Book Review – Mythed Connections

Mythed Connections by Michael G. Munz (2013) – Three short stories that take the figures of Greek mythology and plant them firmly in the modern world.  In “The Atheist and the Ferryman” a young man discovers there’s an enormous river running through his basement.  With a strange and grumpy old man in charge of bringing people across.  In “The Snipe Hunt” a 10 year old girl gets a little revenge on her older brothers with the help of Hermes.  Finally, in “Playing with Hubris” a young author is offered the assistance of both a god and a muse.

Taking on mythology is an almost irresistable impulse for many authors.  In most cases it’s an impulse they really should have resisted.  Which makes the success of these three stories by Michael G. Munz all the more astounding.  He balances all the elements beautifully.  The characters from the ancient world aren’t anachronisms wandering aimlessly through the world.  They have a clear grip of who they are and what they do in the modern world.  Munz brings just enough humor to the stories to make them a delight to read.  Don’t worry if your Greek mythology is rusty, he gives you the important bits along the way.

The stories are sharply written and pitch perfect when it comes to the interaction between the modern and mythological characters.  In the end it’s just a delightful (and quick, sadly) read.  For a rainy weekend or a summer time read, “Mythed Connections” is the perfect choice.  When you reach the end and wish there was more the good news is that he’s expanded the ideas into a full length novel “Zeus is Dead: A Monsterously Inconvenient Adventure“.  Look for that to be available in late July of 2014.

In the meantime, read this one.

Rating -**** Recommended