Becoming Hercules
Middle-Grade/YA Mythic Fantasy
an ongoing weekly serial on Kindle Vella
an ongoing weekly serial on Kindle Vella
Overview
Becoming Hercules is a diverse, coming-of-age mythic fantasy for ages 10 and up from author Greg R. Fishbone.
Launched on the beta version of Amazon's Kindle Vella platform in July 2021, this ongoing weekly serial is bringing Greek mythology back to its multicultural roots.
Becoming Hercules weaves well-known Theban Cycle myths with lost stories that are only hinted at in classical sources, twisting events in unexpected directions while following the Mythoversal mission of restoring diversity and inclusion to mythology.
Access
Readers in the United States can access Becoming Hercules on the Kindle app for iOS and through the Amazon.com website.
Because Amazon has territory-gated its Kindle Vella service while the site is in beta, readers outside the United States must use a VPN service to establish a virtual presence within the United States.
A planned service from Mythoversal will expand access to readers worldwide and to those who wish to bypass Amazon and other corporate middlemen entirely.
The Story
Pyrrha's ancestor hatched from a dragon's tooth. Iphicles is a soldier of Ethiopian heritage. Alkis is a girl with the strength of ten men. In Mythoversal Thebes, they will confront ancient mysteries, defend their home from monsters, and chase forbidden dreams.
Becoming Hercules is set in and around the city of Mythoversal Thebes. The story's preview phase is broken into arcs that focus on one character's viewpoint, with each arc broken into short episodes that are released weekly. Each arc focuses on a single character's point of view while driving the overall story forward toward something large and ominous.
“THE SEVENTH SEED”
Episodes 1-3
Starring Pyrrha with Lykomedes, Henioche, a goddess, and a visitor from the future.
“NONCHALANT BLINKING”
Episodes 4-5
Starring Alkis with Androkleia, Lady Antipoine, a young helper, and a heart's desire.
“TROOP MOVEMENTS”
Episodes 6-12
Starring Iphicles, Laonomus, General Amphitryon, some Spartoi-spawned nobles, and members of the royal family.
“THAT BOY”
Episodes 13-15
Starring Pyrrha, Lykomedes, Henioche, Princess Antigone, a member of another tribe, and several members of a cult.
“BYUH”
Episodes 16-19
Starring Alkis, Princess Antigone, Pyrrha, Lykomedes, Henioche, Androkleia, Lady Sidonis, and an odd fellow wearing the head and skins of a lion.
Characters
The multicultural city of Mythoversal Thebes is home to gods, heroes, monsters, and just plain folks.
BrEAK ThE CYcLe
In Greek mythology, the Theban Cycle is a collection of stories set in Boeotian Thebes during the Cadmeian Dynasty. The versions of these stories that would have been told in ancient Thebes have mostly been lost to us. Instead, we have the more prominent works of Athenian playwrights, who used a twisted version of Thebes as a socially acceptable stand-in for Athens, allowing cover for coded criticism of Athens, its culture, and its rulers.
Mythoversal Thebes is a speculative reconstruction of the Theban Cycle based on existing sources, a bit of modern archaeology, and a whole lot of wild imagination.
Latest News
Becoming Hercules was a Kindle Vella Top-Faved pick for July and August of 2021!
Read three free episodes now, redeem Vella Tokens to binge more, and look for new episodes to drop every Monday.
More to Come
Future updates to this reader resource site are planned. Come back soon!
For Beta Readers
If you are reading this paragraph, you have been accepted as a beta reader and your service is much appreciated. You can access draft episodes in the manuscript below. Public comments made on each episode can be viewed by other beta readers. Private comments can be viewed only by the author.
Becoming Hercules
On This Page:
Elsewhere:
“Disgrace and Decline”
“Reviewing the Troops”
Comments
Author's Notes
This story was originally written in prose, but it felt so much like poetry that I had to express it in a different format. Thanks for putting up with my experimentation, and let me know what you think!