The works of George MacDonald, the Scottish author, poet, and minister, have influenced the likes of W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, Madeleine L'Engle, C. S. Lewis, and Mark Twain. MacDonald wrote some of the first popular fantasy novels and is best known for his enduring stories, such as "Phantastes", "The Princess and the Goblin", "Lilith", and "At the Back of the North Wind". Macdonald said of his work that he wrote "not for children, but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five." "The Complete Fairy Tales" brings together all of MacDonald's shorter fairy stories, as well as an essay on fantasy writing titled "The Fantastic Imagination". This collection includes some of his most memorable and enduring tales, such as "The Light Princess" and "The Wise Woman". The stories contain many of the elements often associated with fairy tales: children undertaking dangerous and deadly adventures, fairies both wicked and kind, and strange, dream-like lands. MacDonald's stories are unexpected and experimental, however, and contradict the tradition of children's tales. Readers young and old alike will be captivated and entertained by these unique fairy tales that manage to be both dark and hopeful, enchanting, and full of practical wisdom. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
