What if the gods of ancient mythology were not gods at all, but powerful beings from beyond Earth? Author Darren Jenkins explores this intriguing question in his Zealots of Eternal Dreams series, blending ancient mythology, extraterrestrial life, science fiction, action, and mystery into a universe of hidden conflicts and extraordinary characters.
In this conversation with WorldAuthors.Org, Jenkins discusses his journey from drawing comic-book-inspired characters as a child to becoming an author, the ideas that shaped his unique mythology-driven universe, and the role of redemption and transformation in characters such as Zeus. He also opens up about returning to creativity after a difficult hiatus and shares what readers can expect from the next chapter of the series.
Hello Darren Jenkins, Welcome to WorldAuthors.Org! To begin, could you introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little about your journey as an author and what brought you back to writing after your hiatus?
Well, I’m Darren Jenkins, and my journey as an author came around during my teen years while I was growing up in Portsmouth, Virginia. I, I guess, became somewhat a product of my environment, just a little bit. But, creativity in general kept me out of serious trouble, besides other interests at least, even during the few years I was in the military. But in the beginning, I was drawing since 5, 6 years old. By the time I was 15 is when the writing finally came about. While growing up, I was always heavily into comic books and all of its characters, and some characters were involved with mythology and actual historic accounts. That’s what made me eventually get into world of mythology and history.
I was also into different kinds of fantasy media, I was like a nerd at heart being made when I was soaking up everything, and anything that I liked, I drew them. Kid me wished I could’ve did that 24/7 and not go to school. However, I was into fantasy and history of course. Therefore, History and English classes were the only things I not only were into, but I was really good at, and it developed my skill and interest for creative writing. In time, my creativity and imagination itself grew to something else entirely than just drawing what I see. My ambition grew too. So, while I became a fan of many things in fiction, I eventually started to wonder if I could make fiction myself. I felt like I could do more than just draw, and my imagination was big and wild. So, I started to explore other things I could do creatively. And the rest is history really.
Your Zealots of Eternal Dreams series combines science fiction, ancient mythology, shapeshifting aliens, and a hidden intergalactic conflict. Where did the original idea for this unusual universe come from?
It came when I was playing around with all the things that I was into when I was around 19 years old. So, I’ll say it was around 2015. I was first thinking more on the idea of like, superhero, or comic book, right? But I thought about it more, and realized that I didn’t want to go that route for a couple reasons. One was that I created comic book characters already a couple years ago beforehand, which will be brought to life soon. The other reason, was that I had gotten deep into writing and reading novels, and I wanted to one day make one of my own. So I started to make a u-turn in my head to more of a traditional novel flow. But as I started to brainstorm and let my imagination flow, I watched movies and shows revolving around world history and wonders of the world. It interested me because it’s history of our time that can grab you and make you speculate. Some things of our world was created during ancient times, but we can’t truly figure out how certain wonders were made, or how some pyramids can align with the stars in the sky in certain ways. It makes you speculate if some things were made by man, or aided by something that isn’t from Earth, and some of those wonders are tributes to pagan gods. Then I thought about how a lot of things we have in the world comes from mythology. I thought about all of it more and more to myself. What if mythological beings existed where they were once present on Earth, and were so powerful that they were seen as gods, yet they were in reality, aliens that visited us and collected resources.
In your story, beings who were once worshipped by humans as “gods” are actually extraordinary aliens. What inspired you to explore the possibility that some ancient gods and myths could have a completely different origin?
It was from some of the archaeological wonders of Earth having question marks beside them on how some of them were made, when some technology today can’t replicate it, and some brilliant minds can’t figure it out definitively.
The story revolves around an intergalactic struggle that began before Earth’s common era and has continued into the modern world. How did you approach connecting ancient history with a modern science-fiction narrative?
Well, I made sure I stayed on the speculative theory vibe with mythology and extraterrestrials. But I remembered that mythologies were at their peak during ancient times.
The central character is a powerful being once regarded as the “king of the gods,” but he is no longer the person he was in the past. How important is the idea of redemption and personal transformation to his character?
Redemption is important to Zeus because his reign sets everything in motion to reach monumental conflicts, and it damage everyone around him, even himself. And he always feels that a big part of redeeming and freeing himself from the past, is to turn over a new leaf.
Your synopsis mentions lies, betrayal, vengeance and dark secrets that have remained hidden from humanity. Without giving away major spoilers, what kind of secrets can readers expect to uncover as the story progresses?
The theme of uncovering why certain things are the way they are in the world, or why certain things in the world were ever even created in the first place. But through the idea of extraterrestrial life and science fiction.
Part II, Zealots of Eternal Dreams: Nightmares From Hereafter, expands the story into an even larger conflict. What can readers expect from this next chapter, and how does it build upon the first part of the series?
They can expect the stakes to become higher, and maybe, darker than they thought it could or would be. And they can expect the two most powerful shapeshifters in Zeus and Hercules finally meeting face to face.
Your work brings together figures and concepts associated with different mythological traditions, while presenting them through a science-fiction lens. What do you hope readers take away from this blending of mythology and speculative fiction?
Well, first and foremost, I hope that they soak up the messages within the story and its characters. I strived to give the kind of messages that makes you look at yourself, then the world around you. And hopefully after, it makes you wonder how you can be better than before to make the world and everything around you better.
You mentioned that some niche groups discovered your work before you took a hiatus, and now you want a much larger audience to discover the series. What has changed in your approach to writing, publishing, or connecting with readers this time around?
Well, my love for creativity as a whole came back after I fell out of love with it for almost a year after I went through a personal issue revolving my writing and my art. Personal and professional things led me to approach everything revolving around books and art with fatigue and low morale. But fast forward almost a year later, and I feel inspired again to create and connect with readers without taking my foot off the gas this go around.
Finally, for readers discovering Zealots of Eternal Dreams for the first time, why should they step into this universe, and what would you like them to remember after turning the final page?
It’s a new, never before seen, fresh take on the world of mythology that uses mystery while connecting with science fiction, action, drama, and adventure. And for what they’ll remember, I hope they’ll gain the thought of “What if?” about a lot of things, and I hope that they grasp the morals and dynamic flows that these characters face, for the characters themselves, can be lessons, or things that many of us face everyday. Despite how some of us view ourselves and the world we live in.
Where can readers and your audience follow you to stay updated on the book and your upcoming projects?
My social is @fontayworld on instagram. I’ll have future updates on there for the book and more upcoming projects.