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.