The Elect Stories.An epic adventure told in thirty-six installments.Five young idealists commit themselves to a mission to bring peace to their warring nations. They fail. Twenty years later, as their old nemesis raises its head once more, the middle-aged adventurers must decide how – or whether – to take up their old quest again.We love serialized stories. Growing up on Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Marvel comics, and Doctor Who, we naturally developed a taste for stories told in installments, stories that are allowed to “grow in the telling,” as Tolkien said, fed by imagination-stoking anticipation. This is our own modern take on the Fantasy serial as popularized by the likes of Robert E. Howard, H.P. Lovecraft, and Edgar Rice Burroughs. We’ve posted the first chapter for you to enjoy free of charge, over on Amazon. If you like it, we hope you’ll subscribe so you can receive eleven more chapters, one each month, plus bonus content like artwork, maps, forums, and some really fun collaborations we’ve cooked up with amazing artists from all over the world. |
Chapter 1
“Purpose,” or “The Swordbearer’s Lament,”
being a recollection of how the swordsmen Palm and Timriel first came to the Free City of Vessena, and the tragic death that would reveal the true nature of their mission.
Chapter 2
“Reason,” or “The Fall of House Yesidreel,”
wherein nemeses both new and old descend upon Saren Yesidreel, and the cycle of the Elect begins anew.
Chapter 3
“Reward,” or “The Calling of Gelgarth Arbekka,”
being the story of a retired Rider of the Wyrn who recalls the phantoms of his past, and renews a vow left unkept for 20 years..
Chapter 4
“Negotiation,” or “The Various and Sundry Business of Mister Jonathan Guess,”
wherein the scoundrel known as Guess recollects his first meeting with Palm, albeit briefly.
Chapter 5
“Argument,” or “The Raising of The Elect,”
wherein young Arden chooses sides in a brewing war that has embroiled his sleepy frontier town, and is surprised by unexpected enemies and allies alike.
Chapter 6
“Stone and Sword,” or “The Insidious Influence of the Other,”
wherein Father Sren confronts the Devil of Black Water, and something else, I dunno…
Chapter 7
“Blood and Thunder,” or “The Sun Sets on the Murder Spree of the Villainous Cheksaw Gang,”
being an account of the brave deeds and fateful ends of the daring frontier lawmen known as Hardigan Parnee’s Hot Springs Riders, as recollected by Gelgarth Arbekka.
Chapter 8
“Belief and Understanding,” or “The Swordbearers’ Quandry,”
in which the swordbearers, Palm and Timriel, stalk the monstrous Devil of Black Water, come to the aid of a fallen Rider, and learn a terrible truth from See Yesidreel.
Chapter 9
“Delving Deep,” or “The Macabre Adventures of Misters Scrivener, Bellwether and Guess,”
being the late recollections of one Mister Bellwether (not his real name) on Palm’s pursuit of the Devil.
Chapter 10
“Fathoming,” or “The Width of a Circle,”
wherein the disciples of the Elect, both pat and present, are drawn together for purposes yet understood.
Chapter 11
“Reckoning,” or “A Gathering Darkness,”
an accounting of the events leading to the formation of the Circle of The Elect, depicting settings and circumstances of both the past and the present.
Chapter 12
“Declaration,” or “The Closing of the Circle,”
in which Palm and company bring the haunting of Vessena to an end, and the Circle of the Elect is reformed with unexpected consequences.
The first eleven chapters from “The Elect Stories” are now available via Amazon! Chapter 12 will be released on 20 April 2024.
Subscribe to The Elect Stories to stay updated as new chapters and artwork are released.
The Author.
John Crye, like many American children of the 70’s, grew up loving Star Wars, Marvel Comics and D & D.
His passion for storytelling led him to pursue both writing and acting at Emerson College, and later to a career in independent film, developing or acquiring such classics as “Memento,” “Donnie Darko,” “Whale Rider,” “Monster,” and “Hesher.” Crye was also a founding member of FEWDIO, the filmmaking collective that produced the award-winning Horror anthology series, “Nightmare House.”
He continues to produce new content, such as this very book, with fellow FEWDIO alumnus Todd Sharp and their company, SharpCrye.
Jessy.
“Jessy.” That’s what the sylued call it in The Elect Stories. We might refer to it as a calling or a purpose; something that we are drawn to, and maybe a little obsessed with, that allows us an outlet. Maybe it’s creative. Maybe it’s technical. Maybe it’s a little of both. Craft. Art. The thing that we can’t help but do. The thing that we take great pride in not only making, but also in finding within others; that we feel inspired to share. The thing that, in the doing, reveals the world to us, and us to ourselves.
Creating “The Elect Stories” is our “jessy.” It is the journey we are taking via our art. Nothing is more satisfying than being joined on that journey. We’re asking you readers to join us, but we’re also asking other creators to join us, too. Keep an eye out, as we continue expanding this site, for photos and videos and interviews and maybe a thing or two that you might take home with you, from the partners we’ve sought out. The illustrators and book binders and glass blowers and website builders and editors and perfumers and… well, the list goes on.
It’s a notion that is integral to The Elect Stories, but also to our everyday lives.
SharpCrye.
It isn’t enough to love storytelling. You also have to make sure the story gets heard. We have been helping writers and filmmakers reach their audiences for years, but only recently have we begun applying those efforts to our own stories. SharpCrye Publishing is just one of those new efforts.
We really dig serialized stories. Waiting for the next episode or chapter is part of the fun, it allows the story to “grow in the telling,” as Tolkien said. Being a Fantasy story, ELECT seemed to be a good fit for a subscription-based serial, recalling the pulps of Howard, Lovecraft and Burroughs.