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daggryet · 4 years

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my thoughts on the characters right now, seen from their perspectives (5/01)

tommy:

his main priority is his discs, from the beginning till now he’s wanted the discs back

we have to remember what tommy has been through with dream during his exile - he had given the discs up for l’manberg to have its independence in the first place, making it very clear when they took l’manberg back that he wanted the discs back now - he started his quest to get the discs back and was, in his mind, betrayed by his best friend for doing what he always said he wanted to do - he was secluded, isolated, which he very clearly did not handle well. he thrives off company, and now he was alone, alone and betrayed - dream manipulated and gaslit him into believing he had no one but dream, and that dream’s lovebombing was him being a good friend - he was almost driven to suicide due to touch starvation and emotional neglect - he believed the punishments dream gave him were warranted, were normal - even after he escaped from dream, he had difficulty figuring out what the truth was, if dream was a friend or not, if techno was an enemy or not

tommy has had his world split apart and put together again, and when it was put together again, nothing was the same except for one thing:

the discs

the discs he gave up for l’manberg, the dream he and wilbur had of a country emancipated from the tyranny of their rulers, is the only goal that has stayed the same through everything

going through the trauma tommy has, has definitely made it harder for him to keep himself tethered and feel empathy to see where the lines between what is okay and what is not okay is

the discs are his goal, tubbo (and l’manberg as an idea) is his tether, his anchor, to who he was - and maybe even his empathy. when he doesn’t remember tubbo and the l’manberg he helped build, he doesn’t think of how much his actions hurt the people around him

prediction:

he said it himself: he’s not gonna actually join techno in destroying l’manberg - even though we as viewers, from an outside perspective, can see that he’s already been well on his way to do that - he has one goal right now: retrieving the discs, in that quest the goal justifies the means

he’ll use techno, once more, as a way to get his discs - the difference is, this time he’s 100% aware that he’s using techno. they don’t have shared goals

techno isn’t stopping just because tommy breaks loose from him, and technoblade was very clear in what he wanted: he wanted l’manberg gone forever - and as tubbo reiterated, l’manberg isn’t a physical place, it’s the people.

if/when technoblade does harm to tubbo, tommy will turn against technoblade completely

dream isn’t done with tommy: he’ll do what he can to get him back under his control - a disillusioned tommy who is betrayed by both techno and tubbo (more in tubbo’s section) is an easy target to manipulate into believing he truly has no one but dream

tubbo:

tubbo was a spy during the schlatt administration and got executed publicly for it, by technoblade

even though he ‘forgave’ technoblade for it - despite tommy not being willing to let it go, he’s obviously not forgotten

he was put in as president by wilbur and promised that he was going to have his term defined by peace and open borders, he wanted unity even if people were still split into dream smp and l’manberg

tubbo’s term was immediately kicked off with l’manberg being blown up by wilbur, and it being revealed dream had orchestrated it all, no matter the outcome of the actual war - essentially, that all their sacrifices had been nothing as they’d been pawns in dream’s chess gam

technoblade, the man who executed tubbo even though he’d been reassured technoblade wouldn’t hurt him, also ‘betrayed’ l’manberg and spawned withers into the already blown up l’manberg

he rebuilt an entire country, making l’manberg flourish for the first time since it’d originally been trying to get emancipated

his vice president commits essentially foreign terrorism and because of his status, he also drags l’manberg as a country into the fight - had tommy been a regular citizen, it’d have been the work of a rogue man, and the matter could have been dealt with as such - a vice president is the stand-in for the president, what he says should be an echo of what the president says and does, what he stands for

without warning, his country had been encased in obsidian walls, built as a punishment by the very god-like player who’d planned out l’manbergs explosion

tubbo tries, through what is l’manberg’s original idea: fighting through words, and actually makes a deal with dream where he gets to keep both a free-ish l’manberg and tommy at home

tommy, without tubbo’s knowledge - again, rebels against dream, crushing all hopes of a peaceful treat - he is subsequently given the dilemma: either exile your best friend or i will build the walls as high as they can go, and if any of your citizens think of even going close to the walls - they will be slaughtered

he chooses, with the help of the viewers, to exile tommy - his cabinet protests this, says he’s acting like schlatt by not communicating his decision to them - ignoring that they, with tommy, changed their attitudes and the entire plan the night before, planned to team up with the very anarchist who had murdered tubbo and attempted to remove the government forever - while also not even knowing whether or not techno would even want to help them, and he couldn’t sacrifice his country on the whim that techno maybe would want to help protect the government against someone he has a neutral relationship to

