#149 My Problem With C.S. Lewis - Philip Pullman

#149 My Problem With C.S. Lewis - Philip Pullman

From Within Reason by Alex J O'Connor

April 2, 2026 · 1h 27m

About this episode

Philip Pullman discusses his views on C.S. Lewis and explores various themes in his own writing.

Philip Pullman is one of England's most cherished and celebrated writers. Author of the popular His Dark Materials series of books (later adapted into a film, The Golden Compass (2007), and a 2019 HBO/BBC drama series), his novels are dripping with philosophical and religious themes.Get Philip Pullman's Books here . - TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 - C.S. Lewis Tells Filthy Lies5:12 - Childhood Innocence is Overrated10:09 - Religion in Philip’s Novels21:26 - How to Improve the Story of Jesus and the Gospels27:43 - The Connection Between Music and Fiction36:24 - Books vs Movies43:38 - Consciousness in The Book of Dust50:05 - Should Novelists Go Back and Update Their Books?56:11 - The Omniscient Narrator1:00:12 - How Movies Changed Novels1:05:49 - Why Subtitles Are So Popular Now1:10:56 - The Role of Philosophy in Philip’s Novels1:13:27 - Philip’s Writing Process1:20:11 - The Fear of AI in Creative Industries

People in this episode

Host: Alex J O'Connor

Guest: Philip Pullman

Topics covered

  • philosophy
  • religion
  • literature
  • storytelling
  • creativity
  • C.S. Lewis

Keywords

  • C.S. Lewis
  • Philip Pullman
  • His Dark Materials
  • religion
  • philosophy
  • storytelling
  • creativity
  • AI
  • narrative

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: HBO, BBC

Books & works: His Dark Materials, The Golden Compass, The Book of Dust

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