#tag: retelling

[excelsiorfics]

Classicverse 1.1 Avengers Assemble!

Date: 19 Dec 2007 Author: collb, Elspethdixon, Seanchaia Rating: General Word Count/Status: 13,416, completed Dynamic: N/A Characters: Tony Stark, Janet Van Dyne, Steve Rogers, Thor Tags: Alternate Universe

Summary: The Avengers find something interesting in the Arctic, which goes much better than bad science-fiction would lead you to expect.

[kurzler]

in my opinion, many modern greek retellings/stories inspired by greek mythology don't fail because they're inaccurate. they fail because they have nothing new to say.

i don't mind changes to the original myths, as long as they make sense and they have a narrative purpose! i understand that making changes is sometimes necessary to convey a certain narrative, especially to modern audiences.

is epic the musical mythologically accurate? hell no! but the changes serve to tell a specific story and to convey a certain message. also, epic the musical is self aware about its "inaccuracies". and the music just bangs.

is hadestown accurate? no! does it make the change that I always dread, removing the kidnapping from the hades/persephone myth? yeah. but hadestown is barely about them, and it uses greek mythology as a "narrative frame" to tell a certain story. it has a point. it has a message.

what are stories like lore olympus trying to say? what is the messagge of the hundredth persephone/hades retelling? what are we supposed to take from them? "don't listen to your mother she's a bitch"? "mothers are irrational and you should forsake her for a man"? very feminist.

why are we still doing the medusa "feminist" retellings? it's BEEN done. too many times. and they're ALL the same. it's a worse crime than being bad: they are boring.

i'm tired of retellings that are just "what if this very famous story was THE OPPOSITE and the protagonist was an ASSHOLE the whole time and the villain was MISUNDERSTOOD and the real VICTIM" okay but why. why would that be the case. what's the point of the story you want to tell. or do you just want to use shock value.

of course, i dislike retellings that are so different from the myth that they go AGAINST the spirit/message of the original, because in that case what's even the point of retelling the myth? just tell an original story. but i would take stabbed poseidon and capitalist hades any day over the same basic story of medusa being a girlboss or demeter being bad because of... reasons?

tl;dr: stop being unoriginal and tell a good story. or at least an entertaining one. i beg you

[mistakes-have-been-made]

I love it when even Greek mythology also affects my music taste because what is this-

I- look man it's just good idk what to say

If you happen to know any other Greek mythology musicals please let me know I would love to add more to the collection :3

[princyvish]

oops! all gay!

[holmesunenthusiast]

Adventures has so many good stories but I will ALWAYS be biased towards The Copper Beeches... Not for any reason in particular

[angarchive]

woke up thinking about apollos one sided beef with patroclus

[butchhamlet]

do you have any good shakespeare retelling book recs?

what a beautiful time to ask this, says guy who has left this ask collecting cobwebs in his inbox for months! because guess who has two thumbs and just finished queen goneril by erin shields! WHAT a fucking play, holy SHIT, this is some of the best characterization of the lear sisters that i've ever read and the exploration of womanhood as filtered through class + race + shitty families + political maneuvering is so so so good. also the things shields does with the og playtext... chef's fucking KISS

anyway, recency bias aside, i've been meaning to make a post about my favorite shakespeare retellings for a while, and i think i never actually did it because i wanted to make a lear retelling ranking list and then i never read some of the ones on my TBR. so whatever. the learlist will happen someday. here are my favorites in general. (here is my goodreads shelf for the retellings i've read, good and bad, and here is the shelf for the ones i have yet to read.)

in no particular order:

a thousand acres by jane smiley: outsold. epitome of what makes an effective retelling--a book that clearly has something to say about and to the original text, but that also isn't afraid to diverge, to exclude here and zoom in there. ungraciously, this is "lear on a farm" and it starts a little slow, but holy fucking shit, i can't do justice in a paragraph to the way this book unraveled me. one of the best books of all time mayhaps. also, introduced the edmund character by describing his ass. 10/10

the last true poets of the sea by julia drake: i don't read that much YA anymore but jesus fucking christ. books tailored for me specifically. twelfth night retelling about siblings + mental illness + being bisexual + love triangles that actually make sense (emotions are confusing!) instead of being contrived + beautiful description + excellent dialogue + THE MENTAL ILLNESS. books that made me start crying in zoom class in 2020

rosencrantz and guildenstern are dead by tom stoppard: kind of a cop-out answer because we all know this one. but that does not detract from how good it is. this is one of those plays, at least for me, that makes me think, "ohhhhhh, THIS is what theater can do. this is using its medium to the absolute utmost." it is so clever and it makes me want to cry. i think about "i don't know. it's the same sky" more often than i can say

american moor by keith hamilton cobb: not exactly a retelling, but a one-man play about a Black man auditioning for the lead role in Othello, tangling as he does with his relationship with shakespeare's work and cultural dominance. suuuuuch a good fucking play even beyond the analysis of othello (which is excellent); the language is so fucking incredible. everyone who likes shakespeare should read this.

