George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian Congregational minister. He became a pioneering figure in modern fantasy literature and was a mentor to the writer Lewis Carroll. In addition to his fairy tales, MacDonald wrote several works of Christian theology, including multiple collections of sermons.

He was a forerunner of the Inklings and was revered as one of the most beloved Victorian authors throughout Great Britain and the U.S. in the 19th century. MacDonald wrote approximately 50 volumes encompassing novels, poetry, short stories, fantasy, sermons, and essays. His influential body of work positioned him alongside the great men of letters of his era, earning him a vast following. Two decades after his death, his books were pivotal in leading C.S. Lewis to Christianity, making him a foundational member of Wheaton’s Wade Center “Seven.”

Despite his eventual decline in reputation throughout the 20th century, MacDonald was highly esteemed by notable figures such as G.K. Chesterton, W.H. Auden, and Oswald Chambers. C.S. Lewis, in particular, considered MacDonald his "master" and credited him with having a significant influence on his own spiritual journey. Lewis emphasized MacDonald's impact in his autobiography and throughout his writings, noting that MacDonald's novels, fantasies, and fairy tales provided an imaginative foundation for Lewis’s later works, including The Chronicles of Narnia.

Interest in MacDonald experienced a resurgence beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, spurred by the efforts of Wheaton’s Wade Center and scholars like Dr. Clyde Kilby and Dr. Rolland Hein. Michael Phillips further revitalized MacDonald's legacy, leading to a renewed publication of his books on a previously unmatched scale. Today, thousands continue to explore the treasures within MacDonald’s stories, recognizing why Madeleine L’Engle referred to him as "the grandfather of us all—all of us who struggle to come to terms with truth through imagination."