In a Wave of Greek Mythology Retellings, Where Are the Greek Writers?

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Lyndsie Manusos’s fabrication has appeared successful PANK, SmokeLong Quarterly, and different publications. She holds an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and has worked successful web accumulation and contented management. When she’s not nesting among her books and unsmooth drafts, she’s chasing the babe portion the canine watches successful confused amusement. She lives with her household successful a suburb of Indianapolis.

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Walk into immoderate Barnes & Noble, and you’re apt to find astatine slightest 1 array devoted to Greek mythology retellings. Mythology retellings, particularly Greek mythology, are a blistery commodity successful publishing lately, you’ll spot them showcased connected TikTok and crossed Bookstagram. Google “Greek Mythology retellings” oregon a saltation thereof, and you’ll spot an abundance of “Must-Read” lists. Within publishing, literate agents and editors volition database Greek mythology retellings connected their wishlists, including it among the “vibes” they’re looking for erstwhile uncovering caller projects. Think Madeline Miller’s Circe, Jennifer Saint’s Ariadne, Alexandria Bracken’s Lore, etc. All fashionable retellings based connected Greek mythology, and each beloved by galore readers. This successful itself is okay, particularly erstwhile retellings of immoderate mythology are told done the lens of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ voices. Yet among truthful many, oregon truly most, of these lists, determination seems to beryllium a captious portion missing, and radical are starting to notice:

Where are the Greek writers?

They exist; diverse, talented, and a fewer of which are interviewed here. Yet we seldom look them listed connected “Must-Read” retellings, oregon included oregon invited to enactment successful Greek mythology retelling anthologies. This nonfiction does not question to supply a azygous solution to the disconnect betwixt Greek mythology retellings and Greek writers, peculiarly successful publishing arsenic of late. Rather, my anticipation is that this effort volition bash what we arsenic readers truthful often privation and inquire for of stories: to springiness a position and a voice. To amusement a lens with which to presumption what we haven’t, oregon adjacent knew to look for, before.

I callback an 2021 Esquire article, wherever the writer wrote “mythology is back, baby.” To many, particularly with whom immoderate mythology is connected to arsenic a culture, it’s not a trend; it ne'er left.

Of a Particular People: What is Mythology?

To start, let’s support successful caput that Greek mythology, similar immoderate mythology — Norse, Aztec, Celtic, Egyptian — originated from a culture, compiled and passed down done millennia. That civilization is made up of radical who not lone grew up with specified stories but whose individuality and practice person been shaped astir it inextricably. Merriam-Webster’s explanation of mythology is: “the myths dealing with the gods, demigods, and legendary heroes of a peculiar people. The cardinal operation here: “of a peculiar people.”

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In a clip erstwhile truthful galore mythology retellings amusement a wide diverseness of voices, particularly from radical of whom the mythology originates from, Greek writers are curiously absent.

World Fantasy Award victor and Nebula and Rhysling finalist Natalia Theodoriou said this is what happens erstwhile you’ve been truthful thoroughly erased, radical don’t adjacent registry the absence.

“As everyone feels they already cognize (or adjacent own) Greek mythology, portion modern Greek past and civilization are deemed irrelevant/extraneous to it, Greek writers are considered unnecessary (if we are considered astatine all),” helium said.

Greek Mythology vs. Western Mythology

When the exploration of individuality and diaspora done fabrication is truthful indispensable for our society, there’s a fissure erstwhile it comes to Greek mythology. Perhaps it is due to the fact that it’s considered a Western mythology. That is surely existent successful that the United States and Western Europe has had (and continues to have) an obsession with Greek mythology.

Illustrator and decorator Yorgos Cotronis said it’s evident wherefore determination is simply a emotion for Greek mythology.

“It is to beryllium expected that writers volition beryllium drawn to telling stories successful this space
and remixing these myths,” helium said. “I bash deliberation that Greek mythology has been placed adjacent the apical of what ‘ancient occidental culture’ is, though I would reason that Greece is not exclusively Western. It’s besides beauteous extensive, with a batch of small tidbits and broadside characters to play with, positive there’s thing for everybody, from tragic tales of sacrifice to macho bloodied heroism.”

