Medusa’s Sister is a vivid and moving reimagining of the myth of Medusa and the sisters who loved her and out now.

Back when I was teaching fifth grade in LA, I asked my students to name a Shakespeare play. One boy raises his hand. “The Lion King?” he offers, and the class breaks into giggles. I quickly came to his defense. “Timmy’s right,” I said (and yes, his name was actually Timmy). “The Lion King is a retelling of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.” Twenty little jaws dropped.

Retelling stories is not a new trend. We’ve been doing it for as long as we’ve been telling stories, which goes all the way back to the campfire. If it’s not human nature by now, revising and revisiting the stories we’ve been told is certainly an ingrained human habit. It’s how we bring the past with us into the future, amending and translating old tales for a modern audience. We change, add, delete, pivot, and reinterpret, both to answer old questions and ask new ones.

Simply put, stories must adapt as humans do to survive.

Writers are readers, first and foremost, and the more you read, the better you write. I will die on this hill. Medusa’s Sisters would not exist without the novels listed below. Ten formative favorites that changed the way I think about point of view, perspective, and the way we change stories as we evolve. 

Grendel by John Gardner (1971) – A retelling of Beowolf

How could I not begin this list with Grendel, the earliest villain in one of civilization’s earliest texts, the great antihero to the great hero? And Gardner handles the story in such a literary fashion. The language is so tight, every word earns its place on the page, and he so succinctly captures the confusion and rage of being a monster in a hero’s world. Golden lines abound, like this gem: “Nothing was changed, everything was changed, by my having seen the dragon.” It’s a must-read for anyone who loves an antagonist.

Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund (1999) – A retelling of Moby Dick 

This is a novel I still think about all the time. As the kids say, it lives rent free in my brain. I mean, the love triangles! The lighthouse! The absolutely masterful fictionalization of the Essex tragedy! CANNIBALS. Ahab’s nameless wife occupies less than a paragraph of space in Melville’s tome, but Naslund creates an entire epic for Una. And as Una so slyly puts it, Ahab was “neither my first husband nor my last.” If anything, he’s a footnote in her history. Obsessed.

Lavinia by Ursula Le Guin (2008) – A retelling of the Aeneid 

Ursula Le Guin is my personal hero and everything she does is perfect, but this novel is especially poignant. She brings Lavinia, the second wife of the Trojan hero, Aeneas, to life with seriousness and lyricality, with tenderness and strength. It’s a story about family, sacrifice, and legacy, and witnessing Lavinia’s indomitable spirit is honestly an empowering experience for the reader, as well. Pure catharsis and inspiration. Furthermore, the incorporation of “the poet” (Virgil) into the narrative was *chef’s kiss.*

March by Geraldine Brooks (2005) – A retelling of Little Women

Like so many other little girls, I wanted to be Jo March when I grew up. And just like so many others, I gave little to no thought to the mostly absent Mr. March – that is, until masterful Geraldine Brooks tackled his story. I love how she gave him a more complex narrative versus the simplistic idolization of him in the original text. And in my humble opinion, Geraldine Brooks wrote the textbook on good historical fiction. Her research is impeccable; I will read anything she writes.

The Testament of Mary by Colm Tóibín (2012) – A retelling of the New Testament

For many, the topic of this book might feel blasphemous, but to me, it humanizes one of the holiest. It is that alchemical combination of gorgeous prose and authentic plot and characterization. Pure gold. This is Mary’s story, mother of Jesus of Nazareth, and her perspective on his life and death. This isn’t the Mary I learned about in Sunday school, but personally, I feel more connected to the past when its people feel real. With multiple Booker nominations to his name, there is no question Tóibín is one of today’s most illustrious writer. (Also, I would add House of Names to this list – Tóibín’s version of the Oresteia­ – for its masterful portrayal of vengeance.) 

