Tales of Fantasy and Fact

"Tales of Fantasy and Fact" by Brander Matthews is an assortment of inventive short stories from the end of the 1800s that mixes made-up happenings with real life, looking at journeys and strange parts of what it means to be human. Expect interesting people and unreal things that push the limits of what you think is real and possible. At the very beginning, we meet someone on a strange ship with Captain Vanderdecken, also called the Flying Dutchman. This person talks deeply with Vanderdecken, who thinks about all his travels and amazing things he's witnessed. They chat about made-up places and well-known characters like the Wandering Jew and Rip Van Winkle, touching on time, memories, and how reality and myths mix. This beginning gets you ready for an exciting look into fun lands and what stories themselves are all about.