She (1887), an intoxicating mix of adventure, fantasy, and romance, is an underappreciated classic of English literature. Among his most successful works, She -which was inspired by Haggard’s experience living in South Africa-helped the author establish his reputation as a leading writer of his generation and an invaluable pioneer of the lost world genre of fantasy fiction. Horace Holly, a young Cambridge professor, receives an unexpected opportunity from an older colleague: in exchange for knowledge about an ancient secret, Holly must agree to become the caretaker of Vincey’s son in the event of his untimely death. Cautious yet intrigued, Holly accepts, and is presented with a locked metal box and a set of cryptic instructions. The next day, Vincey dies, leaving the young Leo as his ward. Unable to open the box until Leo has turned 25, Holly settles into his career and duties as a father until the time is right. Years later, they open it to discover the Sherd of Amenartas, confirming Vincey’s story and inspiring them to journey to the heart of Africa. There, they fall captive to the Amahagger tribe, a lost people ruled by a powerful, divine queen. Soon, they are brought to a subterranean palace in the ruined city of Kor, where She-who-must-be-obeyed awaits. To read H. Rider Haggard’s She is to enter a universe that could only be imagined by one of the greatest adventure writers of all time-at the height of his literary powers, no less. Published in book form in after being serialized in The Graphic, a British weekly magazine, She is an epic of high fantasy that sheds light on how the intricacies of empire circulated in the popular imagination of British subjects during the reign of Queen Victoria. For the modern reader, it is both a finely written tale of action and discovery, and a document of a world that is far from lost. Stories such as Haggard’s serve as reminders that we are never as far as we think from the sins of the past, that these mysterious and exotic lands of myth and adventure not only existed long before European conquest, but survive to this day in its shadow. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this new edition of H. Rider Haggard’s She is a classic of English literature reimagined for modern readers.