was manipulated by dream to think tommy hated him and that he shouldn’t visit him, that dream - the one who had made wilbur blow l’manberg up - was his friend

his own cabinet is scheming behind his back, his closest ally - ranboo - has betrayed him in secret by helping technoblade and philza

thought for a long time that the decision he had made to exile his friend had driven him to suicide

the friend he thought was dead, has now teamed up with technoblade (killed tubbo, betrayed l’manberg) and committed not one but several acts of terrorism and torture

through no means of his own, tubbo’s presidency has been defined by violence

predictions:

ranboo lost them their only leverage over technoblade they had left, either unwittingly or on purpose - but tubbo has one very big thing to leverage: tommy’s disc

he could 1) bargain with dream, give him the disc in exchange for help against technoblade and tommy, 2) bargain personally with tommy, threaten to burn the disc if he doesn’t give himself up

the festival, or the aftermath of it, could also be a set up for a quackity coup

technoblade:

helped pogtopia retake l’manberg, did lie by omission by not making it completely clear that he did not support them reinstalling themselves as part of the new government

for as much as he was clear in that he was an anarchist, pogtopia was also clear in that they wanted to overthrow schlatt and take back (l’)manberg - it was 1+1=2 to put together they wanted to return to the position they’d held before the election

after his failed attempt at removing the government, he went into self-imposed retirement under the guise he has steppped down from his violent ways - reveals to tommy that he has secretly prepared his revenge on l’manberg, showing him tens of wither skulls, making it very clear he’s not done wanting to destroy all governments

wants revenge over l’manberg for what they did to philza (either his dad or his long time friend through the wars, depending) and to him (attempted to execute him, would have succeeded if he hadn’t had a totem of the undying)

took tommy in and helped him through a lot of his trauma, recognised his anxiety and tried his best to accomodate - rephrased his “give me your armour, tommy” - reminds tommy what dream did to him - makes him focus when he panics so techno can find him and help him through his panic attack - continues to make clear that when he asks for something back, it’s only because he wants his things - not because he doesn’t want tommy to have it at all

used tommy in the beginning only as a useful tool, not as a valuable ally: cared for him, wanted him to be better (if, very cynically, it was only because a traumatised child soldier isn’t much help), but changed his outlook

as opposed to last time: when he decided tommy wasn’t just a tool, but an ally, he made it clear to tommy what he wanted, what his goal was. no sugar coating, no metaphors that could be misinterpreted

mirrored wilbur’s demand: join me or don’t, no matter what you choose, you’ll lose somehow, because i’m blowing l’manberg up with or without you at my side - either unwittingly or on purpose, to compliment tommy’s own wilbur-saying “l’manberg is my unfinished symphony”

predictions:

he’s going to attack tomorrow at the festival, possibly kill quackity (i don’t think so), tubbo (maybe, not kill, but definitely injure), or fundy (more likely)

he still owes dream a favour, and dream has been building the prison secretly with room for a lot of prisoners but mainly one, powerful player - the favour could be that he was asked to step into the main cell, where he’ll never get out - the favour is a genie’s wish: it might not turn out as dream wants it, even if what happens technically fulfills his wish

dream:

has one goal: wants the entire server to unite under dream smp as one biog happy family - ie. he wants them all as puppets that follow his directions and strings without resisting, a happy family just as he wishes they act

has the power of a god (*cough* creative) and is possibly also an immortal being - possibly a being along the lines of pennywise, the nogitsune (teen wolf), immortal beings who feed on something other people produce. be it fear, chaos - lack of free will

he knows he is the puppetmaster, ie. his speeches to king eret - “just remember what it is that gives you power, it’s no pretty little crown. i’m the reason you have power.” - as long as everyone dances to his tune, they can pretend to possess whatever titles. he’s the one with the power.

