Are there any good books with Greek mythological characters?

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by JD, May 21, 2011.

  1. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I love Greek mythology and lately I've been in the mood for a modern novel with Greek mythological elements in it. The only ones I know of right now are the Percy Jackson and the Olympians/Heroes of Olympus series, and some other Something of Chaos series I found will looking around on wikipedia. But, I read a review that said the Something of Chaos deal with alot of submission/dominance kinda stuff, and I am not into that. Are there any others that are worth reading?
     
  2. Hound of UIster

    Hound of UIster Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Mary Renault's the King Must Die/Bull From the Sea is about Theseus King of Athens

    Also Incredible Hercules 113-141 by Greg Pak and Fred Van Lethe is a very good comic books series about Hercules in the modern world as a superhero.

    Also the Iliad by Homer, it's great poem. The prose translation is very good too.
     
  3. Gaith

    Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Are good books with Greek mythological characters?


    Steak.
     
  4. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Olympos and Ilium by Dan Simmons.
     
  5. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Quoted for truth. An epic SF duology featuring practically all the characters of the Illiad. Achilles and Odysseus in particular are great characters in the novels.
     
  6. Darth_Daver

    Darth_Daver Captain Captain

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    So if Hyperion/Fall of Hyperion is right now among my top 5 scifi books ever, you say I should read Olympos and Ilium as well? :vulcan:
     
  7. sojourner

    sojourner Admiral In Memoriam

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Um, why the :vulcan:? It's not like you posted earlier in this thread stating your love for the Simmon's books.
     
  8. Darth_Daver

    Darth_Daver Captain Captain

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Okay, I guess these smileys don't convey my "funny vulcan face" :) sorry :)
     
  9. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Soldier of the Mist and its sequels by Gene Wolfe...
     
  10. Whofan

    Whofan Fleet Captain

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    The Incredible Hercules
     
  11. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    I realized when I started the thread that I wanted to open this up to comics too, there seem to be quite a few with alot of mythological stuff in them. Doesn't Wonder Woman also have some of the Greek Gods in it?
     
  12. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Yes, the Amazons and her mother Hippolyte are characters from the Greek Myths. Her powers are gifts from the Gods.
     
  13. Hound of UIster

    Hound of UIster Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Dan Simmons is sadly another writer that went crazy after 9/11.

    Ilium was good. Everything fell apart in Olympos and he played to some of the worst right wing muslim cliches.
     
  14. Professor Zoom

    Professor Zoom Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    I liked the first one VERY much.

    The second was a HUUUGGGGEE disappointment.
     
  15. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    I was looking around at the DC comics Amazons, and I saw there was one named Artemis who took the Wonder Woman title for a while. So is she the Goddess or just an Amazon named after the Goddess?
     
  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

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    Actually it's Fred Van Lente, but "Van Lethe" is a nice Freudian slip for a thread about Greek myths. ;)


    Okay, between these two posts, I'm confused. Which one was the first and which was second? Are you two agreeing or disagreeing about which one was better?


    She's Artemis of the Bana-Mighdall, a tribe of Amazons. She was named after the goddess, just as the original Wonder Woman, Princess Diana of Themyscira, was named after the Roman counterpart of the same goddess.

    However, I believe Diana's mother Hippolyta, at least in some versions, is the same Hippolyta whom Herakles battled in myth (although in the myths, Herc killed her).
     
  17. Professor Zoom

    Professor Zoom Admiral Admiral

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    The person I was replying to had them in reverse publication order. Illium is first, then Olympos.

    Illium sets up a REALLY interesting universe and mysteries, but then... Olympos... just sort of craps on it.

    If the first book didn't end on a cliff hanger, I would recommend it. I rarely sell books back, but, these, I quickly removed from my shelves.
     
  18. JD

    JD Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Has anyone read The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley? I remember that my sister had it right around the time that I first started learning about Greek Mythology and the Illiad in school, but she moved out before I ever got around to reading it.
     
  19. Thestral

    Thestral Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Re: Are good books with Greek mythological characters?

    Another writer? I'm curious, is there a list about who you'd say lost it like that after 9/11?