Reading Lob's and Pichard's comic book adaptation of Homer's Odyssey from the pages of Heavy Metal has got me thinking what a great setting science fantasy Greek myth might be. Not recasting the myths into a science fiction context or something like that, but bringing a little Jack Kirby twist to the proceedings. Maybe a fantasy world that's post-apocalyptic, but where the apocalypse was the Titanomachy.
The heroes (the PCs) would be hapless Bronze Age Achaeans who are playthings for high tech cultures (aliens or extradimensional beings) who are there gods. Guys that look sort of like this:
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| Art by Pichard |
Beings descended (or created) by extradimensional monsters like this:
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| by Jack Kirby |
In addition to Ulysses above, the Orphans of Chaos series (where universe creating Saturn is a rebel against his hyperdimensional species that stands outside of time--and wants to destroy it) by John C. Wright would be a could inspiration. Any of Jack Kirby's mythology related works are also essential, particularly The Eternals.
Yeah, this is a really fantastic pastiche. More and more OSR musings have moved from the high fantasy to including a bit more science fiction or sci fantasy like the 1970's D&D. I love The Eternals and the Celestials and all the Chariots of the Gods quack theories.
ReplyDeleteIf the gods are powerful aliens, where are the clerics getting their spells? Perhaps the orbital space stations where the "gods" live channel the power down...or it's those buried telepathic super computers.
Totally picturing the robed "lawgivers" from the Star Trek episode with Landru and the festival hour.
The Chariots Of The Gods idea is definitely one I've been working on for my own campaign (whenever it gets off the ground) as I like the idea of the PCs being able to meet their "gods" in person and having "gods" show up in cities demanding sacrifices and tributes.
ReplyDeleteWow i was gonna focus on the excellent greek space opera rpgs and the ulysses in space cartoon from 70s (my best friend at time said ulysses bad man for talking to women when married for kids cartoon). But its turned into wow my current world in progress needs more spacegods.
ReplyDeleteThe first two links are broken- for me, anyway.
ReplyDeleteThis is a pretty great idea.
@Beedo - Oh yeah.
ReplyDelete@Aos - Fixed. Thanks!
"science fantasy Greek myth"?
ReplyDeleteThis classic animation may be of some assistance:
http://www.ulysses-31.com/
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ReplyDeleteExcept that that's "recast into a science fiction context" isn't it? Something I specifically said I was avoiding. This is science fantasy in the Greek myths, not Greek myths as science fantasy.
ReplyDeleteLove it. Said it before but "Alexander Senki" is indispensable here, thongs and all. The depiction of Babylon as a cyclopean bronze age high-tech complex alone is worth the price of admission and then Aristotle's mecha are free.
ReplyDelete@bomasticus - Alexander Senki or Reign is indeed good stuff.
ReplyDeleteCannot express how much we love that thing. "We're too slow."
ReplyDeleteI LIKE WHERE THIS IS HEADING. #mythologynerd
ReplyDelete