Hi! I’m looking for a book or two with something dealing with the greek gods, the battles between hell and heaven, or mythology. I enjoyed dantes inferno if that helps any. There’s a lot of stories out there, but I’m looking for a novel rather than a short story. I’m having a hard time finding some, so if anything has any suggestions I’d appreciate it!
by rubeum_cucullo555
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Madeline Miller is really popular right now, she wrote “Song of Achilles” and “Circe”. Fans praise her ability to write tender scenes, but I find she drags on too long, and feel like she missed out on a lot of interesting choices with “Song of Achilles”. “Achilles” by Elizabeth Cook is a novella that covers the territory I wish “Song of Achilles” had (it touches on the role of translations, and just includes more details even though it’s shorter).
Jennifer Saint publishes books that focus on a specific female character. She wrote “Ariadne”, “Atalanta”, and “Elektra”. Some people don’t like Elektra because the character’s quite abrasive, but I felt it was a fun twist on the family story.
Pat Baker wrote “The Silence of the Girls” and “The Women of Troy”, a duology about the slave women outside of Troy. Heavily influenced by “The Trojan Women”.
“Alcestis” by Katharine Beautner is a queer spin on Alcestis’s time in the Underworld. It’s eerie and tender, great for fans of “Song of Achilles”.
Natalie Haynes is a Euripides fangirl in the best way, she has a fun down-to-earth vibe to her stories. “A Thousand Ships” is a collection of stories about women associated with Troy, and a retelling of “The Trojan Women”. It pairs extremely well with “Pandora’s Box”, an accessible and readable nonfiction about women in Greek myth. “The Children of Jocasta” is a witty, clever re-take on Oedipus and Antigone’s stories. “Stone Blind” is about Medusa.
Margaret Atwood wrote “The Penelopaid”, which is Penelope’s story narrated from the underworld. Claire North covered similar ground with the “Song of Penelope” series.
“The Goddess” by Miranda Seymour is one of my favorites, if you can find it. It’s a wonderful mix of camp and well-researched writing. It really embraces the old 70’s idea that Hellenism replaced a Great Mother cult. It’s about Helen.
David and Stella Gemmell wrote the “Troy: Lord of the Silver Bow” series, a low-magic heroic fiction that re-imagines the Trojan War. It deliberately deviates from the source material as much as possible, in a fun way. The last book is absolutely heartbreaking and raw when you take into account that Stella was writing for her dead husband.
Mary Renault is an older writer who wrote “The King Must Die” and “Bull from the Sea”, about Theseus. “Last of the Amazons” by Stephen Pressfield is about Theseus and the Amazons, and is a great no-magic military fiction.
CS Lewis wrote “Till We Have Faces” about Cupid and Psyche, and blends the story with his Christian views.
Hannah Lynn wrote “Athena’s Child” with a lot of passion, but not a lot of research.
If you accept graphic novels, I have a rant about Eric Shanower’s “Age of Bronze” and why it’s the best thing since Homer.
Why not just read Homer then?