Fantasy Advent Day 5: 3 books that were retelling of other classics

Welcome back to the Fantasy Advent, with Day 5. Good books are formed around unforgettable stories and compelling characters. Some claim that they can't be great books unless they're a completely "original" idea. But that's really not necessarily the case. If we study the history of storytelling long enough, we can see our favorite books' roots in much older ideas. Here are three books that nakedly get their core idea from somewhere else and are still great contributions to fantasy.

1. Wicked by Gregory Maguire

This 1995 book is definitely getting a lot of attention these days, since Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande are starring in the fantastic adaptation of the Broadway musical on the big screen. Before we had Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth originating the roles of Elphaba and Glinda respectively, we had a book by Gregory Maguire.

The author of Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West recently spoke to the BBC about the origin of the idea. He said that "he knew that the topic he wanted to explore in the novel was the nature of evil" and whether we are "characterising certain types of behavior...the decay and corruption of someone's moral fibre?" This 1995 "sleeper hit" explored that and delved deep into the formative experiences of someone labeled as "wicked" across the Merry Old Land of Oz.

2. The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley

King Arthur is one of the most popular historical figures whose existence is dubious. His name appears in lists of British kings and there are various folklores that explore his adventures, but he is as hard to pin down at times as Robin Hood.

Marion Zimmer Bradley took it upon herself to write about his story from the perspective of the women in his life. This was not the only time she did such a thing. Five years after the publication of The Mists of Avalon, she wrote the Trojan War from the point of the doomed prophetess Cassandra.

In this epic retelling of the King Arthur story, we see the tryst between Uther Pendagon and Igraine that resulted in the conception of Arthur. His older sister is inducted into the mysteries of the sacred isle of Avalon by Viviane. the high priestess. Over the years, Arthur grows into a leader and takes a wife while Morgaine becomes a priestess of the Mother Goddess.

The story is an interesting depiction of tensions between old mythology and Christian faith, between duty and devotion.

3. The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

According to protagonist Alyss, Alice's Adventures Under Ground are a work of fiction, but Wonderland is real. Reading Lewis Carroll's distortion of her story causes a life-long rift.

As Beddor takes us through the complex hierarchical system of the true Wonderland, we find a world ruled by imagination in turmoil after a civil war. Unfortunately, a coup d'etat makes Alyss go on the run and escape through a gateway to Earth. Alyss is adopted by the Dodgson family of which Charles Ludwidge Dodson (Lewis Carroll) is a member. Meanwhile, the Hatter spends thirteen years searching for his best friend. It is because of the hateful plagiarism of Alyss' stories that he is able to track down the author and then Alyss. Back in Wonderland, there is a tyrannical system of government and the resistant faction has been driven into hiding.

I love how elements of the original are so reimagined to give higher stakes to familiar stories.

We'll back with Day 6 tomorrow, but if you haven't read any of these books, check them out while you wait.