Heathen Fiction

[kaosxmage]

A friend and I were discussing the apparently infinite need of Hollywood to make end of the world movies that center on Christian themes. It got us both wondering if there was any Heathen theme or influenced fiction set in any time period worth reading and/or watching. Neither one of us could really think of anything except American Gods - Heathen only in that it included a peculiar version of Odin as a main character.

What titles would you all recommend?

--Kaos

[MountainMan391]

Sorry dude, can't help you there. However, I've always thought it would be neat if Hollywood made one of those apocalypse-themed movies about Ragnarökkr. Though, I doubt it would be made anytime soon.

[Dracula's Widow]

Originally Posted by kaosxmage

A friend and I were discussing the apparently infinite need of Hollywood to make end of the world movies that center on Christian themes. It got us both wondering if there was any Heathen theme or influenced fiction set in any time period worth reading and/or watching. Neither one of us could really think of anything except American Gods - Heathen only in that it included a peculiar version of Odin as a main character.

What titles would you all recommend?

--Kaos

Piers Anthony, though as I am myself 'hardly' familiar with Heathen beliefs... and that is fiction obviously, but at the very least have a look at "Chthon" and "Phthor" - basically Norse myths rewritten and sci-fi-fied. Names changed, of course.

Be well,
Xiri

[Garm]

While this is not likely to make the Asatru book of the month anytime soon...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lon...me_of_the_Soul

[Toki Wartooth]

Man, I think I used to know a book that was good at introducing mythological figures and such in fiction format, but I can't remember.

I don't know about specifically on Asatru or anything, but you can read various Norwegian authors. Some do incorporate myths, folk tales, etc. though it's often not ... like, the plot. or something. Still, you can get a feel for the culture, history, practices and customs, etc. by reading Norwegian authors.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sigrid_Undset
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B..._Bj%C3%B8rnson
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knut_Hamsun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henrik_Ibsen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonas_Lie
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Kielland

Ibsen, of course, wrote the play Peer Gynt.

[parallax]

Originally Posted by kaosxmage

A friend and I were discussing the apparently infinite need of Hollywood to make end of the world movies that center on Christian themes. It got us both wondering if there was any Heathen theme or influenced fiction set in any time period worth reading and/or watching. Neither one of us could really think of anything except American Gods - Heathen only in that it included a peculiar version of Odin as a main character.

What titles would you all recommend?

--Kaos

I enjoyed Runemarks. It's more of an older children's book but I thought the story was engaging even if I didn't agree with all of the depictions of the gods. It has been optioned for a movie too.
Other fiction books (that I have not yet read) but feature Norse gods include:
Odd and the Frost Giants, Neil Gaiman
The Compleat Enchanter, Sprague deCamp
Giants of the Frost, Kim Wilkins
Written in Venom, Lois Tilton
Eight Days of Luke, Diana Wynn Jones
and Days in Midgard: A Thousand Years On by Steven Abell is a collection of contemporary short works based on the lore.

Also, a Marvel Thor movie is in the works and interviews with the creative team indicate that they are attempting to reconcile the comic book stories with the Eddas.

[LunarSoldier]

Check out books by Diana Paxson. She's written books with a heathen theme.