had never met resistance before tommy joined the server and started war and war again against him, and he even helped in ruining dream’s illusion of the united family by building l’manberg and asking for independence

l’manberg was a dream of wilbur and tommy’s, but the discs were still tommy’s most prized possession - which is why he allowed l’manberg “unofficial” independence from dream smp in exchange for both the discs

after the great l’manberg war and blowing everything up, something he’d planned, l’manberg had a president that wanted peace above anything else, even official independence - with no borders, no official recognition of the independence, dream could still pretend his happy family dream had come true

tommy then destroys the new king, george’s, house, making it clear that even though everyone else has fallen back into the ranks, tommy still rebels, ruins his picture perfect smp

getting tommy under control is top priority: - this includes getting control over his most prized possessions, the discs. that’s top priority. if you have the discs, you have tommy - and he wants tommy. he wants tommy to be the perfect puppet, as all the other people on the smp are

in exile, he does what he can to isolate tommy geographically, mentally, and gaslights him into believing he has no one but dream

gets tommy used to a routine where the prize, if he is good, is lovebombing, so he gets used to thinking that what dream wants him to do is good - and doing anything else, literally anything else but the routine, is bad

you can win the war even after losing a few battles, if you can get complete and utter control over your enemy: - either by having enough leverage over him to ensure he’d never go against dream - or by having him so dependent on dream as if he was a pet

he wants tommy back under his power

is in possession of knowledge that will make the entire smp hate him - possibly from the book schlatt left him? - will stage a fight with punz to ensure that he still has a spy within l’manberg to keep an eye on them

has commissioned awesamdude to build him an inescapable prison for someone whose power or influence or whatever is too important or big for dream to be able to kill this person, even with his godlike powers - this could be technoblade

technoblade owes dream a favour, a one wish for everything your heart desires wish

predictions:

dream will be going into hiding as everyone on the server will be against him, either because of him revealing a secret or he does something to someone (maybe puts them in prison)

he wants power over tommy again, this means he has to get both discs (he might have one? or he was bluffing), one from skeppy, the other from tubbo - and it also means he has to separate him from technoblade (even though that might solve itself)

captainpuffy built him a house very, very far away where no one knows where he is - when he gets his hands on tommy, he might somehow bring Tommy with him all the way out there, while he hides from the rest of the SMP’s anger

#long post #like long long #dream smp #manipulation tw #suicide mention tw #if this flops at least i'm now so tired i'll fall asleep immediatelu

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rinrinp42 · 7 years

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@writingfish here’s the list! Under a read more, because it ended up being 7 pages in word. I included a summary or synopsis of each work where I could, and my own impressions of each

Quick search for modern uses of Indian Mythology (I tried for both entertainment and more non-fiction usage:

The Krishna Key by Ashwin Sanghi

“Five thousand years ago, there came to earth a magical being called Krishna, who brought about innumerable miracles for the good of mankind. Humanity despaired of its fate if the Blue God were to die but was reassured that he would return in a fresh avatar when needed in the eventual Dark Age-the Kaliyug. In modern times, a poor little rich boy grows up believing that he is that final avatar. Only, he is a serial killer. In this heartstopping tale, the arrival of a murderer who executes his gruesome and brilliantly thoughtout schemes in the name of God is the first clue to a sinister conspiracy to expose an ancient secret-Krishna's priceless legacy to mankind. Historian Ravi Mohan Saini must breathlessly dash from the submerged remains of Dwarka and the mysterious lingam of Somnath to the icy heights of Mount Kailash, in a quest to discover the cryptic location of Krishna's most prized possession. From the sandwashed ruins of Kalibangan to a Vrindavan temple destroyed by Aurangzeb, Saini must also delve into antiquity to prevent a gross miscarriage of justice. Ashwin Sanghi brings you yet another exhaustively researched whopper of a plot, while providing an incredible alternative interpretation of the Vedic Age that will be relished by conspiracy buffs and thrilleraddicts alike.” (Sanghi, n.d.)

This sounds really interesting, and I’m really tempted to see if there’s an audiobook to listen to. I like that it’s apparently well researched, if only because I like that type of research.

The Mahabharata Secret by Christopher C. Doyle

“244 B.C. Asoka the Great discovers an ancient and terrible secret – a secret buried deep in the Mahabharata; a secret that could destroy the world; a secret hidden away for over 2300 years… Present Day A retired nuclear scientist is murdered. He leaves only e-mails with clues for his nephew. He and his friends follow a trail through ciphers and 2000 year old ruins. Pursued by powerful dark forces, caught between the secrets of the past and the intrigues of the present, can they unravel the mystery before an unspeakable horror is unleashed on the world…?” (Doyle, n.d.)

