This beautiful collection of Gender Swapped Greek Myths by Karrie Fransman and Jonathan Plackett is a brilliant companion to the Gender Swapped Fairytales collection written and illustrated by the same creative duo.
This time, however, it is the Gods and Goddesses of Greek mythology that populate the beautifully illustrated pages. But, as the title suggests, prepare to meet Zea instead of Zeus, and Hadia instead of Hades – which is what makes this stunning anthology stand out from other collections.
While the authors have remained true to the original versions of the myths with their catastrophes, impossible tasks, terrible losses, shapeshifting creatures, and reversals of fortune – here we have another very different kind of reversal: a gender reversal! And it’s incredible how much that seemingly-small detail (a different name, a different pronoun) impacts the reader.
We are so accustomed to men being the heroes and women either needing their help or hindering their quests by being deceitful seductresses that the role-reversal really flips those reinforced stereotypes. And it’s not about making women into brave heroines – in some cases they are selfish, violent and aggressive which makes for some quite uncomfortable reading. But it is this very discomfort that challenges our implicit biases.
The gorgeous end papers alone give us a very different picture to the one we are used to – see if you can spot Persea holding up Medus’s severed head, the blood-thirsty Cyclopess and the alluring male sirens.
Greek Myths reinforced the customs and norms of the time, but they are also credited with shaping modern thinking so I can’t help but wonder what society might be like in the future if these gender-swapped tales are the ones being told and retold for thousands of years.
Make sure to follow the rest of the tour!
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