The Hyperchorasmians was a novel in Lyra's world by Gottfried Brande. Lyra Silvertongue used it to prop open her bedroom window at St Sophia's College whilst her dæmon, Pantalaimon, decided to go out at night. Pan thought she was paying it too much attention. The book encouraged readers to think logically. Despite being dismissed as rubbish by critics, it was read a lot amongst the young.[1]
The book's name referred to those who lived beyond the region of Chorasmia which was later known as Khwarezm. The term never appeared in the book itself.
The book was around 900 pages long and had sold in the millions. The story was of a young man who had set out to kill God and succeeded. The book was unusual as the characters didn't have dæmons. The last words of the book were "It was nothing more than what it was." which became a popular saying amongst the young to talk about being rational.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
Philip Pullman has compared The Hyperchorasmians to Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged. Rand's novels are also widely panned by literary critics, but can have a strong influence on some young or impressionable readers.[2]
Appearances[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 The Secret Commonwealth, Chapter 6
- ↑ Whalen, Andrew. "Philip Pullman Explores His 'Best Idea' Through Lyra's Adulthood in 'The Secret Commonwealth'." Newsweek, 3 October 2019