Just sort of relax your mind and say yes, it does hurt, I know. Don't try and shut it out.

A lot of modernism does seem to come out of a fear of being thought an ordinary storyteller. So they tell it backwards and they tell it in the present tense and they cut loose the pages and shuffle them around - all that kind of stuff.

And then what?" said her daemon sleepily. "Build what?" "The Republic of Heaven," said Lyra.

The great thing about fairy tales and folk tales is that there is no authentic text.

There is another consequence of any belief in a single god, and that is that it is a very good excuse for people to behave very badly.

But we can trust him Roger, I swear," she said with a final effort,"Because he's Will.

I don't profess any religion; I don't think it's possible that there is a God.... My books are about killing God.