Eugenia Triantafyllou — a Nebula, Ignyte, and World Fantasy Award finalist — besides talked astir however Greek mythology has been layered into Western culture, and however the transportation to Greek authors from Greek mythology has been lost.

“I deliberation precisely due to the fact that it has been assumed that Greek Mythology belongs to the Western canon that cipher thinks to link it with modern Greece and modern Greek writers, which is successful and of itself denying an important portion of our taste continuity,” Triantafyllou said. “Modern Greeks are not considered to person transportation to their ancestors (although they precise overmuch do, particularly successful a profoundly taste mode that cannot beryllium easy understood by those connected the outside). Modern Greek writers exist. Greek mythology besides exists. It’s conscionable that radical didn’t deliberation to gully a enactment from 1 to the other. It didn’t transverse their minds.”

Rhysling and Elgin nominated writer and fabrication writer Avra Margariti, adds:

“My mentation is that U.S.-born writers question Greek mythology arsenic an unfastened root that belongs to nary 1 (therefore, it belongs to everyone),” they said. “So they assertion this mythology arsenic the shared originative satellite they crave.”

A Brief Summary of a Long History

The past of Greek mythology, its origins and analyzable machinations is, rather literally, thousands of years old. Let’s leap guardant a spot to wherever we commencement to spot immoderate of the modern disconnect.

Neoclassicism: A Western Obsession

The Neoclassical movement — a benignant and creation signifier inspired by Ancient Greece that began successful astir the 18th period aft the rediscovery of Pompeii and Herculaneum — was fundamentally a Western taste movement, hugely fashionable successful Europe, and inspired by the writings of a achromatic man, Johan Joachim Winkelmann. Europeans, peculiarly the English, thought Ancient Greek architecture and creation were the pinnacle of sophistication, though they often misinterpreted it. And arsenic colonizers are wont to do, they took it arsenic their own. Now, arsenic Theodoriou, Triantafyllou, and Margariti person touched connected above, it’s go truthful ingrained successful Western civilization that galore hide wherever it came from.

“Neoclassicism and Enlightenment were peculiarly obsessed with the ancients, and they were precise influential successful the young U.S. seeking its identity,” writer and show storyteller Eleanna Castroianni said.

To spell into the layered lengths, retellings, and (mis)interpretations that Greek mythology has been through, since earlier Nazi-occupied Greece, Greek Independence, earlier the Crusades, and earlier that, would beryllium to peel a precise ample and precise analyzable onion. NC Kousis, humanities fabrication and phantasy writer, wrote an highly informative overview of this past successful “Greek Myth and Western Hegemony.” In it, Kousis writes, “To many, we don’t request stories from existent Greek people; Greek story is portion of the cloth of the Western world, successful their opinion.”

Contemporary Hype

To proceed connected to today’s hype of Greek mythology retellings, Castroianni said the exploding inclination is concerning, and points to the blockbuster bid with Greek mythology astatine its core, similar Percy Jackson, arsenic a adaptable to wherefore galore judge Greek mythology tin beryllium perpetually mined.

“The readership and the gatekeepers are from the U.S., and the U.S. has not truly made the transportation that Greek mythology is idiosyncratic else’s mythology,” Castroianni said. “Maybe due to the fact that of the transportation the West feels with the ancients, it’s similar Greek mythology is unfastened source, escaped from copyright; spell ahead, nary 1 volition writer you.”

Diversity and Community successful Mythology Retellings

While astir Greek mythology retellings successful today’s fashionable trend, and past trends, person been told chiefly by achromatic U.S. and UK authors, we bash spot divers voices, particularly recently. This is excellent. Every Greek writer interviewed for this nonfiction agrees that the inclusion of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices is necessary. It’s besides highly important to enactment that, arsenic successful Ancient Greece arsenic good arsenic now, radical of colour existed successful Ancient Greece and beryllium successful modern Greece.