teenage dick by mike lew: modern teenage richard iii; this one's more reimagining than retelling, because it diverges pretty sharply from the plot of richard iii, but god, it's so fucking fun. and upsetting! really upsetting also.

foul is fair by hannah capin: i will be so real. i read this in high school and some of the YA books i've revisited since did not hold up for me. so idk if i can tell you this is "good" with my full chest. but the pitch is "lady macbeth gets sexually assaulted at a party and decides to fucking kill the boys who did it" and i stayed up until like 1am to finish it because it was such a vicious gleaming wild ride

the stars undying by emery robin: does this count? hard to say, because it's just as much a retelling of roman history than shakespeare's antony and cleopatra (honestly, more, since it focuses on the era where caesar and cleopatra were lovers, which is before shakespeare's play). but i'm counting it anyway because it's bisexual space opera cleopatra and it's the best book i've read so far in 2024 and it's making me crazy and i'm writing a thesis on it < genuinely

peerless by jihae park: macbeth, but college applications, featuring asian macbeths (they're twin sisters >:3) who think their classmate has taken their place in their dream school because of affirmative action/DEI. this play is absolutely VICIOUS. it's macbeth x heathers. think it mirrors macbeth in faltering a little in its final stretch, but it still fucks hard

the wednesday wars by gary d. schmidt: okay, not a retelling; this is about a preteen boy in the 60s. but it's one of the best most genuine and heartwarming books i've ever read and it manages to be hilarious while also foregoing cheap slapstick punching-low humor for a hell of a lot of warmth and passion. and the main character interacts with shakespeare a lot as a running theme so i can justify putting it on this list. #evangelizing

of course, i would be remiss not to mention that @suits-of-woe / @mjulianwrites has written the best take on Two Gentlemen of Verona to ever exist, and i mean that quite seriously. unfortunately it hasn't been published yet so we'll all just have to prayer-circle about it. i would also be remiss not to take the opportunity to. uh. coughs. do a bit of casual self-promo. if you 1. have ocd 2. have gender or 3. think about malvolio a lot. boy do i have the novella for you

will definitely add to this when i read more retellings; feel free to drop recs in the tags/replies/reblogs/my askbox!

[theproverbialpen]

Do the Benefits Outweigh the Cost?

Summary: Zeus refuses to wrestle with his emotions as he listens in on the conversation between not one but two Poseidons. Inspired by @neal-illustrator's "Phantom Pains" comic.

Word Count: 1477

Warnings: Discussions of childhood trauma

Notes: After a month of not writing anything, Neal Illustrator posted this comic in her discord (you should subscribe to her Patreon if you're able btw it's such a lovely community) and I was struck with inspiration like one of Zeus' very own bolts. As soon as I got the notification that Neal posted this on her tumblr I got so excited, finally getting some time to post. Hope y'all enjoy this little angst piece I cooked up:

Time was a strange thing—boundless, all encompassing, and utterly inescapable. All were subject to the ceaseless passage of the seasons—neither mortals nor gods were free from its linear march. Linear, that was to say, in most cases.

Ever since Zeus and his siblings banded together all those millennia ago to defeat the Titan who had once reigned supreme over Time, they had enjoyed relative stability and peace (disregarding that one little uprising incident but, well, Zeus had dealt with that handedly). However, there were a few occasions on which Cronus would rouse ever so slightly from his imposed slumber down in the depths of Tarturus. Those were occasions when time got…weird.

Hence, the scene currently playing out before Zeus. He had felt a ripple in the fabric of reality—that telltale sign that his bastard of a father was acting up again—and had travelled to Aegae to alert his brother. He had planned for them to go down to see Hades together so that the three of them could ensure the seal was holding fast and thus found himself marching through the halls of his middle brother's underwater palace. It was in a central chamber, at the foot of a grand marble statue depicting the Ruler of the Tides, where he had come across Poseidon. Correction—where he had found two Poseidons.

The younger Poseidon was just as Zeus had remembered him, as much as a child his age could have recalled. His hair was a short bob, well on its way to becoming the long, rippling mane that defined his brother in the present day. The edges of his jaw were still soft, marked by a faint peach fuzz that would eventually grow into a well-groomed, tri-pointed beard. He wore a blue ribbon around his neck from which a gold medallion was hung, etched with his emblematic trident—the same medallion he would eventually incorporate into his belt. He still had that youthful sparkle in his eyes, eyes set upon a face that could not hide a single emotion that passed through the young god’s heart; after all, Poseidon had always had one of the biggest hearts of them all, second only to Hestia. And of course:

This Poseidon still had his right arm.

