- Tales of Irándiel

Throughout time myth and storytelling has been one of the fundamental activities of the human heart as it seeks to contemplate and understand the mystery of reality. Through it we seek to find a path through the fabric of history as its tapestry is ever woven, a path that unveils meaning in the enigmas of life and gives sense and stability to the drama of existence. But especially, the activity of myth, of fantasy, is born of a primal wonder before the awesome miracle of being, and of the fundamental human activity which is play, and serves to keep this wonder and play alive always. In precisely this way it has been, and shall always be, a catalyst to enkindle and deepen the longing in the heart of each one of us for redemption—for a new and better world, a world where righteousness and happiness dwell, and all is freedom and purpose, unity and harmony, ecstatic delight and true adventure. Such does my writing humbly seek, stepping into the flowing current of thought and imagination as it surges on through history, offering, in a narrative of proportions both intimate and epic, a glimpse of the light that shines upon us all, and of the conflict that resides at the center of every life, that the weak again may be strong and the child again may be king.

Welcome to the online home of my creative worldbuilding and epic fantasy storytelling in the world of Irándiel, the sole artifact of my mythopoetic imagination, and, as far as fiction is concerned, my life’s work. In other words, I intend to create only one world until the day I die: this one. And this world is in fact is nothing but an exploration of an imagined pre-history of the world in which we live, the real, primary world. It is intended to pull back the veil of apparent mundaneness from our perception of reality and to allow a space where it may be beheld, contemplated, and cherished more deeply, with a more vibrant childlike wonder and play, and a heightened sense of both the depth of darkness and the abundance of light that saturate our cosmos as it progresses toward its eventual end and consummation.

One story has already been completed and published, the centerpiece of the mythology, as it were: Dawnbringer: Lightborn. Its sequel, Legacy, is in the works at present, the first volume having been published. And a prequel, Origin, occurring thirteen-hundred years earlier, is in seed-form, with a first chapter already “planted” in the soil. I also share smaller works such as poetry and short stories on this website, and intend to eventually publish them (probably many years down the road) in an anthology of collected tales. If this interests you, feel free to follow along! The best place to get started, of course, is to read Lightborn. It is available for free on this site or as a downloadable PDF, but it is my recommendation that you get a hard copy, as nothing compares – particularly in fantasy and faerie stories – with reading a real, physical book, with its irreplaceable touch, and smell, and texture, and its enduring legacy.

From the earliest years of my life I spent most of my free time lost in imagination and “storytelling” play, engrossed in creating and enacting worlds, characters, and stories, or in receiving them. Up until my early or mid adolescence I wished to become an author and a storyteller, and though my life journey rightly carried me in a different direction for twenty years it also led “full circle” to this calling once again. And the continuity of beginning, middle, and end are evident for me. They are all part of a single love and a single mystery, and my storytelling is but a part of this mystery and embedded within it. It is therefore my humble joy and trepidation to be a custodian of the reality, in the “mythic language” of co-creative imagination, that has been entrusted to me. I hope that if you read and contemplate the stories and the world that I share, you will find yourself not only entertained, but encouraged, edified, and uplifted to the beauty and the goodness for which all of us long, and which is the wellspring of unending gladness and enduring peace.

Stories

All completed novels are available both in print form as well as online and as PDF. There is also an ongoing sharing of the “Tales of Irándiel,” writings on the world’s legends and lore, as I continue to build the mythology and fill it with life, available either in blog form or through the interactive map.

Reflections

A few reflections are contained in this section which express the heart’s intention with which my stories are written, and the beauty of fantasy and storytelling itself. They are contained in print form in the book Creating a Home for the Word.

Music

Here are embedded a few soundtracks, composed by myself, that seek to flesh-out the same word that is given in the books and the written worldbuilding, free to listen to here, on Bandcamp or Youtube, or to purchase and download.

Posted by Joshua Elzner