The book includes selected fantastic and mystical stories and travel essays by the outstanding bibliophile and bibliographer, entertaining storyteller and gifted prose writer, journalist and traveler, archaeologist and collector S. R. Mintslov (1870–1933). Included are stories and essays from the collections “The Unknown”, “Warlock (Mysterious)”, “Holy Lakes”, “Swistopup” and “At the Fireplace”, as well as from periodicals. The appendices include two reviews by the prominent critic P. Pilsky and biographical materials. The vast majority of works included in the book are being republished for the first time.