Odin - New & Ancient Norse Tales

Building on the huge popularity of mythological retellings, here is a timely, multi-author story of the flawed but all-powerful Odin, told through ancient and modern hands, in a beautiful collectable edition.

Everyone knows about Odin, the All-father, the one-eyed, all-seeing, powerful King of the Gods, presiding over his great hall Valhalla, surveying the nine realms and the billions of souls. He bears the pain of Ragnarok, the joy of travelling in disguise through Midgard and, shapeshifting in the dusk, joins his ravens in their flights across the mythic landscape. Featuring new stories from open submissions, this enthralling book reveals the larger-than-life tales of Odin and his kin, their adventures in the ancient and the modern world, with the gods, the giants, the valkyrie and the creatures of the epic Norse literature.

Introductory essay by Charlie Shotton, and foreword by Dr Carolyne Larrington. The modern authors whose stories feature in this book are: K.S. Barton, Chris A. Bolton, Charlotte Bond, Gemma Church, Malina Douglas, Stephanie Ellis, Sebastian Gray, Derek Heath, Justin R. Hopper, Eric Kenron, Brandon Ketchum, Stephen Kotowych, Andy McLarnon, Parker M. O’Neill, John Possidente, Chris Shearer and Douglas Smith.

About the series: Discover the mythology of humankind through its heroes, characters, gods and immortal figures. Myths, Gods & Immortals brings together the new and the ancient, familiar stories with a fresh and imaginative twist. Each book brings back to life a legendary, mythological or folkloric figure, with new stories alongside a comprehensive introduction which tells the original tales and emphasizes ancient and modern connections, tracing history and stories across continents, cultures and peoples. New and emerging writers from open submissions reveal hidden themes, casting fresh perspectives on well known stories, complementing the specially commissioned story of the origins and the cultural background from the era. The first titles are Medusa, Odin, Anansi and Circe.

