Abstract

Fantasy enjoys exceptional originality in terms of its language consistency and fuzzy cultural frames. Moreover, in fantasy, highly imaginative writing together with reference to myth and lore as meaningful cross-cultural practices become important aspects in characterisation. In light of these considerations, this paper muses on Philip Pullman's "His Dark Materials", a real 'dark matter' whose unusual design includes scientific terms, theological references and impressively creative language; these serve as focal points for a debate about the trilogy in which language matters, cultural references and literary intertextuality are inextricably linked in the context of interdisciplinarity, even within the realm of imagination.