Like I said last week, every civilization develops its own mythology to answer its questions and confront its fears. As the needs of the culture change, so change the heroes we worship. So, what happens to the older gods when these newer icons are developed? Do they resent being forced into retirement or do they transcend to a Sun City section of Mount Olympus where they can play endless rounds of shuffleboard and bore each other with photos of their descendants? Did Odin develop a sub-section of Valhalla to house superannuated deities? Is there an AARP for Gods? You might think that’s a funny idea for a story but it’s actually a question Neil Gaiman posed when he wrote American Gods. It’s also an English novelist’s perspective of America and a brilliant fantasy novel. At the center of the story is Shadow Moon, a man with a past who once thought he had a future. Instead, his wife and secure job die shortly before he can reach them and a man named Wednesday offers him work. Shadow is the perfect hero for this kind of adventure: he’s quiet, tough and shrewder than most folks realize. Shadow is the kind of…
Like I said last week, every civilization develops its own mythology to answer its questions and confront its fears. As the needs of the culture change, so change the heroes we worship. So, what happens to the older gods when these newer icons are developed? Do they resent being forced into retirement or do they transcend to a Sun City section of Mount Olympus where they can play endless rounds of shuffleboard and bore each other with photos of their descendants? Did Odin develop a sub-section of Valhalla to house superannuated deities? Is there an AARP for Gods? You might think that’s a funny idea for a story but it’s actually a question Neil Gaiman posed when he wrote American Gods. It’s also an English novelist’s perspective of America and a brilliant fantasy novel. At the center of the story is Shadow Moon, a man with a past who once thought he had a future. Instead, his wife and secure job die shortly before he can reach them and a man named Wednesday offers him work. Shadow is the perfect hero for this kind of adventure: he’s quiet, tough and shrewder than most folks realize. Shadow is the kind of…