Apparently this is part of a series (or kinda looks like it on the site? Idk). I’m honestly not that interested in it, it seems….trite. And something feels off about the description, but I don’t know enough about the mythology he’s trying to depict to say what.

The Shiva Trilogy by Amish Tripathi

“Ever thought what would have happened had Shiv, Sati, and other related mythological characters were humans, and had their own story weaved around? The answer to your curiosity lies in these three books.” (Srivastava, n.d.)

Ngl, the concept is super interesting to me, but the titles are so “airport paperback” that they make me laugh (tho some of my favorite books have been airport paperbacks, so who am I to judge?)

Ajaya Trilogy by Anand Neelakantan

“Mahabharata written from the point of view of the Kauravas. This in itself makes it a very intriguing concept. Though only the first two parts have been released, we just cannot wait for the final part.” (Srivastava, n.d.)

I am always down for things written from different viewpoints, especially considering the whole “history is written by the victors” thing

Asura:The Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan

“The epic tale of victory and defeat. The story of the Ramayana had been told innumerable times. The enthralling story of Rama, the incarnation of God, who slew Ravana, the evil demon of darkness, is known to every Indian. And in the pages of history, as always, it is the version told by the victors, that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence. But what if Ravana and his people had a different story to tell? The story of the Ravanayana had never been told. Asura is the epic tale of the vanquished Asura people, a story that has been cherished by the oppressed outcastes of India for 3000 years. Until now, no Asura has dared to tell the tale. But perhaps the time has come for the dead and the defeated to speak. For thousands of years, I have been vilified and my death is celebrated year after year in every corner of India. Why? Was it because I challenged the Gods for the sake of my daughter? Was it because I freed a race from the yoke of caste-based Deva rule? You have heard the victor's tale, the Ramayana. Now hear the Ravanayana, for I am Ravana, the Asura, and my story is the tale of the vanquished. I am a non-entity invisible, powerless and negligible. No epics will ever be written about me. I have suffered both Ravana and Rama, the hero and the villain or the villain and the hero. When the stories of great men are told, my voice maybe too feeble to be heard. Yet, spare me a moment and hear my story, for I am Bhadra, the Asura, and my life is the tale of the loser. The ancient Asura empire lay shattered into many warring petty kingdoms reeling under the heel of the Devas. In desperation, the Asuras look up to a young savior, Ravana. Believing that a better world awaits them under Ravana, common men like Bhadra decide to follow the young leader. With a will of iron and a fiery ambition to succeed, Ravana leads his people from victory to victory and carves out a vast empire from the Devas. But even when Ravana succeeds spectacularly, the poor Asuras find that nothing much has changed for them. It is when that Ravana, by one action, changes the history of the world.” (Neelakantan, n.d.)

Same as above, this sounds super interesting. (I did edit the summary a bit because on Amazon it was showing up with extra symbols and spaces, like a “ ? ”)

Jaya By Devdutt Pattanaik

“High above the sky stands Swarga, paradise, abode of the gods. Still above is Vaikuntha, heaven, abode of God. The doorkeepers of Vaikuntha are the twins, Jaya and Vijaya, both whose names mean victory . One keeps you in Swarga; the other raises you into Vaikuntha. In Vaikuntha there is bliss forever, in Swarga there is pleasure for only as long as you deserve. What is the difference between Jaya and Vijaya? Solve this puzzle and you will solve the mystery of the Mahabharata. In this enthralling retelling of India s greatest epic, the Mahabharata, originally known as Jaya, Devdutt Pattanaik seamlessly weaves into a single narrative plots from the Sanskrit classic as well as its many folk and regional variants, including the Pandavani of Chattisgarh, Gondhal of Maharashtra, Terukkuttu of Tamil Nadu, and Yakshagana of Karnataka. Richly illustrated with over 250 line drawings by the author, the 108 chapters abound with little-known details such as the names of the hundred Kauravas, the worship of Draupadi as a goddess in Tamil Nadu, the stories of Astika, Madhavi, Jaimini, Aravan and Barbareek, the Mahabharata version of the Shakuntalam and the Ramayana, and the dating of the war based on astronomical data. With clarity and simplicity, the tales in this elegant volume reveal the eternal relevance of the Mahabharata, the complex and disturbing meditation on the human condition that has shaped Indian thought for over 3000 years.” (Pattanaik, n.d.)

