📖 About His Dark Materials

His Dark Materials is a series universe written by Philip Pullman. The complete collection runs to 11 books across 2 series, published between 1995 and 2022.

The main series is Publication Order of His Dark Materials Books with 8 books. It opens with Northern Lights / The Golden Compass (1995) and currently runs to The Collectors (2022).

Series included on this page:

🎯 Where to Start with His Dark Materials

New readers should begin with the first book of the main series in publication order: Northern Lights / The Golden Compass (1995), book 1 of Publication Order of His Dark Materials Books. Reading in publication order lets the world and characters develop the way the author intended, and it avoids spoilers that later books may contain.

Each of the 2 series on this page is expandable — click a series heading to see every title it contains, in order, with a direct link to buy the book on Amazon.

📚 His Dark Materials Books in Order

Publication Order of His Dark Materials Books
8 books
1
Northern Lights / The Golden Compass book cover1Northern Lights / The Golden Compass1995Buy on Amazon
The Subtle Knife book cover2The Subtle Knife1997Buy on Amazon
The Amber Spyglass book cover3The Amber Spyglass2000Buy on Amazon
Lyra's Oxford book cover4Lyra's Oxford2003Buy on Amazon
Once Upon a Time in the North book cover5Once Upon a Time in the North2008Buy on Amazon
Serpentine book cover6Serpentine2020Buy on Amazon
The Imagination Chamber book cover7The Imagination Chamber2022Buy on Amazon
The Collectors book cover8The Collectors2022Buy on Amazon
Publication Order of His Dark Materials Graphic Novels
3 books
2
The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Volume 1 book cover1The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Volume 12014Buy on Amazon
The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Volume 2 book cover2The Golden Compass: The Graphic Novel, Volume 22015Buy on Amazon
The Subtle Knife Graphic Novel book cover3The Subtle Knife Graphic Novel2022Buy on Amazon

❓ Frequently Asked Questions

How many His Dark Materials books are there?
There are 11 books in the His Dark Materials collection, organised into 2 series and published between 1995 and 2022.
What is the first His Dark Materials book?
The first book is Northern Lights / The Golden Compass, published in 1995.
What order should I read the His Dark Materials books in?
Most readers use publication order, which is the order the books were originally released. A chronological order is also provided on this page for readers who prefer to follow the internal timeline of the story.
Who wrote the His Dark Materials books?
The His Dark Materials books were written by Philip Pullman.
Is the His Dark Materials series finished?
The main series, Publication Order of His Dark Materials Books, has 8 books so far. The most recent title listed on this page gives the current end point of the series.
When did the His Dark Materials series start?
The earliest title in this collection was published in 1995, and the most recent in 2022.