Greek mythology retelling

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Greek mythology retelling is a literary genre where stories from classic Greek mythology are placed in either a contemporary or futuristic setting. [1] [2] Stories from this genre aim to combine mythological themes like birth, death, and love with modern philosophies of feminism and empowerment. [3]

History

One of the first examples of the genre is The Penelopiad (2005) written by Margaret Atwood that tells the events of Homer's The Odyssey, specifically the tragedy of Penelope, in the 21st century. [3] The book was part of the Canongate Myth Series where contemporary authors rewrite ancient myths. [4] Another influential series in the genre is Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series , which tells the story of Greek gods and their children living in the modern world. [5] [2] Subsequent series tackling other myths like Norse and Egyptian were also published by Riordan. Ursula K. Le Guin also published a book entitled Lavinia (2008) that retells the story of the Aeneid through the eyes of a minor female character, Lavinia. [6]

Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles (2011) became the first book to be coined the term. Although the series takes place in the Trojan War, the book gained popularity for its focus on LGBTQ+ relationships. [6] Another popular book was Mythos (2017) by Stephen Fry which is composed of several Greek tales retold and modernized. [3] Recently, the genre was put into scrutiny during the release of the controversial book Crown of Starlight by Cait Corran. [7]

Other examples include:

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greek mythology in popular culture</span>

Elements of Greek mythology appear many times in culture, including pop culture. The Greek myths spread beyond the Hellenistic world when adopted into the culture of ancient Rome, and Western cultural movements have frequently incorporated them ever since, particularly since the Renaissance. Mythological elements feature in Renaissance art and in English poems, as well as in film and in other literature, and in songs and commercials. Along with the Bible and the classics-saturated works of Shakespeare, the myths of Greece and Rome have been the major "touchstone" in Western culture for the past 500 years.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madeline Miller</span> American writer (born 1978)

Madeline Miller is an American novelist, author of The Song of Achilles (2011) and Circe (2018). Miller spent ten years writing The Song of Achilles while she worked as a teacher of Latin and Greek. The novel tells the story of the love between the mythological figures Achilles and Patroclus; it won the Orange Prize for Fiction, making Miller the fourth debut novelist to win the prize. She is a 2019 recipient of the Alex Awards.

<i>Percy Jacksons Greek Gods</i> Collection of short stories by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson's Greek Gods is a collection of short stories about Greek mythology as narrated by Percy Jackson. It was written by Rick Riordan and was released on August 19, 2014. It features Percy Jackson giving his own take on the Greek myths in a humorous way.

"The Dowry of Angyar" is a science fiction short story by American writer Ursula K. Le Guin, first published in 1964. It is the first work of the Hainish Cycle. The story is set on a fictional planet of the star Fomalhaut and follows a highborn woman as she tries to track down a family heirloom. It was framed by commentary from ethnologists studying the intelligent life forms of the Fomalhaut system. The story drew from Norse mythology, including the legend of the Brísingamen, and explored the concept of time dilation. "The Dowry of Angyar" drew comments for its stylistic devices, while a review praised Le Guin's writing as "crystalline prose". It was later used as the prologue to Le Guin's 1966 novel Rocannon's World. In later publications, including in the 1975 anthology The Wind's Twelve Quarters, the story was given the title "Semley's Necklace".

La Sagesse des mythes is a series of French comic books that retell famous myths. The series was created by the philosopher Luc Ferry and is published by Glénat Editions since 2016. It was originally exclusively based on Greek mythology but has included other stories since 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Milas, Lacy Baugher (April 22, 2024). "The 14 Best Greek Mythology Retellings". Paste Magazine .
  2. 1 2 3 Bowie, Rhona (October 26, 2023). "Greek Mythology retellings: the good, the bad and the ugly". Student Newspaper.
  3. 1 2 3 Barber, Helen (July 19, 2023). "GREEK MYTHOLOGY RETELLINGS AND WHY THEY ARE STILL RELEVANT TO A MODERN AUDIENCE". No Extra Source.
  4. "World's top writers recruited to rewrite ancient tales", CBC.ca, 21 October 2005.
  5. R. Whim (August 5, 2021). "Greek Mythology - Brilliant Retellings". Read With Whims.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Saint, Jennifer. "Jennifer Saint on Greek Myth Retellings". The Novelry.
  7. Murray, Conor (2023-12-13). "Author Cait Corrain Loses Book Deal For 'Review Bombing' On Goodreads—Here's Why It's A Longstanding Problem For The Platform". Forbes. Retrieved 2023-12-18.