Gray's stories are set in an unnamed land that seems to lie half in and half out of the kingdom of magic. The time is in the dim past, long before machinery and skyscrapers, yet almost every story begins with "Once, and not so long ago."

Gray's fabulous lands are always ruled by a king or queen; travelers journey on horseback (or by magic); and common people work as shepherds, huntsmen, or apprentices to sorcerers. As the title Mainly in Moonlight indicates, night is as important a setting as day. For Gray, night is a realm of dark beauty and mystery, not a place of evil.

Gray's settings were influenced by two real-life locales: his native Scottish highlands and the theatrical stage. Northern Scotland is a wild, beautiful land of craggy mountains, ancient forests, and glistening lakes. It retains an ancient heritage of tales and legends. Even today...