“I bash deliberation we request much enactment (and not conscionable Greek story retellings) by BIPOC authors, LGBTQ+ authors, disabled authors, non-Anglophone authors,” Theodoridou said. “I conscionable privation radical wouldn’t hide that Greek story retellings that foreground diverseness don’t request to exclude Greek writers. We are a beauteous divers bunch, aft all, and galore of america are marginalized on aggregate axes.”

“I personally bask the ones that connection a unsocial position based connected experiences usually under-represented by publishing, oregon a operation of cultures — these are the stories written by marginalized authors, who I judge person thing caller to connection to a genre of mythological retellings afloat of white, cishet, anglophone writers,” Margariti said.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Community

Marginalized authors, particularly successful the subject fabrication and phantasy community, person noticed the disconnect betwixt Greek mythology retellings and Greek writers recently, discussed successful forums and crossed societal media. Some person taken to Twitter to dependable their concern. Nebula and Hugo grant finalist Shiv Ramdas posted the following:

If idiosyncratic published an anthology of Indian myths and retellings and the anthology featured zero Indian writers, I would not beryllium astir arsenic bully astir it arsenic Greek authors are presently being, js.

— Shiv Ramdas Traing To Rite Buk (@nameshiv) April 27, 2023

The speech wrong the SFF assemblage reflects a larger interest crossed publishing, and not conscionable with Greek mythology retellings, but each mythology retellings crossed cultures. Discussion astir this taxable is astir acquisition and consideration.

“Personally, each I truly request is for radical to support penning retellings but deliberation precise cautiously astir however they attack them (do you truly request this story to archer this story? whose communicative are you telling?), and for Greek writers to not beryllium excluded but invited successful those spaces (which should beryllium obvious, to beryllium honest),” Castroianni said. “If SFF writers and editors support these successful caput and marque an honorable effort, it is simply a start.”

Theodoridou besides hopes that discussions wrong the SFF assemblage and crossed publishing volition not lone invitation Greek writers to the array of Greek mythology retellings, but to besides let Greek writers to constitute mythology retellings that don’t ever travel what galore see mainstream oregon popular.

“Some of america person been told that the mythological figures we’re funny successful retelling are excessively obscure for American audiences,” they said. “I anticipation publishers are brave capable to beryllium consenting to task beyond the well-trodden occasionally. Perhaps we conscionable request to person much religion successful readers’ quality to header with the unfamiliar.”

Greek Creators: Where to Start

One of the astir important points of this essay is to spotlight Greek writers who are publishing large Greek mythology retellings. Below is simply a database of works crossed mediums, including enactment by those interviewed present and those they person recommended. All are large enactment to research and uplift.

Greek Mythology Retellings: Novels by Greek Authors

Threads that Bind by Kika Hatzopoulou

This Greek mythology-inspired enigma takes spot successful a satellite wherever descendants of the gods inherit their powers. Io, a descendant of 1 of the Fates, uses her powers to arsenic a backstage investigator. In the metropolis of Alante, idiosyncratic is abducting women and mutilating their beingness threads to make unsafe wraiths that are fto escaped upon the city. Io indispensable usage her powers and investigative skills to find the culprit portion besides navigating emotions astir a lad who shares a thread with her, linking them arsenic soulmates.

Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou (November 2023

Forthcoming from Ghost Orchid Press, this communicative focuses connected the goddess Demeter, girl of Kronos and Rhea. A feminist exploration of a goddess’s relation successful a patriarchal hierarchy of gods, this is simply a publication that takes what we cognize of Demeter and dissects its layers, the rage and emotion of being the parent of a missing child, and uncovering our spot successful the wide world.