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (2011) – A retelling of the works of Josephus 

I love the way Alice Hoffman writes historical fiction and fantasy with such rich female characters. This novel, set in ancient Judea and based on historical record, is no exception. We get four fierce protagonists — mothers, sisters, lovers, warriors and witches – who all play an integral part in the Siege of Masada, a climactic event towards the end of the first Jewish war against Rome. It’s seductive and rebellious, a thrill from beginning to end, and a love letter to both determination and freedom.

Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey (2017) – A retelling of The Tempest

A Shakespearean retelling that centers both a female character and a shady secondary one? What’s not to love? By fleshing out boring, one-dimensional archetypes – the dutiful daughter, the misshapen other – Carey tells us what was really going down on that island while Prospero plotted his revenge. It’s the tale we know, but with even more dark magic, subversive acts, and tragic love. I believe Jacqueline Carey is one of the most imaginative in the SFF game, period, and it’s such a joy to read her interpretative work of the Shakespearean space.

Heartless by Marissa Meyer (2016) – A retelling of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

Meyer is one my favorite YA authors, and this retelling tackles two of my favorites topics: villains and children’s literature. This is the Queen of Hearts’s origin story, how sweet Catherine Pinkerton meets a court joker named Jest who changes her world completely. It’s romantic and whimsical, filled with baked goods and the memorably quirky characters of Wonderland. But of course, there is heartbreak. With Heartless, readers get to empathize with a tyrant — a girl with the best of intentions who loses everything and finds cruelty.  

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (2000) – A retelling of the Russian fairy tale, “Snegurochka”

This is another novel I still think about all the time. In the folklore version, two childless Russian peasants build a snow girl who comes to life. Ivey recreates this story with magical realism. In the early 20^th century, a mysterious child emerges from the Alaskan wilderness. When she finds a home with a lonely frontier couple, everyone is changed. The setting is so beautifully constructed — the swans and woods and snow and fox. It’s a lovely, poignant novel about love and the power of transformation.

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (2015) – A retelling of Arabian Nights 

This book, the first in a YA duology, updates the legend of the original storyteller, Scheherazade, for a new audience. In this book, brave Shazi marries the murderous young Caliph, Khalid, and enters a world of high-stakes politics and dangerous romance. She’s smart and sexy and savvy, a protagonist to root for! I especially appreciate how this work provides access to a vibrant mythology that is so underrepresented in both education and traditional publishing.

And one last thing before I sign off! There are so many writers doing this work well right now (ie. Genevieve Gornichec, Jamilla Ahmed, Vaishnavi Patel, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Olesya Salnikova Gilmore, Megan Barnard), but I only included books on my list that I read before I became a full-time writer, the books that influenced the creation of Medusa’s Sisters.

I hope I’ve inspired your TBR just a bit. I know mine is longer than a CVS receipt.

The post The Retellings That Reshaped Lauren J. A. Bear As A Reader and Writer appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Will you be adding any of these new releases to your TBR? Let us know in the comments below!

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas | May 2 | Goodreads
In the thrilling third novel in the A Court of Thorns & Roses series, Feyre returns to the Spring Court determined to gather information on Tamlin’s manoeuvrings and the invading king threatening to bring Prythian to its knees. But to do so she must play a deadly game of deceit and one slip may spell doom not just for her, but her world as well.

Hadriana In All My Dreams by René Depestre | May 2 | Goodreads
Hadriana, a young French woman, is about to marry a Haitian boy from a prominent family, but on the morning of the wedding, she drinks a mysterious potion and collapses at the altar. Transformed into a zombie, her wedding becomes her funeral. After being buried by the town, she is revived by an evil sorcerer, and then disappears into popular legend.

The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen A. Flynn | May 2 | Goodreads
In England 1815, two travellers from the future arrive in a field, dishevelled and weighed down with hidden money. Rachel and Liam aren’t the first team of time travellers, but their mission is the most audacious yet: meet, befriend, and steal from Jane Austen and obtain an unpublished novel. On their mission, the two face struggles as Rachel fights to reconcile her true self with the constrictions of 19th century society and with their portal home closing, they struggle to leave history as they found it…however heartbreaking that proves.

