(sadly continuing the tradition of being late, due to travel reasons)
One of my favorite themes in fiction is when a sense of wonder is brought into realistic, modern settings. A common thread here is placing ancient gods, heroes, and mythological creatures into contemporary contexts—think American Gods or Marvel’s Thor, which draw on Norse mythology, or Moon Knight, which incorporates ancient Egyptian deities.
A recent example I especially enjoyed was the Netflix series KAOS, which reimagines Greek mythology—particularly the story of Orpheus and Eurydice—set in modern-day Crete, with Jeff Goldblum playing Zeus. Aside from rekindling my love for these kinds of stories, the show also made me reflect on the behavior of these gods toward humans. It left me wondering: as much as I enjoy stories about them, would I actually want to meet any of them in real life?
A few yes. My favourite pick would be Hephaestus. He is the ultimate creator—master of fire, forge, and invention, crafting legendary weapons and automata that even the gods relied on. Despite being cast aside, he rose through resilience and brilliance, proving that true power lies in ingenuity. Plus he is one of the few ancient gods whom I can image (and ChatGPT) also using Atlassian tools.
Who's yours and why?
