Issue 32 (2010)

MC #32 has some new authors and some returners. With us for the first time, Daniel Baird presents a comic tale which subtly explores the relative value of suppression or assertion of magical talents. Harry Steven Lazerus’s novelette brings us an artistic and cynical prince who is suddenly forced to defend his homeland against a fanatical enemy. Kenneth Burtness and October Williams explore mythology in everyday life, while Todd Swanson considers the long ago and far away. Janet Croft and Joan Verba, both longtime members of the Mythopoeic Society, are publishing for the first time in The Mythic Circle. Janet offers us a surprising new twist on the myth of Arachne while the Joan treats the question of magical authority and succession. Then there are our longtime contributors to The Mythic Circle. Joe Christopher chronicles, in poetic form, an encounter between a pioneer of modern science and the guardians of ancient religion. Dag Rossman’s Scandinavian myth hits close to the modern heart. Ryder Miller mirrors modern environmental agony in the battle between Hercules and Antaeus, drawn from Greek mythology. David Sparenberg meditates poetically on the human condition. Our illustrators add another dimension to the words. Tim Callahan generously applies his talents to the cover and to illustrations from the four corners of the mythological universe. Kathy Edwards explores different artistic approaches to stories and poems quite different in style and intention. We hope that there is something for every taste in this issue of The Mythic Circle.