The Wood Beyond the World (1894) by William Morris follows Walter, a young man who, fleeing his unfaithful wife, embarks on a sea voyage that leads him to a mysterious enchanted land. Guided by a strange dwarf, Walter arrives at a walled city ruled by a beautiful but treacherous sorceress-queen. There he encounters a captive maiden, and together they must escape the Queen's dark magic and jealous power. Blending medieval romance with supernatural adventure, this pioneering fantasy established many conventions of the genre and profoundly influenced later masters such as J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis.
