Fitz-James O’Brien 
The Wondersmith 

The Wondersmith is a spooky Christmas story by Fitz-James O’Brien. O’Brien was an Irish author often considered one of the forerunners of the sci-fi genre. Excerpt: ‘Zonela was surely not of gypsy blood. That rich auburn hair, that looked almost black in the lamp-light, that pale, transparent skin,
tinged with an under-glow of warm rich blood, the hazel eyes, large
and soft as those of a fawn, were never begotten of a Zingaro. Zonela
was seemingly about sixteen; her figure, although somewhat thin and
angular, was full of the unconscious grace of youth.’