Storytelling is as old as civilization itself.
Ancient mythology and folklore are incubators of modern stories. These tales, passed from generation to generation, were efforts ancient people made to understand their world and answer fundamental questions about life and the universe. Things we now explain using science and medicine were once attributed to the unpredictable whims and passions of gods and monsters.
I’ve always been fascinated by ancient mythology and folklore. Many elements within my own stories are inspired by these ancient tales.
Mythological Building Blocks
Every civilization is deeply rooted in mythology and folklore. These tales typically feature larger-than-life heroes embarking on grand adventures, angry gods battling one another, and catastrophic events reshaping the world itself. You also get a version of these types of stories in modern times. In the United States, for example, folklore has developed around George Washington and Abraham Lincoln detailing their leadership, courage, and other admirable qualities that go far beyond what is recorded in actual historical events. You also have urban legends that are modern successors to ancient monster folklore, warning people against specific dangers.
I liberally use mythology and folklore as building blocks in constructing the worlds featured within my own stories.
A rich mythology is woven through the fictional universe that serves as the setting for my Alien People Chronicles science fiction adventure series. Alien characters within these stories are shaped through ancient religions, philosophies, and histories. Those foundational tales still impact their lives many generations later.
My novel Among Hidden Stars offers a perfect example of how weaving mythology into a story makes it feel more alive and real. Calandra Menankar and Xttra Oogan — the story’s central protagonists — are driven to find an ancient artifact called the Staff of Onrai before it falls into the hands of a tyrannical ruler. The Staff of Onrai, according to ancient mythology on their home planet Lathos, was given as a tool by their creator god Ahm to help build civilization. It served this purpose by simultaneously revealing the past, present, and future to the person who stared into a clear stone atop the staff. Eventually, the Staff of Onrai fell into the wrong hands and was used to build the authoritarian Wekonn Empire, which ruled every part of Lathos with an iron fist for one thousand years.
A rich and detailed folklore is also present in my Deer Falls horror series. The titular small town in Colorado is ground zero for an assortment of supernatural entities. This ranges from a subterranean monster in Snow Dragon to a disembodied ancient witch in Pandora Reborn. It creates compelling stories where characters in Deer Falls are forced to deal with the town’s dark history and ties to the supernatural world.
Mythology and folklore give stories added depth and meaning. Their presence within a story signals that an author has taken the time and mental energy to create settings and characters that exist beyond simply being vehicles to drive the plot forward.
Weekend Sales
Both anthologies published through Samak Press in 2025 are part of limited-time sales this weekend.
Smashwords is offering a 50% discount off the regular list price for both Feral Lands and Ripples in Space as part of the bookseller’s annual Read an eBook Week sale. Just use the promo code EBW50 at checkout to receive the 50% off discount. The code is good through March 7th, 2026.
Additionally, you can receive a 20% discount off the regular list price when you buy Ripples in Space at Barnes and Noble through March 13th. No promo code necessary. The discount is already applied at checkout.
Hurry and go grab your copy of these captivating anthologies today. Pass this news along to all your book-loving friends, so they can also take advantage of these sales.
