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A review by hywar
The Mythic Dream by Dominik Parisien, Navah Wolfe
4.0
A collection of fantastic myth retellings, ranging in setting from ancient, present, and future, and with a highlighting focus on LGBT+ inclusion. Normally in an anthology like this, you'll find a range of weak to strong stories, but in this particular book, I couldn't peg any of them as being particularly weak. The stories are all short enough where you can read them in one sitting, partaking in a new myth whether you are drinking your early morning coffee or prepping to go to bed, though you may not want to stop at one!
The highlights for me were definitely:
1. Phantoms of the Midway written by Seanan McGuire, which is a retelling of Hades and Persephone, in this case, set on a traveling carnival fairground.
2. A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy written by Rebecca Roanhorse, which is the story of Deer Hunter and White Corn Maiden creatively set in a futuristic society where you can inject the memories of the dead into your veins and relive their existence. This one was so amazing I couldn't put it down, and desperately wanted a short film adaptation of it! It would be incredible.
3. Wild To Covet written by Sarah Gaily, which is the story of Thetis, the mother of Achilles.
4. Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers written by Amal El-Mohtar, which is the story of Blodeuwedd, the wife made of flowers for Lleu Llaw Gyffes.
Many of the stories have a similar theme in seeking to tell the tales of what have often been minor characters in myths, offering interesting and compelling perspectives.
The highlights for me were definitely:
1. Phantoms of the Midway written by Seanan McGuire, which is a retelling of Hades and Persephone, in this case, set on a traveling carnival fairground.
2. A Brief Lesson in Native American Astronomy written by Rebecca Roanhorse, which is the story of Deer Hunter and White Corn Maiden creatively set in a futuristic society where you can inject the memories of the dead into your veins and relive their existence. This one was so amazing I couldn't put it down, and desperately wanted a short film adaptation of it! It would be incredible.
3. Wild To Covet written by Sarah Gaily, which is the story of Thetis, the mother of Achilles.
4. Florilegia; Or, Some Lies About Flowers written by Amal El-Mohtar, which is the story of Blodeuwedd, the wife made of flowers for Lleu Llaw Gyffes.
Many of the stories have a similar theme in seeking to tell the tales of what have often been minor characters in myths, offering interesting and compelling perspectives.