The young God of the Sea, with all his limbs and his animated personality still intact, was a far cry from the deity sitting next to him. Zeus could hardly believe he was watching the same people converse with each other. Zeus’ brother, as he knew him, was a ruthless being. He had his moments when he got flustered, sure, but Poseidon Agolotraina was defined by a coldness as sharp and piercing as the three pronged weapon he wielded. Zeus would often make light of Poseidon’s dour demeanor—as was his right as both his youngest sibling and his king—but the Thunder Bringer was no fool. Zeus was well acquainted with the rage that constantly simmered beneath Poseidon’s surface and he knew better than to underestimate the danger his brother could pose. It was a rage and a danger that were notably absent from the teenage version of Poseidon sitting on those steps, and that thought alone made Zeus’ chest tighten with a sadness he did not care to address.

Typically, Zeus would have sauntered over to the pair, offered some sort of witty one-liner, and generally just have inserted himself into the situation unbidden. However, defying all of his usual desire to command whatever room he was in, Zeus found himself quietly stepping behind one of the pillars and concealing himself from view (as best someone with a form as imposing as his could). His breathing grew shallower as he strained to listen in on his brothers’ conversation, leaving him just about able to make out their exchange.

“Staring is rude,” present-Poseidon chided in his deeper, baritone voice. Zeus snuck a glance around the marble column and spotted past-Poseidon’s fallen face, embarrassment washing over his features like the tide dragging along the shore. The young god quickly averted his eyes and Zeus ducked back into his hiding place, cursing to himself when he noticed his untamed curls peeking out past the edge of the pillar. Thankfully, it became apparent that he had remained undetected when present-Poseidon spoke again. “I can’t tell you how it happened.”

Zeus heard a deep sigh before a higher-pitched voice rang out through the chamber. “I figured as much,” past-Poseidon lamented. His statement was accompanied by a subtle crack, his timbre oscillating between rich fullness and pitchy squeaking in the way that only an adolescent’s could. Fully into his own adulthood, Zeus could not help but find the sound amusing. And yet, it also caused a part of him to ache with a potent nostalgia. It was as if past-Poseidon’s four words alone had transported Zeus back to a simpler time, a time when that very voice was a grounding source of comfort. It was a time when that voice—pitchiness and all—belonged to the man whom Zeus admired the most in the world.

Being the closest in age, Zeus had spent the most time with Poseidon before the domestic embrace of family was so cruelly ripped from him. To be fair, it wasn't as if the rest of his siblings weren’t involved in his rearing. Hades was a stoic yet kind eldest brother and while the girls weren’t technically his sisters, the bonds they all shared gave Zeus a feeling of safety and serenity that ran far deeper than blood. But when Zeus wanted someone to play with, Poseidon had always been the first to volunteer. When he needed a shoulder to cry on, Poseidon’s was the first one he had found. And when their lives were at stake, Poseidon had been the one to tuck him into that secluded corner while maintaining a brave face, ensuring that young Zeus had no idea anything was wrong until it was far too late.

Zeus could still recall the feeling of being tucked securely in the crook of his older brother’s arms as Poseidon’s footsteps echoed through the eerie, empty halls of Olympus. He could still recall the warmth of his older brother’s hands wrapped protectively around him. Young Zeus had no idea it would be the last time he’d ever feel the comfort of Poseidon's right palm splayed across his back again.

“Can I ask you a question?” past-Poseidon continued, breaking Zeus from his increasingly disconcerting recollection. 

“Of course,” present-Poseidon responded.

The room fell quiet for a moment, so quiet that Zeus had to hold his breath lest he disturb the pensive stillness of the air. Then, he heard that familiar, cracking voice again.

“Does it still hurt?”

The ichor froze in Zeus’ veins as every muscle in his body went taut all at once. He imagined present-Poseidon was experiencing the same paralyzing, stomach-dropping sensation if the prolonged silence was anything to go by. Zeus could picture the Sea God's facade cracking in his mind’s eye, could almost see the surprised look that must have overtaken Poseidon's impartial expression as his older brother sharply inhaled. 

“Don’t fear the pain,” Poseidon finally answered after what felt like a millennia had passed. “The benefits far outweigh the cost.”

Zeus barely managed to hold back his snort. ‘Don’t fear the pain,’ Poseidon said, as if he had not let out a scream for their mother so blood curdling that it still haunted Zeus to this day. ‘The benefits outweigh the cost,’ Poseidon assured, as if he had not tried to overthrow the very same brother for whom he had lost that arm protecting. Through his deflective platitudes, Poseidon had left the heart of the question unanswered. Perhaps he could spare his younger self from the truth, but Zeus had seen Poseidon flinch at nothing more than enough times to know the real answer which his brother had left unspoken.

