List of Tables and Illustrations Acknowledgements Chapter 1 Introduction: In Dialogue with Time Chapter 2 Ballad of Tara (1978-1980): The History of Absence and the Birth of a Heroine Chapter 3 Death of Yazdgerd: Congregation for Regicide (1981): History and the Drama of the Lower and the Higher Echelons of Power Chapter 4 Nation and Nationalism in Beyzaie's Oeuvre: Towards a New Conception of Nationhood Chapter 5 Bashu, the Little Stranger (1985): Shifting the National Borders of Belonging in a Mythopoetic Discourse on Collective Identity Chapter 6 M aybe Some Other Time (1988): From Myths of Belonging and Intellectuals as Sacrificial Heroes to Home, Family, City, and Shadows of our Potential Selves Chapter 7 Travellers (1992): Ritualisation of Death, Rebirth and Sacred Marriage Chapter 8 Against Anomie and Reductionism: The Total Recall and Failure of Total Recall in The Reed Panel (1992) and Dialogue with the Wind (1998) Chapter 9 Killing Mad Dogs (2000): Anomie, Evil and a New Vision of Salvation Chapter 10 When We Are All Sleeping (2009): The Total Ascendance of Mad Dogs Notes Bibliography Index.