unlike Milton's lifeless matter, Dust is alive and connected to consciousness and creativity. Through this idea, Pullman turns Milton's vision upside down, rejecting divine authority and celebrating human imagination."

"Across both trilogies, two opposing views of Dust exist. A restrictive theocratic organisation known as the Magisterium declares Dust original sin: "an emanation from the dark principle itself." Yet due to Dust's association with daemons and consciousness, Lyra, Pan and their allies remain convinced that Dust must be "good". To fully understand Pullman's Dust we must go beyond Paradise Lost, back to the foundational story in the Judeo-Christian tradition: Genesis."

The Rose Field concludes a companion trilogy that runs alongside an earlier trilogy and follows Lyra Belacqua and her daemon Pantalaimon. Lyra ventures into the desert searching for a final revelation about Dust, the linking substance of both series. Dust is described as shadow particles, Rusakov particles, or dark matter and is portrayed as alive and tied to consciousness and creativity. That portrayal reverses Milton's notion of inert "dark materials," rejecting divine authority and celebrating imagination. A theocratic Magisterium brands Dust as original sin while Lyra, Pantalaimon and allies insist Dust is good, with Genesis invoked as a foundational touchstone.

Read at The Conversation