Kυννάνη Φιλίππου θυγάτηρ τὰ πολεμικὰ ἤσκησε καὶ στρατοπέδων ἡγεῖτο καὶ πολεμίοις παρετάσσετο

[sovay]

My short story "ζῆ καὶ βασιλεύει" is now online at Ideomancer. It has a lengthy author's note (it's an alternate history), so I will add only that the title means s/he lives and reigns; it is the answer traditionally given to the siren Thessalonike when she rises from the sea and asks ποῦ εἴναι ὁ Μεγαλέξανδρος—Where is Alexander the Great?

I didn't think of it at the time, but I wonder now if the story is an argument with Mary Renault's Funeral Games (1981). I have several arguments with that book. Anyway, it's queer alternate classical history. Blame yhlee for talking about the Siege of Tyre last September. The rest of the issue is pretty fantastic, too.

Comments

[kore]

Ohhh man, Funeral Games, and that one scene in particular where Renault's misogyny was so bad I just about tossed the book at the wall. I finished it, but I don't think I've ever reread it, and I've read all her other historical novels to pieces.

[yhlee]

Yay story!

[nineweaving.livejournal.com]

Magnificent!

Nine

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

By heaven, that's beautiful. A magnificent thing.

[daegaer.livejournal.com]

That is a wondrous, beautiful story!

[asakiyume.livejournal.com]

*love* it.

Loved this:

Even half-deafened with desire, her mouth dry and her skin flicking like a fly-plagued mare’s, Eurydike felt her mouth tighten in her war-smile, the moment when calculation abandoned itself to the chase. (what a line! how knowing!)

And this:

From the scant night before the sea-battle and the breaching of the walls, she had woken with an intaglio of owl’s feathers printed everywhere hands or mouth or thighs could touch, the tastes of sea and salt on her lips.

I really enjoyed the history in your accompanying note, too. I had no idea.

[much-of-a.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Both for the story and the afternote.

I haven't read it for years (so that's a memo to self), but I was reminded a little (in subject matter) of Spedding's A Walk in the Dark (The Road and the Hills was the first novel I ever got to read in manuscript).

[sartorias.livejournal.com]

oooh, bookmarking!

[gwynnega]

Beautiful!

[handful-ofdust.livejournal.com]

This continues to be amazing. So glad you placed it!

[rose-lemberg.livejournal.com]

I love this story so much.