Classical Mythology Inspired Fiction: Where to Start Reading
Over the last few years, stories inspired by mythology have become an integral part of fiction, spawning off a sub-genre of retellings. Personally, I’m here for all of them and have been devouring any and all I’ve been able to get my hands on – but if you haven’t, where to start? I’ve sat down with the team and put together a list of great books to start reading stories based on Classical mythology! This is the first part of a multi-part series on books inspired by myths and legends, with Arthurian novels to follow next.
Circe
Madeleine Miller is the original queen of this wave of retellings. Her The Song of Achilles and Circe are classics for a reason – and especially Circe is a brilliant story giving a woman agency rather than being a footnote in someone else’s story. Circe had always been fascinating to me through her small role in the Odyssey and reading this when it came out some years ago is what drew me to retellings. A must-read if you’re getting into retellings!
Medusa might be my favourite female figure from Greek myth. And she has absolutely no time for the mediocre men who make her life a mess – and Natalie Haynes’ Stone Blind nails that sentiment. Told partially by the Gorgoneion – Medusa’s slayed head – Stone Blind has the advantage of hindsight and a snarky narrator who takes no shit. It is compelling and thoroughly feminist. A true story of the gods’ whims and how they favour undeserving mortals and the impact this has on the women around them.
Constanza Casati’s Clytemnestra is a fascinating portrayal of one of the most complex human women in Classical mythology. A fiercely loving mother, ultimately killed by her own children in a series of revenge acts. This take on her story is written in brilliant prose, taking the reader through Clytemnestra’s life from childhood to the more famous parts and creates a multi-layered anti-hero to root for. The pacing is just right and tension is kept up so well in this, I flew through it and need more. One that stands out from the market – see our full review here.
Jennifer Saint has become a cult favourite among lovers of mythological fiction over the last few years. And rightfully so. Her novels are strong, well-paced and compelling. Ariadne is a new take on what happens to the titular character after she is abandoned by Theseus – because who needs weak men like him? – and was a true pleasure to read in a single sitting. Elektra takes the reader on a journey to discover the lives of three women – Elektra, her mother Clytemnestra, and Cassandra, the Trojan princess brought back by her father as his spoils of war. I am looking forward to reading Atalanta when it comes out this spring – I’m sure it will be just as compelling and full of morally complex female characters!
Elodie Harper’s The Wolf Den series isn’t quite a mythological retelling in the traditional sense. But it is set in Pompeii around the legendary Lupinarium – the titular Wolf Den and its brothel. And that makes it fair game to join this list to me – because this series is great and deserves all the love. Amara, the main character is a prostitute, a slave at the Lupinarium, brought there from Greece. She works hard to find a way out of slavery for herself. It is fascinating to see Pompeii come to life – a place I have always been fascinated by – and to meet so many fleshed out characters, both new and familiar from the pages of history. Read the full review of book one here – and look out for book three later this year!
On the more literary end of the list, Pat Barker’s novels, The Silence of the Girls and the follow-up, The Women of Troy, are brilliant contenders to round off this list. While most stories and retellings focus on Helen – who I find to be a hugely over-rated character, especially as her importance is due to her looks alone making her a plaything of the gods – this instead is centred on Briseis. Trojan princess captured by the Greeks, Barker explores her life and the moral conundrums she faces as a slave in the enemy camp right outside her beleaguered home. These novels are slower than others on this list, but more introspective and pack no less of a punch.
I decided to add Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus on as a bonus rather than a part of the list itself as it is on the fluffier end of interpretations of Classical mythology. A webtoon comic, it is available online here as well as in a printed edition published by Del Rey. A semi-modern take on the legend of Hades and Persephone, this is a story of love, toxic relationships and the gods we all love to hate. I adore the very limited colour palette, which makes this visually unique. Delightfully gossipy and a favourite of the team!
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