Um, yes??????????? This is exactly what we were talking about wanting, and it’s illustrated!!!!! I may have to buy this… (oh! I can justify it as a birthday present!)

The Palace of Illusions by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

“Taking us back to a time that is half history, half myth and wholly magical, bestselling author Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni gives voice to Panchaali, the fire-born heroine of the Mahabharata, as she weaves a vibrant retelling of an ancient epic saga. Married to five royal husbands who have been cheated out of their father's kingdom, Panchaali aids their quest to reclaim their birthright, remaining at their side through years of exile and a terrible civil war. But she cannot deny her complicated friendship with the enigmatic Krishna—or her secret attraction to the mysterious man who is her husbands' most dangerous enemy—as she is caught up in the ever-manipulating hands of fate.” (Divakaruni, n.d.)

Another that is from the perspective of someone that is not the traditional main character. It definitely sounds interesting

The Aryavarta Chronicles by Krishna Udayasankar

“This too is a different take on Mahabharata. Much like The Shiva Trilogy, this too takes the real characters and weaves them around a similar, yet quite different plot.” (Srivastava, n.d.)

Seems interesting, plus the cover provided in the article for the second book is a bunch of boats at sea and is making me think of your posts on The Sunless Sea

The Rozabal Line by Shawn Haigins (or Higgings according to the article) (actually it’s by Ashwin Sanghi using a pseudonym)

“On a lazy day in London, a cardboard box is found on a shelf of the SOAS library where a copy of Mahabharata should have been. When the mystified librarian opens it, she screams before she falls unconscious to the floor. An elite group calling itself the Lashkar-e-Talatashar, the army of thirteen, has scattered around the globe. The fate of its members curiously resembles that of Christ and his Apostles in the first century AD. Their leader is not even a blip on the radar of intelligence agencies, yet their agenda is Armageddon. Somewhere in the labyrinthine recesses of the Vatican, a beautiful assassin swears she will eliminate all who do not believe in her twisted credo. She loves to kill-again and again. A Hindu Astrologer spots an approaching conjunction of the stars and nods to himself in grim agreement. It will happen on the very date he had seen as the end of the world. And it's not far off. In Tibet, a group of Buddhist monks search for a reincarnation, much in the way their ancestors searched Judea for the son of God. In strife-torn Kashmir, a tomb called Rozabal holds the key to a riddle that arises in Jerusalem and gets answered at Vaishno Devi. An American priest, Father Vincent Sinclair, has disturbing visions of himself and of people familiar to him, except that they seem located in other worlds, other ages. Induced into past -life regression, he goes to India to piece together the violent images burnt onto his mind. Shadowing his every move is the Crux Decussata Permuta, a clandestine society which would rather wipe out creation than allow an ancient secret to be disclosed. In The Rozabal Line, a thriller swirling between continents and centuries, Ashwin Sanghi traces a pattern that curls backward to the violent birth of religion itself.” (Sanghi S. H., n.d.)

Tbh, I was put off by the cover in the article ( (Srivastava, n.d.) ), and even after reading the summary I’m more “meh” than anything else. The mystery aspect of it is pretty interesting though.

The Chanakya’s Chant by Ashwin Sanghi

“The year is 340 Bc. A hunted, haunted Brahmin youth vows revenge for the gruesome murder of his beloved father. Cold, calculating, cruel and armed with a complete absence of accepted morals, he becomes the most powerful political strategist in Bharat and succeeds in uniting a ragged country against the invasion of the army of that demigod Alexander the Great. Pitting the weak edges of both forces against each other, he pulls off a wicked and astonishing victory and succeeds in installing Chandragupta on the throne of the mighty Mauryan empire. History knows him as the brilliant strategist Chanakya. Satisfied-and a little bored-by his success as a kingmaker through the simple summoning of his gifted mind, he recedes into the shadows to write his Arthashastra, the 'science of wealth'. But history, which exults in repeating itself, revives Chanakya two and a half millennia later, in the avatar of Gangasagar Mishra, a Brahmin teacher in smalltown India who becomes puppeteer to a host of ambitious individuals-including a certain slumchild who grows up into a beautiful and powerful woman. Modern India happens to be just as riven as ancient Bharat by class hatred, corruption and divisive politics and this landscape is Gangasagar's feasting ground. Can this wily pandit-who preys on greed, venality and sexual deviance-bring about another miracle of a united India? Will Chanakya's chant work again? Ashwin Sanghi, the bestselling author of The Rozabal Line, brings you yet another historical spinechiller.” (Sanghi A. , Chanakya's Chant, n.d.)

