Advertise on podcast: Requiem for a Prodigal

Description

Growing up, I was obsessed with Greek mythology, mathematics, puzzles, games, and reading fantasy novels (e.g., The Lord of the Rings trilogy and the Narnia series). I played Dungeons and Dragons as a teenager in high school, and as a young adult, I worked briefly for Wizards of the Coast (WotC), creators of the Magic: the Gathering (MtG) collectible card game. The creative department at WotC was putting out an anthology of short stories based on MtG, and I submitted a lengthy novella. Unfortunately, it was never published, and I went on to pursue other interests. However, the story still sat in my files, awaiting the opportunity for me to rework it into something more fleshed out and original.Now nearly 25 years later, I am older and wiser (and certainly more experienced). For my 50th birthday, I checked one item off my bucket list to finally visit Greece, the source of all the myths and maths I loved as a kid. By visiting the sites in the flesh, I finally knew how to rewrite my original novella.When I decided to get my B.A. in Mathematics at the University of Washington, I took as electives anything relating to ancient Greek literature and history, even delving into Roman practices. While taking those classes, I came up with the idea of a Grecopunk setting for my tale. What if the Romans never conquered the Hellenistic Empire and the Dark Ages never occurred? What sort of civilization would we now be living in? Such is the initial premise for my story. Technology is similar to ours but slightly advanced. Society is still grounded on the same principles practiced by the Athenians of 500 B.C.E. It is a world familiar yet still strange. As for the rest, you'll have to read it to find out.The second draft of the novel is now complete, and I am reading aloud each chapter (and recording it) for the audio version of the book, which I am also making available as this limited-run podcast. I hope you will join me on my journey . . .