Myth-o-Mania

Myth-o-Mania is a series of books for children by Kate McMullan. Each book is a parody of a different Greek myth starring Hades, the god of the Greek underworld. The books are never identical to the original myth, as they always put Hades in a positive light and claim that Zeus is a liar and made up the original myths in order to promote himself. The traditional hero of the myth, such as Theseus or Hercules, is usually portrayed as a fool or an oaf. Hades has to help the hero complete the quest. There are other differences between the original myth and the myth in the book; these are often humorous or given a modern twist. For example, Elysium (Heaven) is a perpetual rock concert.

Books in the Series

1. Have a Hot Time, Hades! (2002) -- the story of Hades' and his siblings' childhood, in which they are eaten by Cronus and choose their domains. Basically an introduction to the Greek Gods.
2. Phone Home, Persephone! (2002) -- the myth of Hades kidnapping Persephone and their marriage.
3. Say Cheese, Medusa! (2002) -- the myth of the Gorgons.
4. Nice Shot, Cupid! (2002) -- the story of Cupid.
5. Stop that Bull, Theseus! (2003) -- the legend of Theseus and the Minotaur.
6. Keep a Lid on It, Pandora! (2003) -- Pandora's Box and the story of Prometheus.
7. Get to Work, Hercules! (2003) -- the Twelve Labors of Hercules.
8. Go for the Gold, Atalanta! (2003) -- the story of the runner Atalanta.

Differences Between The Books and the Original Myths

Have a Hot Time, Hades!

• The Gods and the Titans have an Olympics competition to prove who would be ruler, rather than a war.

Phone Home, Persephone!

• Persephone is not kidnapped; rather she stows away on Hades' car. They have a happy marriage.

Say Cheese, Medusa!

• Medusa was actually a goddess, transformed into a monster by Athena for entering her temple. In the end, she is returned to her goddess state. Furthermore, she is not found making love with Poseidon in her temple, but instead picnicking.

Nice Shot, Cupid!

• Cupid isn't incredibly attractive, as in the original myth, but actually skinny and acne-struck. He is also disorganized (though Psyche is a little, too). Psyche loves him anyway since they have so much in common and have become good friends.

Stop that Bull, Theseus!

• Theseus had someone (Hades) reminding him what to do.

Keep a Lid on It, Pandora!

• Pandora didn't actually want to open the box; throughout the story, Zeus tries to make her open it. Additionally, Prometheus didn't have his liver torn out by the eagle every day.

Get to Work, Hercules!

• Hades completes a number of the tasks with Hercules, who had originally done them alone.

Go for the Gold, Atalanta!

• Atalanta got gold apples in a race just to help a sick friend.

Other

Additionally, in each book, Zeus is usually the "enemy" or the "bad guy", but not in the sense that he is evil - only because HE is always the one who causes and starts the trouble - according to Hades, who assures that he will give the accurate version of the stories. The Myth o mania books are currently being re-published with new covers so there is a possibility for a ninth.

External links

• Kate McMullan