Under Her Protection Cover Reveal and Announcement

I am pleased to announce Turtleduck Press‘s newest anthology, Under Her Protection, being released on August 1. Under Her Protection is the longest anthology TDP has ever produced, and contains stories about men in danger and the women who rescue them.

Sometimes men are the ones trapped in a tower, or bound by a curse, or doomed to stay in the underworld. Damsels or not, they need rescuing too. And these are just the women to do it…

A swordswoman and a scholar.

A grim reaper and a dead man.

A maidservant and an inventor.

A new university grad and a prince.

Fantasy romance stories from four indie writers about strong women…and men who need their help.

Under Her Protection will be released on all ebook platforms, and will also be available in print. Pick it up when it comes out next week!

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Subgenre Study: Mythic Fantasy

Ah, mythic fantasy, where Gods walk the Earth (or…not-Earth), where heroes are born, and where magic imbues the world around us.

A simplistic definition is that mythic fantasy is fantasy that weaves mythology into the world.  Usually each story focuses on a single culture’s mythology, but nothing is ever a hard, fast rule in speculative fiction.  Mythic fantasy can be an updated retelling of a myth to a completely new story where elements of a myth or mythology are present.

Mythic fantasy incorporates all mythologies, from Native American (ala Neil Gaiman or Charles de Lint) to Celtic to Arthurian to Japanese to Norse to a mythology that the author has completely made up.  Mythology is sometimes like porn – you know it when you see it.

While elements of mythic fantasy depend directly on the mythology involved, there does tend to be common elements in the subgenre.  Usually there are prophecies, and if not walking, talking, meddling gods, some sort of higher power.  Legends tend to be, at least in part, true.  Often a Hero’s Journey is involved in some manner.

Mythic fantasy can be mixed with other fantasy subgenres, such as epic or urban fantasy.  (Actually, I am terribly fond of urban mythic fantasy.  I like how ancient themes can mix with the modern world.)

How do you feel about mythic fantasy, Squiders?  Any mythologies that make you tingly?  Any recommendations?  (My friend just loaned me Guy Gavriel Kay’s entire Fionavar Tapestry.  I am excited.)

 

Using Mythology in Science Fiction/Fantasy

(Random aside – I put this down for a potential blog topic in December, and all I wrote next to it was “IT’S AWESOME.”  Good job, Kit.)

So, I went and saw Thor tonight.  (When you read this on Monday, I mean Sunday night.)  Admittedly I am a bit behind the movie times, and I know it is based off the comic book character, but still my point stands.

I think the very coolest thing an author can do is wrap their story around some mythology.  Sometimes this does always go well – things can be too blatant, too predictable – but when done right, it adds a depth to the story that is a beautiful thing.

It gives you a lattice to build off of that, at times, has been in the human consciousness for thousands of years.

Another example that’s recently been pointed my way – I am reading a book on alchemy for story research.  I don’t think it’s going to work out – definitely leaning towards straight magic at this point – but it’s been interesting, and the author makes a rather decent argument that the Harry Potter books are built on the alchemical process.  I don’t know if it is or not – I was in the HP fandom long enough to hear and read many many theories – but if it’s not intentional, that almost makes it more awesome.  To match something that people have been working on and believing for thousands of years without even meaning to.  Aha, brilliant.

I like the idea of there being some sort of greater consciousness, some sort of universal truth, that we all as humans can tap into.  And I love the idea of there being something bigger than us, something we can aspire to.

Let’s face it – in a lot of cases, mythologies resonate with us on some level.  Even in today’s modern society where, as some people say, “God is dead.”  Where Science rules all, and we’re more worried about who’s going to win American Idol than our spiritual wellbeing.

Jung would say something profound about archetypes.

How do you feel about using mythology as a base?  Any mythologies that stand out as your favorite?