One of C.S. Lewis’ favorite writers was George MacDonald. He even wrote a book called George MacDonald: An Anthology in which he wrote “I have never concealed the fact that I regard him as my master; indeed I fancy I have never written a book in which I did not quote from him.”
If you’re looking into easy ways to get into the stuff that C.S. Lewis enjoyed, there are several, including this upcoming graphic novel adapted from George MacDonald’s classic Phantastes.
Other authors who were greatly inspired by George MacDonald include J.R.R. Tolkien, Madeline L’Engle, Lewis Carroll, and Charles Williams. You might say that without George MacDonald, we may not have The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in Time, Alice in Wonderland, or The Chronicles of Narnia. At least not in the form that we know them today. Imagine how many others were also inspired by George MacDonald, and further, how many people have been inspired by those who were inspired by MacDonald.
Now it could be your turn to be inspired by George MacDonald.
Here are several ways you can dive into the mind of C.S. Lewis and learn about or read George MacDonald’s work.
- Back this Phantastes Graphic Novel on Kickstarter – This is the only way to get this adaptation of the book, and there is still time to get in on this if you’re interested.
- Get C.S. Lewis’ book George MacDonald: An Anthology – From the back cover: George MacDonald (1824-1905) was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Briefly a clergyman, then a professor of English literature at Bedford and King’s College in London, he was a popular lecturer and published poetry, stories, novels, and fairy tales. In this collection selected by C. S. Lewis, we are offered 365 selections from MacDonald’s inspiring and useful writings. C. S. Lewis wrote the following about George Macdonald, ‘I know hardly any other writer who seems to be closer, or more continually close, to the Spirit of Christ Himself!’ Lewis offers 365 selections from MacDonald’s work, ranging from ‘Inexorable Love’ to ‘The Torment of Death.’ These wise words will instruct, uplift, and provide indispensable help toward the very acceptance of Christian faith.
- Grab some of George MacDonald’s books, or a collection of them – There are a lot since his books are in the public domain. We don’t have a recommendation for which one to grab.
Check out the campain video for the Kickstarter for Phantastes here:
If you want to learn more about George MacDonald or others who inspired Lewis, please comment below. We thought it would be fun to explore the authors who inspired Lewis in one way or another.