We FINALLY rejoin Mary Malone! She is settling in well with the mulefa, and makes a fascinating discovery when speaking to her friend Atal during a fishing trip. Cue: Crafting montage! Join us as we learn some polarisation facts, compare sraf measurements and generally enjoy the no-nonsense paciness of another excellent Mary Malone chapter! ------ Learn more about the history of Swiss Army Knives here. If you want to have your mind blown by the longevity of oral histories, check this...

Mrs Coulter is held prisoner by Lord Asriel in his basalt fortress in the mountains. We join the happy couple and Lord Asriel’s commanders on a tour of the iron works and for a demo of a strange new vehicle-weapon: the intention craft. Things don’t go to plan however… or do they? Who knows whether its all intentional or not…. Join us as we bask in the glory of Lord Asriel (Iain), admire Asriel’s forethought (Iain) and generally try to discuss other things that happen in the chapter...

We join Lyra, Will, Iorek and the galivespians as they set up a forge in a Himilayan cave, preparing for the daunting task of mending the knife together as a team. Join us as we shout ‘It will cut’ at every opportunity, share our own forging stories and enjoy Iorek’s indescribable but effective bear-stares. ------ We talk about the show Forged in Fire ALOT this episode…here is a little taster of what the show is like! Here are some facts about Encephalisation quotient (EQ) so you can...

We join Lyra, Will and the galivespians as they head back into the Himalayas to find Iorek and see if he can help them with their plan to fix the knife. Join us as we make some of our worst noises yet, get tangled up with quantum physics and share some bizarre cures for whooping cough. ------ Here are some fun facts about Encephalisation quotient (EQ) - the term Amy half-remembered for the ratio of brain size to body size. Read more about Stradivarius and the European ‘Little Ice Age’...

This episode we spend some time with Will, Lyra, Tailys and Salmakia as they bring Lyra up to speed on the Amber Spyglass thus far and hatch a plan to visit a new world… Join us as we avoid repeating >10 episodes, give a great rendition of some slam poetry and agree (again) that Iorek really should have just solved everything.

We’re back! And for the most action packed chapter yet…the forces of the Magisterium and King Ogunwe are closing in on the Cave where Mrs Coulter is hiding. But Team Will has a plan of their own to try to rescue Lyra. ------ Here is the photo we talk about in the podcast from the Oxford Natural History museum, showing just how large dragonflies were in the Late Carboniferous period. ------ Music by: Jaymen Persaud, performed by Claire Wickes www.thedarkmaterialpodcast.com Patreon:...

This is a short announcement from Amy about why there is a pause in our readthrough - but we shall return! Don’t worry, we haven’t been kidnapped and taken to a Himalayan cave or anything… ------ Here are the photos of our recent trip to Oxford - on our Twitter and Facebook accounts. ------ Music by: Jaymen Persaud, performed by Claire Wickes www.thedarkmaterialpodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/darkmaterialpodcast Twitter: @darkmaterialpod Instagram:...

In this episode, we join Ama and Kulang, playing in the mist-laden air of the Himalayas, as she stumbles upon a mysterious duo at the top of a waterfall: a huge white bear and a boy with a gruesome wound on his hand. Join us as we enjoy some time with Strategy Will, learn several new words and talk A LOT about Mrs Coulter. ------ If you’d like to read the full ‘Auguries of Innocence’ poem by William Blake (which the quotation for this chapter comes from) then you can find it in full...

In this episode, we rejoin Mary as she starts to learn all about the mulefa and their way of life, including some surprising developments in her communication with them. Join us as we dive into evolutionary selection pressures, do some creepy mulefa voices and concoct some alternative mulefa defense strategies! ------ The mulefa’s society and technology is far more advanced than this, but if you like a bit of slow TV and some experimental archaeology, then you should take a look at the...

In this episode, we continue with Will, Balthamos and Iorek as they steam up river towards the Himalayas. Will shares his story so far, explains the danger Lyra is in and show Iorek the subtle knife. Join us as we discover who the Swiss Guard are, invent snow leopard characters and possible Lost crossovers. ------ Music by: Jaymen Persaud, performed by Claire Wickes www.thedarkmaterialpodcast.com Patreon: www.patreon.com/darkmaterialpodcast Twitter: @darkmaterialpod Instagram:...

We’re taking a break from our usual chapter readthrough to respond to questions and comments from you lovely listeners! If you have any questions, comments or recommendations for films / books with HDM parallels, then we’d love to hear from you, at [email protected] or any of our social media profiles below. In the meantime: enjoy! ------www.thedarkmaterialpodcast.com Twitter: @darkmaterialpod Instagram: @thedarkmaterialpodcast Facebook:...

In this episode, we join Will and Balthamos as they travel through the recently flooded lands of central Siberia. As they move through a village, Will is invited for lunch with the local priest, who shares some interesting news about the next town and Will’s possible onward journey. Join us as we get very confused about geography, we write The Gospel According to Iain and tally up Creepy Points. ------ Although there are multiple small settlements called Kholodnoye, we think the village...

