What’s the connection between ancient mythology and modern science
fiction?
Noble Smith is an award-winning playwright, video game writer,
documentary film executive producer and narrative designer.
We interviewed him last year when he told the fascinating story of watching Star Wars with the late director Irvin Kershner
Today we have him back for an interview where he talks about the links between our past and our vision of the
future. He also talks about his trips to modern Greece while
researching his new book.
What link is there between science fiction and
mythology?
Here’s a great example of a direct influence: in Frank
Herbert’s Dune the hero is named Paul Atreides. That name
comes from ancient Greek mythology. The Atreidai were the descendants
of a legendary Greek King named Atreus, and his two sons were the main
characters from Homer’s the Iliad–the brothers Agamemnon and
Menelaus.
By calling his protagonists the Atreides, Herbert was making a straight
correlation to Greek myth. He was letting his readers know
that his science fiction story was epic…that it would turn
into a sci-fi mythology (which it did).
Many have compared Star Wars to a modern mythology, do
you think that’s accurate?
Definitely. Every great science fiction story, in my opinion, is
about the hero’s journey that Joseph Campbell talked about in his
masterful work The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Lucas said
that he read Campbell’s book when he was writing Star Wars: A New
Hope, and that it helped gel everything in his mind about the
mythos that he was creating.
What’s so interesting about Star Wars is that it has permeated
our culture to such an extreme that people talk about the characters
with the same reverence that ancient Greeks would have mentioned their
heroes and monsters.
Luke Skywalker is our Theseus, and Darth Vader is the Minotaur that he
has to slay in the labyrinth of the Death Star. And Yoda? He’s a
pygmy-Plato!
What’s the biggest lesson your trips to Greece taught you about
writing?
Well, my book Sons of Zeus takes place in a very real
place called Plataea. It was here, 2,500 years ago, that this small
democratic city-state made a heroic last stand against genocidal
invaders.
Walking around the ruins of Plataea was staggering. You realize that
these people were real. Their story was true. The proof is under your
feet–the broken walls and crumbling tombs.
That said, a historical fiction writer can’t let themselves be
hamstrung by the mundane. You have to be able to push the envelope of
history to create a story that connects with readers. You need to know
all of the facts about how people lived and what really happened. And
then you have to give the characters the freedom to live…to let them
become legends in the minds of your readers.
Learn more about Noble Smith and his writing at noblemasonsmith.com.
Follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/ShireWisdom.
Smith’s latest action/adventure epic The Warrior Trilogy is published
by Thomas Dunne Books/St. Martin’s Press. The first installment in the
series, Sons
of Zeus: A Novel
hardcover, ebook and
unabridged audio. Hailed by NYT bestselling authors Michael and
Kathleen O’Neal Gear: “Noble Smith gobsmacked us with Sons of
Zeus! Terrific action, with a wickedly brilliant plot, visceral
combat, and nail-biting treachery, even the love story in Sons of
Zeus is going to have you on the edge of your seat.”
Product Description
In 431 B.C., Ancient Greece experienced its own “Pearl Harbor”—a
treacherous sneak attack that would mark the start of the bloody war
between the democracy of Athens and the tyranny of Sparta. Caught
between these superpowers, the independent city-state of Plataea became
the arena where their battle for control of all of Greece would begin.
In Plataea, the young Greek warrior Nikias dreams of glory in
the Olympic games as he trains for the pankration—the
no-holds-barred ultimate fighting of the era—until an act of violence
in defense of his beloved threatens to send him into exile.
But before his trial can take place, a traitor opens the city gates to
a surprise attack force.
Suddenly trapped inside their own fortress, the Plataeans are fighting
for their lives. As Nikias seeks to discover the identity of the man
who betrayed the city, he makes a daring escape, gathers an army,
and leads this ragtag band into a suicidal battle at the gates of the
citadel—a battle that will decide the fates of his family, his friends,
and the woman he loves.
In the vein of Bernard Cornwell, Conn Iggulden, and Steven
Pressfield, Sons of Zeus marks the beginning of a richly
detailed new action-adventure series.
What do you think is the connection between mythology and
science fiction? Is Star Wars a modern mythology?
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<span class="dsq-postid" data-dsqidentifier="37335 ">9 Comments
I think it's become myth.
When writing about historical myths, one has to discover the base truths and then let the characters and situations become larger than life.
lol Pygmy Plato. I know that Herbert was inspired by the dunes here in Oregon. True. Mythology and sci fi do go hand in hand.
I read The Hero with a Thousand Faces. I can see how story patterns between different media are connected somehow.
I grew up reading all kinds of mythology…so as I got older, I gravitated to science fiction and fantasy.
The connection is pretty darn clear! I remember watching Star Wars and comparing it to King Arthur, for example.
I've never read it Medeia. What was your favorite part?
I always thought he was inspired by some far off Middle-Eastern country. That's cool Mary!
Great points Alex.
I can't remember, but I did have sticky notes all over it.
Yes! This is true. He was doing aerial surveys of Eastern Oregon. I used to live in Oregon too!