George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author and minister born on December 10, 1824, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. He was educated at King's College, University of Aberdeen, where he earned a master's degree before becoming a private tutor in London. In 1850, he graduated from a Congregationalist theological college and became the minister of Trinity Congregational Church in Arundel, Sussex. Throughout his life, MacDonald balanced his roles as a preacher and lecturer while raising eleven children with his wife, Louisa Powell. His literary work, often considered speculative fiction with a strong Christian underpinning, explored themes such as evil, personal holiness, and the moral implications of suffering. Notably, his stories like "At the Back of the North Wind" and "Lilith" delve into deeper philosophical and allegorical contexts. Although his prominence waned in the early 20th century, MacDonald was later recognized as a key influence on mid-20th century fantasy writers, including C.S. Lewis, and his works experienced a revival in popularity due to the success of fantasy literature. He passed away on September 18, 1905, leaving a lasting legacy in the genre of fantasy.
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George MacDonald
Author
- Born: December 10, 1824
- Birthplace: Near Huntly, Aberdeenshire, Scotland
- Died: September 18, 1905
- Place of death: Ashstead, England
Biography
George MacDonald was born near Huntly, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, on December 10, 1824. He went to King’s College at the University of Aberdeen from 1840 to 1845, earning a master’s degree. He subsequently became a private tutor in London until 1848, at which time he entered the Congregationalist Theological College in London. After his graduation in 1850, he became the minister of the Trinity Congregational Church in Arundel, Sussex, England, a position he held until 1853.
In 1850 he married Louisa Powell, by whom he would have eleven children. MacDonald was a lecturer and preacher in Manchester, England, from 1855 to 1856. He served as a preacher in Hastings, England, from 1857 through 1858, returning to London in 1859 to teach at Bedford College. After 1877, he lived in Bordigheria, Italy.
MacDonald was deeply Christian in his approach to speculative fiction, which often crossed into areas that would later be considered strictly fantasy rather than true science fiction. In many ways he can be seen as a precursor of C. S. Lewis. Although he had a background in the natural sciences, he was not primarily concerned with the details of technology. Instead, he was more interested in the problems of evil and of personal holiness in a fallen world. For instance, At the Back of the North Wind can be read superficially as a fantastic disaster story, but at a deeper level it is an examination of the moral meaning of pain and suffering. Lilith deals with a young man who steps through a dimensional gateway into another world which is largely allegorical of the afterlife.
MacDonald’s literary output had dwindled by the early years of the twentieth century. His wife died in 1902, and he died on September 18, 1905. However, he was championed by a number of British fantasists of the mid-twentieth century, including Lewis, who regarded him as a sort of mentor. As a result of the success enjoyed by J. R. R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy, and the market for additional fantasy works which it created, MacDonald’s works enjoyed a notable upswing in popularity and were widely reprinted. A number of his previously unpublished works were rediscovered in the 1960’s and edited for publication.