Sorry about the terrible sound quality this week! We managed to get through the whole episode without realising we’d been using the wrong mic the whole time....back to our usual standards next episode! In this episode, we join Mary as she travels through the countryside of Cittigazze, a week after she moved over from her own world. She’s heading deep into the countryside and unsure of where to go next - so she uses some yarrow sticks and her copy of The Book of Changes to find out more about...

In this episode, we hide high in the rafters of St Jerome’s college and watch over a hearing at the Consistorial Court of Discipline. Fra Pavel - the alethiometrist - is being questioned by a panel of the senior members of the Court: including the intense President of the Court, Father MacPhail. Join us as we discuss real-world absolution, a typical Greek myth and nuclear Russian Dolls. ------ Find out which branch of the Magisterium you are, with this silly quiz we put together! More on...

Iain is very excitable this week as it’s our first Asriel-centric chapter for a long time! We join him in his fortress of war, as he discusses their next steps with his captain of spies, Lord Roke. Asriel then receives an unexpected visit from a wounded angel, who has some very important news for him. Join us as we fail at bible family trees, invent our own branches of the Magisterium and premiere our Gallivespian voices. ------ Register for the free Hay Festival His Dark Materials panel...

In this episode, we travel with Ama and her daemon Kulang to a monastery far away in the Himalayas, where she seeks the help of a highly respected healer. She is looking for a remedy which she can use to wake Lyra from her sleep - won’t the beautiful strange woman in the cave be happy! Join us as we chat about war-chickens, creepy death photographs and stupid villain tropes. ------ You can read the poem for this week by Emily Dickenson here, or a light-hearted intro to her life and work...

In this episode, we join Serafina as she speeds over the arctic landscapes of her own world. She’s looking for Iorek Byrnison, as she has some tragic news to share with him. And she is burning with remorse, fear and rage. Join us as we have fun doing some frenetic fox/ghast impressions, ponder the details of language acquisition and disagree about some taboos. ------ You can read the Knight’s Tomb by Samuel Taylor Coleridge here. Some pictures and more information on Purple Saxifrage...

In this episode, we are reunited with Will, picking up from where we left him at the end of the Subtle Knife: with Lyra lost and in the company of two angels called Balthamos and Baruch. Join us as Amy damages Iain’s ears, Iain explains his glorious artistic vision for Metatron’s spear and we speculate about the Angel Alethiometer Switchboard system. ------ The chapter quote for this week is from this section of the Book of Job. Very high level information on the hierarchy of angels...

Wahoooo the Amber Spyglass is here! This week, we travel to a distant and rainbow-filled valley, to find Mrs Coulter camping out in a remote Himalayan cave. But she’s not alone… Join us as we unenthusiastically sing some hymns, get sad about real-world rainbow valleys and both of us forget to take notes on different parts of the text. ------ Here is a video of O Worship the King being sung in a highly average way (genuinely the first video that came up on search!) You can read Raine Maria...

Join us in this very special bonus episode as we hold our second interview with the maker of the sharpest, subtlest and most shadow-coloured props on His Dark Materials - Michael van Kesteren! We spoke to Michael about his work on Season 1 last summer (including creating the alethiometer), but returned to pick his brains about props in Season 2 - including the subtlest knife of them all, a giant telescope, a famous Winchester rifle and much more besides! We do get overexcited and Amber...

In this bonus episode, we wrap up and review The Subtle Knife to finish our chapter by chapter readthrough of book 2! Join us for this special episode as we discuss some of the highs & lows, winners & losers (cough *Juta* cough), themes & evolution from Northern Lights. And of course some speculatitve fanfic we’d write to ‘improve’ what we know about Will, Lyra and the world of His Dark Materials. ------ Music by: Jaymen Persaud, performed by Claire...

In this chapter, we finish The Subtle Knife (kinda - Patreon episode on the appendix & lantern slides to follow)! Will and Lyra continue up the mountain, urged on by the alethiometer. Will’s hand has still not healed and in this final chapter he is at the brink physically and emotionally. Join us as we chat ancient Greek weapons, ‘love’ the whole hell-hath-no-fury story line and get skeptical about Boreal’s susceptibility to obvious manipulation. ------ Spoiler warnings for His Dark...

In this chapter, we join Lee Scoresby and John Parry as they travel through the world of Cittigazze on their search to find the bearer of the knife. But they soon realise that they have unwanted company in the skies behind them. Join us as we grappel with grapnels, fumble American history and Iain surprises everyone by dabbling in some poetry. ------ Here is the excellent picture of the Massive Eagle Striking Back (not the official title), showing pilot Eugène Gilbert fending off a giant...

In this bonus episode we share with you a crossover episode we recently did with Em Anderson, friend of the podcast and creator of the Unfinished/Unpublished podcast! Join us as we talk about plot-hole gymnastics, get some great biscuit hacks and hear all about Em’s own secret collection of novel opening lines… ------ We highly recommend giving the Unfinished / Unpublished podcast a listen here, as Em talks to creators about their own private projects. Some of them are works which never...