White Fur by Jardine Libaire | May 30 | Goodreads
Set in the 1980s, Elise Perez meets Jamey Hyde and the attraction is instant. Although they are next-door neighbors, they come from different worlds. Elise grew up in a housing project without a father and didn’t complete high school, whereas Jamey is a junior at Yale and an heir to a private investment bank fortune. The two soon move to Manhattan in hopes of forging a life together until Jamey’s family intervenes and they are soon fighting not just for their love, but also for their lives.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare | May 23 | Goodreads
Emma Carstairs has avenged her parents and she thought she’d be at peace, but she is anything but calm. Torn between her desire for Julian and her desire to protect him from the consequences it bears, she begins dating his brother Mark. Meanwhile, the faerie courts are not silent. The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands. Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the Clave, the group must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear.

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami | May 9 | Goodreads
Across seven tales, Haruki Murakami brings his powers of observation to bear on the lives of men who, in their own ways, find themselves alone. Here are vanishing cats and smoky bars, lonely hearts and mysterious women, baseball and the Beatles, woven together to tell stories that speak to us all.

The Empire’s Ghost by Isabelle Steiger | May 16 | Goodreads
The empire of Elesthene once spanned a continent, but its rise heralded the death of magic and tore itself apart. Now a new dictator, Imperator Elgar, rises to seize power and recreate the lost empire anew. With each kingdom facing their own issue, everything seems aligned in Elgar’s favour except a group finds an unexpected opportunity to alter the balance of power in the war. Their actions and those of the remaining royals, they may uncover not just a way to defeat Elgar, but also a deeper truth about their world’s lost history.

House of Names by Colm Tóibín | May 18 | Goodreads
A powerful retelling of a classic Greek tragedy of a family at war with itself. The tale sees Agamemnon ordering the sacrifice of his daughter and after her death, he leads his army into battle where he is rewarded with glorious victory. Three years on, he returns home and finds his murderous action has set the entire family on a path of intimate violence.

Among The Lesser Gods by Margo Catts | May 9 | Goodreads
Elena Alvarez is living a cursed life. From the deadly fire she accidentally set as a child, to her mother’s abandonment, and now to an unwanted pregnancy, she knows small actions can have terrible consequences. She is soon confronted by reflections of her own troubles wherever she turns. Bit by bit, Elena begins to question her understanding of cause and effect, reexamining the tragedies she’s held on to and the wounds she’s refused to let heal.

Into the Water by Paula Hawkins | May 2 | Goodreads
A single mother turns up dead at the bottom of the river that runs through town and earlier in the summer, a vulnerable teenage girl met the same fate. They are not the first women lost to these dark waters, but their deaths disturb the river and its history, dredging up secrets long submerged. Left behind is a lonely fifteen-year-old girl who now finds herself in the care of her mother’s sister, a fearful stranger who has been dragged back to the place she deliberately ran from—a place to which she vowed she’d never return.

No One Can Pronounce My Name by Rakesh Satyal | May 2 | Goodreads
Harit, a lonely Indian immigrant in his midforties lives with his mother and in a misguided attempt to keep both himself and his mother sane after the death of his sister, he takes to dressing up in a sari every night to pass himself off as his sister. Meanwhile, Ranjana, also an Indian immigrant in her midforties, has just seen her only child, Prashant, off to college. Worried that her husband has begun an affair, she seeks solace by writing paranormal romances in secret. Ranjana & Harit’s paths soon cross and they begin a strange yet necessary friendship.

Since We Fell by Dennis Lehane | May 9 | Goodreads
Rachel Childs, a former journalist who, after an on-air mental breakdown, now lives as a virtual shut-in. In all other respects, however, she enjoys an ideal life with an ideal husband until a chance encounter on a rainy afternoon causes that ideal life to fray, including her marriage. Sucked into a conspiracy thick with deception, violence, and possibly madness, Rachel must find the strength within herself to conquer unimaginable fears and mind-altering truths.

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