Although mythology isn't really our focus on here on OUABlog, it is a big element of our partner, Timeless Tales', business. They alternate between publishing retellings of fairy tales and myths and have just released their latest issue.
All the stories for this particular issue have the theme "Perseus and Medusa". Here's a look at the main cover (above) and just a small sampling of the many mini-covers they designed for each individual story (below). It's pretty neat and you're guaranteed quality stories and a good read, (we're talking a good 75+ pages here!) , along with the option of audio, as well as a variety of (good) surprises.
Here's a quick note from TT's editor herself, Tahlia Merrill Kirk:
Here I am again, standing on the other side of a release date, thinking, "why do I do this to myself?". Give it a week and I'll remember the answer. It's because I love seeing writers teach me something new about a well-worn tale.
Each theme presents its unique challenges. For Puss in Boots, the challenge was how to overcome the cliche of talking cats. For Twelve Dancing Princesses, it was often the problem of having a short story with at least twelve characters (twenty-six, if you include the princes, king, and witch). Perseus and Medusa's greatest obstacle, I learned as I read through submissions, was the snakes. I've never had so many writers treat an original element SO literally. Not even with Puss in Boots did writers seem compelled for their cats to wear actual boots. 
At first, I grumbled about my submissions' lack of creativity. Must Snow White die by an apple or must Cinderella's slipper be glass? Of course not, so why did no one send me a Medusa with eels for hair or baby alligators? (Mostly joking on the second one). 
And then I found the stories that gave the snakes a purpose. Like the "multiple slithering ids" which coo a Gorgon's darker thoughts in Elaine Pascale's story "Love in the Time of Athena". Convinced that their importance could not be denied, I even stuck a cobra on the cover.
So suffice it to say that you'll find plenty of scales in this issue. However I tried to pick stories where the hissing hair wasn't mere window dressing on Medusa. And of course, there are some notable retellings that are completely snake-free, like the Russian themed "Long Live the Personal Revolution". I hope you enjoy reading them as much as I did.
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