About the author

Charlie Shotton studied Creative Writing and Film at university after which he has ghost written books on the self help genre and Norse Paganism, the history of the Vikings and the mythology behind it all, including the famous gods of Odin and Loki as well as the nine realms that encompass these legendary beings.Dr Carolyne Larrington is Emerita Professor of medieval European literature at the University of Oxford. Her research focuses on Old Norse literature and mythology, and its survival and transformation in the contemporary world. She has translated the Old Norse Poetic Edda and is the author of The Norse Myths: A Guide to the Gods and Heroes.K.S. Barton writes historical fiction and fantasy stories of love and adventure set in the Viking age. The author of several novels, she explores themes of family, honour, and strength all within the backdrop of Norse society. K.S. also co-hosts the podcast, Shieldmaidens: Women of the Norse World.
Chris A. Bolton lives in a house inside a cemetery in Portland, Oregon. His screenplays have won the ScreenCraft Horror and Animation contests, and he wrote the all-ages graphic novels Smash: Trial by Fire and Smash: Fearless (Candlewick Press). His short stories have been published in Portland Noir and ParABNormal Magazine.
Charlotte Bond is an award-winning author and podcaster, as well as a freelance editor. She writes dark fantasy and horror, and her novellas The Fireborne Blade and The Bloodless Princes came out in 2024 with Tordotcom. She is also a co-host of the podcast, Breaking the Glass Slipper.
With two degrees in physics, Gemma Church has worked in science communication for over 20 years, currently heading up content at a quantum computing company. Gemma also has an Undergraduate Diploma in Creative Writing and her short stories appear in numerous publications including Indie Bites, Utopia Science Fiction, Tangled Web and Obsolescence.
Malina Douglas weaves stories that fuse the fantastic and the real. She was a finalist in the Four Palaces Contest and received an Honourable Mention from the Writers of the Future Contest. Publications include Cast of Wonders, Wyldblood, Sanitarium IV, The Theatre Phantasmagoria, Parabnormal, Out of the Darkness and A Krampus Carol.
Stephanie Ellis writes dark speculative prose and poetry. Her novels include The Five Turns of the Wheel, Reborn, The Woodcutter, and The Barricade. She is a Rhysling and Elgin Award nominated poet and wrote Foundlings (with Cindy O’Quinn), Lilith Rising (with Shane Douglas Keene) and Metallurgy, as well as appearing in the HWA Poetry Showcase.
Sebastian Gray is a writer of horror and dark fantasy fiction. Her work has appeared in Subterrain and Planet Scumm, and will be featured in an upcoming episode of the NoSleep podcast. When not writing she spends her time practicing swordplay, going to the theatre, and being a minor fashion icon.
Derek Heath is the British author of over a dozen published short stories and a number of novellas and collections, all of which are available at derekheathhorror.com. His most recent novel, Burrow, is available now just about everywhere and he is always working on the next release.
Justin R. Hopper grew up in the Worcestershire countryside and has a longstanding interest in folklore, myth and the fantastical. He has written for film, TV and radio, including a BBC TV adaptation of the M.R. James ghost story Number 13. Justin’s play Flutter (2018) was staged at Soho Theatre, and his play Bedbug premiered in London in June 2024.
Eric Kenron is an inclusive Norse Pagan, a SFF writer, and a small-scale jewelry maker from Chicago. All of his work is inspired by mythology, magic and runes.He has had other stories published in two print anthologies and several small magazines. He lives in a small apartment overflowing with deities, books and tools.
Brandon Ketchum is a speculative fiction writer from Pittsburgh, PA who enjoys putting a weird spin or strange vibe into every story, dark or light. He is a member of SFWA and the Horror Writers Association, and his work has been published with Air and Nothingness Press, Perihelion, Mad Scientist Journal, and many other publications.
Stephen Kotowych is a winner of the Writers of the Future Grand Prize and Spain’s Ictineu Award and is a four-time finalist for Canada’s Aurora Award. His stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies in Canada, the UK, and the US and have been translated into a dozen languages.
Andy McLarnon is a British writer and editor who is interested in a range of genres and has a particular fondness for sci-fi, mythology, folklore, ghost stories, and sinister tales. He writes short stories and is dabbling in screenwriting when not working on a novel.
Parker M. O’Neill writes from upstate New York. A fifth grade video starring the family dog kickstarted his creative career, and he’s chased that artistic high ever since. His fiction appears or is forthcoming in Crepuscular Magazine, WriteHive, and Hungry Shadow Press.
In college days, John Possidente had a ridiculous plastic helmet with horns on it. The horns were painted white with typewriter correction fluid. (Unsurprisingly, it smelled of beer.) It’s almost certainly not still in the attic somewhere. John’s stories have appeared in Interzone, Grimdwarf, F&SF, and a few anthologies.
Chris Shearer’s fiction has appeared in numerous journals, magazines, and anthologies, including LampLight, Jamais Vu, Xnoybis, and Twice-Told: A Collection of Doubles. He is a 2014 graduate of Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular Fiction Program, where he was mentored by Tim Waggoner and Lawrence C. Connolly and received the Alumni Scholarship.
Douglas Smith’s short fiction has appeared in The Magazine of F&SF, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales and many others. He is a 4-time winner of Canada’s Aurora Award as well as the IAP Award. He’s been a finalist for the Astounding Award, Bookies Award, Sunburst Award, the Alberta Magazine Award for Fiction, and the Prix Masterton and Prix Bob Morane

Summary

Featuring the full Flame Tree treatment, with new stories from open submissions alongside the classic stories and fascinating background, this gorgeous new book reveals the larger-than-life tales of Odin and his kin, their adventures in the ancient and the modern world, with the gods, giants, valkyrie and creatures of the epic Norse literature.

Foreword

Building on the huge popularity of mythological retellings, here is a timely, multi-author story of the flawed but all-powerful Odin, told through ancient and modern hands, in a beautiful collectable edition.

Product details

• Assisted by: Carolyne Larrington (Foreword), Charlie Shotton (Introduction)
• Publisher: Flame Tree Publishing
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 17.09.2024
• EAN: 9781804179321
• ISBN: 978-1-80417-932-1
• No. of pages: 368
• Series: Myths, Gods & Immortals
• Subjects: Fiction > Narrative literature > Fairytales, sagas, legends; Fiction, RELIGION / Ancient, Norse religion & mythology, Ancient religions & mythologies, Norse religion and mythology, Fiction: Traditional stories, myths and fairy tales