Political intrigue isn’t really my jam, but it sounds interesting. And a different story than some of the others which is a plus I guess.

Arjuna by Anuja Chandramouli

“Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India’s greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts. Told in a refreshingly modern and humourous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjuna’s story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.” (Chandramouli, n.d.)

o Pretty straight forward, I like how the summary is very “no muss, no fuss”, and it seems like another that is exactly what we were looking for.

The Treasure of Kafur by Aroon Raman

“Transporting you to the year 1580 ad, during the reign of the mughal emperor akbar in hindustan, the treasure of kafur recounts the mesmerizing story of the lost treasure that was capable of destroying akbar's empire. After twenty years of battles, when akbar the great was at the epitome of his unshakeable power, insurgencies were starting to be planned by his many enemies. One such rebellion, asaf baig, the emperor of khandesh, had discovered the location of an old woman called ambu who knew where the lost fortune of malik kafur lay. If he could get his hands on this treasure, he would undoubtedly be able to crush akbar's kingdom. While baig abducts ambu to pry the whereabouts of the riches from her, her 20-year old grandson dattatreya escapes to get help from akbar to stop baig. Aroon raman presents a fantastic account of the adventures datta is subjected to, in a world of royalty and grandiose that he is very unfamiliar with. His desperate need to save his grandmother takes him through both good experiences and bad and he makes some outlandish alliances. This book is thrilling and action packed and it will keep you in suspense till the very end when you will finally know if datta succeeded in saving the empire. Akbar's mightiness is extraordinarily communicated in the treasure of kafur and this book is nothing short of an engrossing read. It is available in paperback and was published on the 1st december, 2013, by pan macmillan. Key features:this book is the second from bestselling author aroon raman. It has a rich insight into the history of india during the mughal reign.” (Raman, n.d.)

This seems to be more of a historical fiction, than based on mythology, but sounds intringing.

The Taj Conspiracy by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

“This is a first in the Mehrunisa series by the author, and follows the plot of how she accidentally stumbles upon a conspiracy to destroy the Taj Mahal from radicalists who claim that it was a Hindu temple instead. (Srivastava, n.d.)

Okay, so this sounds so much like James Patterson’s Woman’s Murder Club series, I am already a little in love with it. But it also kinda sounds like it isn’t quite Hindu-positive, so there’s that. (I’m not a fan of demonizing a religion in general)

18 Days

“Inspired by the epic mythology of Mahabharata, which is the story of the final battle of three generations of undefeated warriors with the biggest armies battling it out to decide the fate of future. 18 Days is re-imagining the great myth that concludes the age of the gods and the beginning of the age of man. Written by the acclaimed writer of *na na na na na* Batman, Grant Morrison accompanied with the works of the talented artist, Mukesh Singh, the novel is nothing less of sheer brilliance. “ (Wishberry, n.d.)

Mahabharata is pretty popular. Not sure on this one because according to Morrison’s Wikipedia page "Like the Beatles took Indian music and tried to make psychedelic sounds... I'm trying to convert Indian storytelling to a western style for people raised on movies, comics, and video games.” Which doesn’t really sound like something I’d enjoy, and kinda like he doesn’t quite understand the mythology of what he’s writing (also, that quote just makes no sense, wtf dude?)

Sita: Daughter of the Earth

“Adaptation of the Ramayana, the ancient Indian epic – it is a tale of love, honour, sacrifice, hope and justice by Saraswati Nagpal and Manikandan. Princess Sita of Videha gets married to Rama, the prince of Ayodhya, where her life takes a new turn and is ordered to live the difficult life of a forest dweller. Sita gets abducted by the wicked demon-king Ravana, and us hidden away in Lanka. The story focuses on one woman’s shining strength in an unforgiving world. “ (Wishberry, n.d.)

This looks amazing, um, yes please!

Ravanayan

“Created by Vijayendra Mohanty and Vivek Goel, Ravanayan is an independent chronicle of the life and adventures of Ravana, the demonic-king of the epic Ramayana. The story has been re-imagined from the dark side, with Ravana as the protagonist. “ (Wishberry, n.d.)