An Odyssey: Echoes of War by Natalia Theodoridou

This is simply a unsocial longer work, arsenic it is simply a caller that is besides an interactive game. Readers embark connected a retelling of Homer’s The Odyssey: Troy has fallen, and you, the reader, are the crowned sovereign of Ithaca. You indispensable marque your mode home, but Poseidon has cursed your journey. This is an action-packed and poignant retelling of The Odyssey, a communicative told wrong a story, with the scholar astatine the helm. This is not Theodoridou’s archetypal tally astatine interactive gaming, either, having besides been nominated for a Nebula grant for his Choice of Games’ title Rent-a-Vice.

Greek Mythology Retellings: Short Stories by Greek Authors

“Notes from the Laocoön Program” by Phoenix Alexander successful Metaphorosis, a retelling of the story of Laocoön “Darkness, Our Mother” by Eleanna Castroianni successful Clarkesworld, a retelling of the story of Ariadne and the Minotaur “Bride of the Gulf” by Danai Christopoulou successful khōréō magazine, a retelling of the story of Thessalonike “Kairo’s Flock” by Avra Margariti successful Lackington’s, a retelling of the story of Icarus “The Names of Women” by Natalia Theodoridou successful Strange Horizons, a retelling of the story of Philomena

Greek Artists and Filmmakers

Greek artists and filmmakers are besides doing important enactment expanding the explanation and benignant of Greek art. It’s not ever what we think, though cliches are often leaned on.

“As an artist, the screen creation I spot for astir of [Greek mythology retellings] (with immoderate agleam exceptions) usually travel the publishing regularisation of being ‘to market,’ “Cotronis said. “Some past Greek patterns, Greek pottery benignant paintings, orangish and achromatic hues, 1 of those atrocious “Greek” fonts that are unreadable to immoderate Greek and crook “Cleopatra” to “KLSOPDTRD.”

You tin find Cotronis’s artwork connected mag covers similar The Dark, and publication covers, specified arsenic Scott J. Moses’ Our Own Unique Affliction and the forthcoming Greek mythology retelling from Ghost Orchid Press, Winter Harvest by Ioanna Papadopoulou.

And arsenic mentioned earlier successful this article, determination are radical of colour passim Ancient Greece arsenic good arsenic successful Modern Greece. Filmmaker Adéọlá Naomi Adérèmí created I americium Afro Greek, a movie astir the lived experiences of Black radical successful Greece. In an interview with Contemporary And, a ocular arts platform, Adérèmí describes the structural racism we spot astir the satellite contiguous successful Greece arsenic well.

“Invisibility is simply a precise double-edged sword, erstwhile you travel from an allegedly homogenous achromatic country, that is Greece,” Adérèmí said successful the article. “I say allegedly due to the fact that it’s not true. Greece has ever been a migration country. But erstwhile it comes to internalized structural white superiority, done media, done art, we arsenic Black radical person ne'er been represented.”

Continuing the Conversation

To proceed to amusement caller perspectives successful the instauration of stories, immoderate mean they’re in, is truthful important successful today’s satellite of rising hatred for marginalized people. This overview mightiness not supply a wide solution, but giving dependable to it is simply a start. It’s astir the discussion, astir asking questions. And it’s important to support changeless vigilance successful whose stories we’re telling oregon retelling, whose cultures we’re presenting, and why.

Triantafyllou notes that Greek populations and Hellenistic influences are seen successful confederate Italy, Cyprus, and Egypt. It would beryllium large to spot interpretations of Greek mythology from writers connected to those cultures arsenic well.

“I deliberation what is happening present is simply a bully start,” Triantafyllou said. “People don’t cognize the full astir however Greek mythology came to beryllium truthful fashionable successful the West. Just this nonfiction reaching and educating immoderate radical successful immoderate ways is simply a bully thing.”

Part of my past enactment for Book Riot includes spotlighting literate magazines and presses that, successful turn, spotlight enactment from marginalized groups, specified arsenic queer writers, Black speculative fabrication writers, and immigrant and diaspora writers. As a privileged idiosyncratic fixed an accidental to write, this enactment is truthful important, and volition continue.

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