Phantastes

Phantastes, published in 1858, is a groundbreaking fantasy novel by Scottish author George MacDonald. The story follows Anodos, a young man who enters a dreamlike fairyland and embarks on a spiritual and moral journey. With poetic prose and symbolic depth, the novel explores self-discovery, beauty, and the tension between idealism and reality. A key influence on writers like C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, Phantastes helped pioneer fantasy as a serious literary genre, blending myth, morality, and visionary wonder.