Aeldred’s Wandering Tales: Writ of a Mind Between Here and There
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Authors
Hodges, Holly Brianna
Issue Date
2024-12-19
Type
Thesis
Language
en_US
Keywords
School of Letters , School of Letters Thesis 2024 , University of the South, Fiction, Speculative, Fantasy, Short Story, Frame Narrative, Memory, Prophecy
Alternative Title
Abstract
This thesis is a collection of short stories framed as the work of a fictional character within a fantasy world called Odium. Aeldred Gundry suffers from a gradual mental decline at the end of his life due to a curse. He creates this collection of stories as a way to remember where he went and who he met in his youth. Every story documents the many lives and cultures of Odium, drawn from Aeldred’s own adventures.
The collection is structured around seven short stories and smaller interview-style segments that precede each of the stories. Each one explores one of the distinct races that inhabit Odium and significant events in their histories. The interviews serve not only to introduce the cultural lens through which the following story unfolds but also to tell their own story. As the interviews progress, two distinct parts of Aeldred’s life intertwine into a mystery he is not sure he can solve. The stories connect with each other and with the interviews, and the collection as a whole is linked to a larger work in progress. Many characters featured here make a reappearance in a novel setting.
This collection draws from many traditions of high fantasy and speculative fiction from authors like Garth Nix, R.A. Salvatore, H.P. Lovecraft, and J.R.R. Tolkien. Video games such as Kingdoms of Amalur, Dragons Dogma: Dark Arisen, and The Elder Scrolls series also play a large role in inspiring my writing. This influence often manifests with each story acting as a narrative “quest,” highlighting cultural and existential conflicts that connect between stories in the collection.
On a different level, the collection examines the role of the storyteller as both creator and interpreter. The fictional character writing these stories to himself becomes a surrogate for the author and blurs the lines between fiction and creation. Since Aeldred is losing his grip on reality, readers are invited to question the authenticity and reliability of the stories themselves. How much of the text reflects the truth, and how much is creative embellishment? What details are made up by Aeldred’s deteriorating mind? This tension between truth and fiction mirrors the real-world ways history, culture, and identity can be preserved and distorted through storytelling.
One of the primary goals in writing about the world of Odium is to create an accessible experience for readers who may not typically engage with fantasy fiction. I have often heard that fantasy feels too complicated or foreign to be relatable or enjoyable. Fantasy, at times, can create a sense of distance, and this work aims to bridge that gap.
Ultimately, this work seeks to immerse readers in a world as vivid and complex as its inhabitants. It challenges readers to reflect on what it means to preserve knowledge in a world where everything is constantly changing, especially our own minds.
Description
Citation
Publisher
University of the South