Beyond the Pillars: An Anthology of Pagan Fantasy

The civilizations of old were rich with magic and imagination. Beneath every wave there lay mysteries, behind every cloud soared legends, and the Gods walked beside their mortal worshipers every day. In today’s realm of science and logic, this adventuresome, imaginative spirit is often lost. Beyond the Pillars seeks to resurrect that creativity, that sense of wonder which is so frequently neglected in the frenzy of the modern world. We are seeking fantasy fiction pieces featuring the myth, magic, monsters, and Gods of the ancient world. For example, a young girl in modern Kentucky trades horses with the Tuatha Dé Dannan; a land wight in medieval Norway saves his human family from raiders; a retelling of the myth of Perseus and Andromeda from Cassiopeia’s point of view; a samurai and a kitsune join forces to defeat a terrible evil; Romulus and Remus receive an unexpected gift from their wolf foster-mother; in ancient Egypt, a priest of Ra confronts a creature of the night; and a Greek ship sails beyond the Pillars of Herakles and finds something wondrous …. Stories featuring original mythologies and your own pantheons are acceptable, but preference will be given to stories featuring real Gods and Goddesses. Scholarly articles — for example, an analysis of the use of myth by Marion Zimmer Bradley, the nature of magic in The Golden Ass, the conversion of Gods into fairy tale figures, and so on — will also be considered, as will poetry and artwork.

Country of Publication

United States