Tales of the Wild and the Wonderful [1867]

"Tales of the Wild and the Wonderful" by Mary Diana Dods is a collection of whimsical and fanciful stories written during the mid-19th century. The tales are steeped in fairy-tale elements, featuring themes of magical creatures, prophecies, and the complexities of human emotions and relationships, often with a dark twist. The opening story introduces the character of Ruth Tudor, who grapples with a foreboding prophecy about her fate. The beginning of the work sets the stage in a rural Welsh village, focusing on the mysterious figure of Rhys Meredith, a man with the ability to predict the future. As he asserts his influence through ominous predictions, he becomes both a source of fear and intrigue among the villagers. The narrative quickly pivots to Ruth, a beautiful and proud maiden who becomes entangled in a psychological battle with Rhys when he foretells that she is destined to commit a murder. Her struggle against this dark prophecy, which becomes intertwined with her destiny and relationships, unfolds against a backdrop of ominous fate and the powerful bond between love and fear. Themes of isolation, societal judgment, and self-fulfilling prophecies are woven throughout the beginning, setting a haunting tone for the tales to follow. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Walter Sholto Douglas (1790–1830), born under the name Mary Diana Dods, was a Scottish writer of books, stories and other works. Despite being assigned a female identity, Douglas lived as a man in his private, public, and work life. Most of his works appeared under the pseudonym David Lyndsay. His name may have been partly inspired by his grandfather's name, Sholto Douglas, 15th Earl of Morton. He was a close friend and confidant of Mary Shelley, and the husband of Isabella Robinson. In 1980, scholar Betty T. Bennett sensationally outed Douglas, connecting his deadname with his writing pseudonym.