Well currently I'm reading the children's fantasy series His Dark Materials (currently on Subtle Knife) by Philip Pullman, and figured I start this thread before the big movie adaptation of the first novel Golden Compass/Northern Lights comes out in a couple of weeks.
Beyond the novels being sort of a steampunk and modern fantasy setting.
I already know to some degree the novels are inspired by Milton's Paradise Lost, particle physics and by Gnosticism. Though really would the character Lord Asriel fit into an example of an Athar scientist?
They explain that dark matter or dust are elementary particles of consciousness which might make a good pseudo scientific and metaphysical theory on the planes and planar beings. Thus the outer planes could have higher concentrations of these particles, and that exemplar outsiders are made of these particles.
Anyone getting any other ideas from these novels?
I probably don't even need to mention the Planescape potential of the subtle knife, do I?
Pants of the North!