I’m pretty sure that “classical mythology” refers specifically to the Greco-Roman mythos, whereas American Gods was more focused on Norse mythology (if you can say that it was focused on any one mythology in particular).
Pedantry aside, this looks really interesting. I’m going to have to pick this up.
Eh, it’s been done. American Gods itself already owes an exceptionally deep debt to The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul, though I do give it some credit for barely mentioning Zeus or any of the other Greco-Roman gods.
I will also link to Myths Retold again (which tragically came to its conclusion recently, having initially risen to prominence after Gaiman linked to it one fateful day).
Or just read the Eddas, which are incredibly gnarly and odd and fun, even in English.
If not for myth to borrow from & change around a bit, Gaiman wouldn’t have a career. So I suppose it’s only natural that he stops making stuff up altogether & doles it out straight.
I think that holds true to all authors. There are only so many little building blocks to build stories out of; you’re never going to build a story that isn’t made out of blocks that have largely been used together by someone else before. That doesn’t mean that you can’t create something new, and unique, and beautiful.
Heck, the myths/religions themselves borrow from each other…
Yeth pleathe.
Or Padraic Colum’s retellings, if you don’t speak Icelandic.
When do we get to see Gaiman’s novelization of the Quran?
I don’t think he’s done the Quran, but he’s incorporated Arab mythology into his work.
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