The Mythic Circle #47: 2025 - Paperback

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by Nolan Meditz (Editor), Phillip Fitzsimmons (Illustrator), L. C. Atencio (Illustrator)

The 2025 edition (issue #47) of The Mythic Circle, the creative writing publication of The Mythopoeic Society, continues the 38-year-long tradition (since 1987) of providing The Mythic Circle as a publishing outlet for members of The Mythopoeic Society and for writers and artists in the general public as well. We publish fantasy stories, poems, and images, especially those in a mythic vein.

Regarding our fiction, we never know what will come in over the electronic transom, but with our theme of fantasy and mythic works, we can be sure to see some dragons, as in "The Ninth Moon," by Shefali Mathew and "The Light and the Maw," by Caleb Dummermuth; some fairy tales and myths or retellings, as in "Call of Duty," by Cassandra L. Schuchart, "More Greatly He Dared," by Susan Shwartz, "Enchanted Leaves," by Lawrence Buentello, and "Strangers in a Storm," by J. Brice Odom; a bit of "romantasy" and/or family drama, as in "The Desire Path," by Dee Holloway, "Borrowing Happiness from Tomorrow," by Isaiah Williams, "Sun and the Spandrel," by Jared M. Bentley, and "The Forest Song," by Deborah Shrimplin; a dash of horror such as "Rend the Heavens," by Benjamin Inglis, "Prince of the Mountains," by David K. Adam, "The Prizing Coat," by Evan Wellbrock, and "The City that Sings," by Hunter Koski; a few knights in armor, as in "The White Hall," by Marcelo Henrique Barreto, and "The Last Mushroom Knight," by Cameron Sauder; some modern innovations such as "Boreas" by Eve Telford and "Squaring the Sphinx" by L. E. Smith; and at least one mythic reincarnation (or was that what happened?) as in "Wings of Attachment," by Nez Chew. These mythic and fantasy works best represent "original work by authors following the mythic tradition" that is the guiding principle of The Mythic Circle.

Poems in this year's edition present mythic themes that include connections to J. R. R. Tolkien: "Rivendell" and "Evenstar," by Rachel Lott. Long-time author (since 1997) David Sparenberg presented a poem analogous to Noah's task on the ark in "The Fleet of Small Ships." In a similar historic-mythic vein, "Hephaestion's Ghost," by George Angleou, tells of Alexander (yes, that one) and his dead but still beloved comrade-in-arms. Jacob Bier brings in aspects of nature in "The Wind from Another World" and "Northernness." In "Fairy Mountain," by Patrick Flynn, we glimpse a magical place and its magical inhabitants. Two poems from Sandra J. Lindow leave us with a joke, although a dark and barbed one. But in Chris Dickinson's poems, we meet an Arthurian hero (Gawain) and, in the second poem, we learn of a magical sea creature somewhat reminiscent of a silkie. From A J Dalton we get a new story-poem, "Niflheim," belonging to Norse mythology, and an introduction to a very far-away place in "Ultima Thule." Theo Holmes gives us the inner thoughts of an early horror figure in "Medusa," and a prayer for a renewed (and maybe improved) universe in "Agnostos Theos." Carson Wignall draws on and expands Biblical stories for "Eve's Reflection" and "Cain." And as our closing piece, Eve Telford imagines the end as a new beginning in "The Great Unweaving." These thought-provoking and deeply mythic poems recapture the spirit of the Inklings for a modern world that hasn't forgotten the ancient world.

Number of Pages: 106

Dimensions: 0.22 x 11 x 8.5 IN

Publication Date: July 17, 2025