Holy shit this looks awesome

In Defence of the Realm

“Set in an ancient age, when Mesopotamia was rising under the rule of the Akkadians, Prince Meluha, the young crown prince of Dholavira, one of the 5 great cities of the Indus Valley Civilisation was handed the responsibility of protecting his realm by Sargon, the ambitious ruler of the Mesopotamian city of Akkad.” (Wishberry, n.d.)

The cover art is pretty, but also, the dude on the front looks pretty white. Like, I’m not sure if I’m just misinterpreting it, but he looks really Western European to me (also, how he’s holding a bow is bugging me because it doesn’t look right to me based on my archery classes, but I’m no expert)

I am Kalki

“The tenth incarnation of Vishnu is Kalki. Created by Shashank Avvaru and Rishi Bhardwaj, the scriptures have described Kalki’s arrival as a blazing light descended from heaven. But, the novel takes a turn and portrays Kalki as a slender, youthful boy in his mid-teens, living in the city like an average teenager during the day; and hunting enemies of humanity (modern day demons) in the night.” (Wishberry, n.d.)

Oh, I like the art for this one, and it looks like there’s a whole imprint for various titles like this one – Vimanika Comics

Ramayan 3392 A.D.

“Deepak Chopra and Shekhar Kapur created a post-apocalyptic world where the last of humanity struggles to fight the evil hordes of Nark, a dark continent led by the monstrous Ravan; where princes Rama and Lakshman are mankind's last beacons of hope.” (Wishberry, n.d.)

This sounds refreshingly different, and looks really cool – though it has plenty of the traditional over-muscled men as seen in American comics. Still looks cool.

Adi Parva: Churning of the Ocean

“Amruta Patil has re-told the story of various Indian mythologies by combining classic scripts of Adi Parva, Vishnu Purana and Mahabharata. The main narrative of the graphic novel follows the Pandav-Kaurav war succession with breath-taking graphics. The writer and painter will be releasing Sauptik: Blood And Flowers, the second part of her Parva duology, on 12 October.” (Wishberry, n.d.)

Very different style, and it looks pretty and pretty cool.

There are also all together 221 books listed as “Popular Indian Mythology Books” on goodreads (https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/indian-mythology)

and a tangently related article that talks about the basic premises of Indian Mythology in modern medias and potentials as to why is http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/swati-daftuar-on-ancient-mythology-in-modern-avatars/article7540669.ece

Sources!

Chandramouli, A. (n.d.). ARJUNA Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ARJUNA-Pandava-Warrior-Prince-Anuja-Chandramouli-ebook/dp/B00BPWNNFQ

Divakaruni, C. B. (n.d.). The Palace of Illusions: A Novel. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Palace-Illusions-Chitra-Banerjee-Divakaruni/dp/1400096200

Doyle, C. C. (n.d.). The Mahabharata Secret. Retrieved from Christopher C Doyle: http://christophercdoyle.com/books/the-mahabharata-secret/

Neelakantan, A. (n.d.). Asura: Tale of the Vanquished. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/ASURA-Vanquished-Mr-Anand-Neelakantan/dp/938157605X

Pattanaik, D. (n.d.). Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Jaya-Illustrated-Mahabharata-Devdutt-Pattanaik/dp/014310425X

Raman, A. (n.d.). The Treasure of Kafur. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Treasure-Kafur-Aroon-Raman/dp/9382616128

Sanghi, A. (n.d.). Chanakya's Chant. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Chanakyas-Chant-Ashwin-Sanghi/dp/9381626812

Sanghi, A. (n.d.). The Krishna Key. Retrieved from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Krishna-Key-Ashwin-Sanghi/dp/9381626685

Sanghi, S. H. (n.d.). The Rozabal Line. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com/Rozabal-Line-Shawn-Haigins/dp/1430327545

Srivastava, K. (n.d.). 13 Books You Must Read If You Want To Know About Indian Mythology But Don't Know Where To Start. Retrieved from Filter Copy: http://www.filtercopy.com/posts/13-books-you-must-read-if-you-want-to-know-about-indian-mythology-but-don-t-know-where-to-start

Wishberry, T. (n.d.). 7 Incredible Graphic Novels Inspired by Indian Mythology. Retrieved from Wishberry: https://www.wishberry.in/blog/incredible-graphic-novels-inspired-by-indian-mythology/#/article

#indian mythology #long post is long #bunch of recs #not that i've read them #but at least it's something #it's a list #with sources

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