As Zeus stood in the shadow of that pillar, one hand clenched tightly into a fist at his side, he could not help but wonder—was there any truth to Poseidon’s words? Did he really not regret his decision all those years ago? Was it worth it, losing both a part of himself and the years of his youth trapped in darkness and acid, all to protect his younger brother? Was Zeus one of those ‘benefits’ that outweighed the cost of Poseidon’s choice to face their father head on?

Or were these all just hollow words meant to assuage the fears of a young god not yet marred by the trauma of their youth and the strain in their brotherhood?

Worrying about such things was beneath Zeus. With a gruff exhale, he pushed himself off of the sandstone pillar and stalked back down the halls toward Aegae’s front entrance. Clearly Poseidon was busy—Zeus would just consult Hades on his own. Staying any longer would just be a waste of time. That was why Zeus was leaving without a word.

It was most certainly not because he feared learning the answers to his own questions left unasked.

[wrong-thyme]

since Feminist Greek Myth Retellings are becoming their own subgenre, why not make a bingo card?

next time you see the #145882th medusa retelling, check out how many squares you can get from just the blurb 🤪

~free to use~

[terminalkisser]

babel on&on

first ever fic i formally finish & its of the two most pretentious characters to write. Take a looks, please? (link under cut)

[cescalovestowrite]

Is there a place in the fandom for people who love the Odyssey and the Iliad but don't shit on modern adaptations like TSOA or Circe by Madelinne Miller, because they think these adaptations have a right to exist and that it's ok to change some intentions and actions of the characters even if we personally don't like these changes?

I don't know, just asking.

[specter-sketcher]

ACHILLES COME DOWN ANIMATIC IS OUT

Took me a VERY long time, but it finally done and out. It was a mini class project turn into passion project and Final. An animatic of a tale of the gayest soldiers in the Trojan War Mythos is now open to the public for viewing. (i had to fight the editing so hard)

Context if needed-

Achilles is drowning in grief after losing his love in the Trojan War with his own inaction to fight partly causing it, and as the song goes, he goes up to a roof. The weight of his grief and guilt fromf the death of Patroclus forms a fake being that speaks out his worst thoughts, taunting him every second to jump. While the real Patroclus's ghost is trying his best to get Achilles come back down and away from the edge. Yet the ending still isn't a happy one. Achilles is still doomed to die, but he won't die on that roof.

Hope you enjoy. (here's a YouTube link ver as well)

[tangents-within-tangents]

Fairytale retellings are always like 'how do we empower little red riding hood?' How do we make her badass instead of a helpless little girl? What if she wears the wolf's pelt after its dead! What if she *gasp* has a weapon! Or what if she is a werewolf!' And that's all fine and good, but like what if we just go back to earlier versions of the tale where she outsmarts the wolf on her own?

[crazykuroneko]

He really said this because he believed for 77 years that Lestat had abandoned him, that their 30 years of marriage was nothing for Lestat, and that Lestat really wanted and planned for them both to die, that Lestat loving him - a fact in their wedding vow that made Louis accepted the gift- was false, didn't he?

[magiefish]

This might just be a *me* thing, but I do find it kind of fascinating that almost every Feminist Greek Myth Retelling seems compelled to flatten Helen into a two-dimensional basic-bitch with no guilt or remorse for her actions despite the fact that self-loathing for her own beauty, a feeling of a lack of agency in the face of Aphrodite's whims and a complicated affection for and loyalty to both the Greeks and the Trojans are all major characteristics of hers in both The Odyssey and The Iliad. I'm sure this has nothing to do with the dynamics of modern feminism and patriarchy whatsoever.

[katabay]

THEY SAY THERE IS A CARPENTER FROM THE PROVINCE PERFORMING MIRACLES IN THE CAPITAL

another scene and some sketches of the fake byzantine empire ocs! thomas is a carpenter, john is a merchant. there's an emperor (two, actually) in here, looming ominously over everything.

(I call it the fake byzantine empire because the setting is playing with byzantine history that spans across three centuries, but it's also pulling from things like Statius' Thebaid and later medieval literature. folk catholic horror, probably. doctrinal debates and schisms are in here)

on the topic of nameless and unknown saints, tho, sometimes I think about this excerpt from an essay in Closet Queeries and the time I was on my way to Tanjay and saw an abandoned chapel along a road with a statue of a saint I didn't recognize inside

Closet Queeries, essays by J. Neil C. Garcia

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app / tip jar!