This paper aims to observe and highlight how British novelist Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy, through a re-narration of John Milton's Paradise Lost and targeting young readers with its novelistic form, reignites the battle between heaven and hell. However, in its Orwellian dystopia, Pullman masterfully marries religion and technology, allowing the Magisterium to legally kidnap, poison, and even commit massacres in the name of science. The ironically religious-guided political parallel universe, backed and facilitated by technology, showcases the convenience and prominence of its totalitarian rule. This paper will consider from three perspectives how technology serving politics in children's literature plays a pivotal role in spreading the micro-fascist element, acting as an accomplice in this dystopia that cannot be overlooked. These perspectives include the innate awe humans have for their creations, the fearlessness of religious autocracy under the protection of technology, and how the dystopian framework targeting young readers or children differs from other narrative techniques. Through the interpretation of texts, this paper aims to understand how, within the worldview of New Atheist novelists, authors use a counterfactual narrative approach to caution young readers about religion and technology, weaving them into a waltz that forms part of an almost frenzied feast.

Authors:
Hsiao Hsien Hsu, National Chi Nan University, Taiwan

About the Presenter(s)
Dr. Hsu Hsiao Hsien currently holds a position at the National Chi Nan University in Taiwan, serving as the head of the Language Teaching and Research Group within the Language Teaching Research Center.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Thursday Schedule

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