The theme of this collection is the excellence of Story, especially of the kind of story dear to C.S. Lewis - fantasy and science fiction, which he fostered in an age dominated by realistic fiction. Gathered here are nine essays that first appeared in "Of Other Worlds, " including "On Stories" and "On Three Ways of Writing for Children, " and eleven pieces not previously collected. Among the newcomers are reviews of works by J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams, Rider Haggard, and George Orwell, a panegyric to Dorothy Sayers, and an essay. "The Death of Words, " which shows how common usage can distort and deprive language.