18 books like American Gods

What to read after American Gods — books similar to it, matched on shared themes.

Eragon Christopher Paolini · 2000 · ★ 4.0 · 518p · ≈ 17h · Moderate One boy... One dragon... A world of adventure. When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stone brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire itself. Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is… Shares: Science Fiction, Fantasy

The Darkness That Comes Before R. Scott Bakker · 2003 · ★ 4.0 · 589p · ≈ 19h · Moderate Strikingly original in its conception, ambitious in scope, with characters engrossingly and vividly drawn, the first book in R. Scott Bakker's Prince of Nothing series creates a remarkable world from whole cloth—it's language and classes of people, its cities, religions, mysteries, taboos, and rituals—the kind of all-embracing universe that has thrilled readers of Stephen R Donaldson and George… Shares: Fantasy fiction, Science Fiction

The Blade Itself Joe Abercrombie · 2001 · ★ 4.3 · 531p · ≈ 17h · Moderate Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of… Shares: Fantasy fiction, Fantasy

The Pursuit of Loneliness Philip Slater · 1970 · ★ 4.0 · 174p · ≈ 5h · Moderate "The mother-son relationship is the focus of this major study of Greek family and Greek mythology. Greek women married early, were excluded from public life, and had little legal protection; yet females figure prominently in Greek mythology and the maternal goddesses are often represented as powerful and aggressive. It is Slater's contention that women in Greek society exerted a strong… Shares: American National characteristics, Mythology

Making Money Terry Pratchett · 2007 · ★ 4.3 · 400p · ≈ 13h · Moderate The Ankh-Morpork Post Office is running like . . . well, not at all like a government office. The mail is delivered promptly; meetings start and end on time; five out of six letters relegated to the Blind Letter Office ultimately wend their way to the correct addresses. Postmaster General Moist von Lipwig, former arch-swindler and confidence man, has exceeded all expectations—including his own.… Shares: Ex-convicts, Science Fiction

Modern mythology Andrew Lang · 1897 · 169p · ≈ 5h · Challenging xxiv p., 1 l., 212 p. 23 cm. Shares: Mythology

Myth and ritual in Christianity Alan Watts · 1953 · 262p · ≈ 8h · Moderate A penetrating and wide-ranging study of mythological processes and their particular manifestation in Christian religion, Alan Watt's Myth and Ritual in Christianity is widely considered a classic. Using the lens of the "doctrine of mystical tradition", Watts explores the development of church doctrine in relation to the procession of seasons and finds, contrary to many contemporary critics, that… Shares: Mythology

World mythology Donna Rosenberg · 1986 · ★ 4.4 · 561p · ≈ 18h · Moderate Shares: Mythology

Chimera John Barth · 1972 · ★ 3.7 · 308p · ≈ 10h · Moderate Barth retells the tales of Scheherezade of the Thousand and One Nights, Perseus, and Bellerophon from varying perspectives, examining the myths' relationship to reality and their resonance with the contemporary world. Dunyazade, Scheherazade's kid sister, holds the destiny of herself and the prince who holds her captive. Perseus, the demigod who slew the Gorgon Medusa, finds himself at forty… Shares: Mythology

Eros Teri Temple · 2012 · 32p · ≈ 1h · Moderate None (Hesiod)Hesiod, Theogony https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0130%3Acard%3D104 116–122] states that Gaia, Tartarus and Eros come after Chaos, but this does not necessarily mean that they are the offspring of Chaos. Gantz, pp.… Shares: Mythology

Comparative mythology F. Max Müller · 1909 · 184p · ≈ 6h · Challenging Comparative mythology is the comparison of myths from different cultures in an attempt to identify shared themes and characteristics.Littleton, p. 32 Comparative mythology has served a variety of academic purposes. For example, scholars have used the relationships between different myths to trace the development of religions and cultures, to propose common origins for myths from different… Shares: Mythology

Hephaestus Teri Temple · 2012 · 32p · ≈ 1h · Moderate Hephaestus ( , ; eight spellings; ) is the Greek god of artisans, blacksmiths, carpenters, craftsmen, fire, metallurgy, metalworking, sculpture, and volcanoes.Walter Burkert, Greek Religion 1985: III.2.ii; see coverage of Lemnos-based traditions and legends at Mythic Lemnos In Greek mythology, Hephaestus was the son of Hera, either on her own or by her husband Zeus. He was cast off Mount Olympus… Shares: Mythology

Manual of mythology A. S. Murray · 1873 · 368p · ≈ 12h · Challenging Dr. Murray Stein’s prolific career has produced a substantial body of writings, lectures, and interviews. His writings, captured in these volumes, span a wide domain of topics including Christianity, individuation, midlife, the practice of analytical psychology, and topics in contemporary society. His deep understanding of analytical psychology is much more than an academic discourse, but rather… Shares: Mythology

Sun lore of all ages William Tyler Olcott · 1914 · 346p · ≈ 11h · Challenging This book contains a collection of myths and legends concerning the sun. Shares: Mythology

Manual of mythology A. S. Murray · 1873 · 399p · ≈ 13h · Challenging Dr. Murray Stein’s prolific career has produced a substantial body of writings, lectures, and interviews. His writings, captured in these volumes, span a wide domain of topics including Christianity, individuation, midlife, the practice of analytical psychology, and topics in contemporary society. His deep understanding of analytical psychology is much more than an academic discourse, but rather… Shares: Mythology

Norse Mythology Neil Gaiman · 2016 · ★ 4.1 · 304p · ≈ 10h · Moderate Neil Gaiman has long been inspired by ancient mythology in creating the fantastical realms of his fiction. Now he turns his attention back to the source, presenting a bravura rendition of the great northern tales. In Norse Mythology, Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly… Shares: Mythology, Fantasy

The house of the Wolfings William Morris · 1889 · 233p · ≈ 7h · Challenging The House of the Wolfings tells the tale of a band of German Goths living in a wood they call the Mark. Their lives are idyllic until the long shadow of the Roman Empire threatens the peace in their land. Thiodolf, the leader of the Wolfings and a descendant of the ancient gods, must rally the surrounding tribes to defend their home and way of life. Like much of Morris’s work, The House of the… Shares: Fantasy fiction, Fantasy

Fool's Errand Robin Hobb · 2001 · ★ 4.4 · 666p · ≈ 22h · Moderate Robin Hobb has emerged as one of today's foremost fantasy authors. Now she continues the adventures of one of her most popular heroes in the first book of what promises to be her most spectacular trilogy yet. Fool's ErrandFor fifteen years FitzChivalry Farseer has lived in self-imposed exile, assumed to be dead by almost all who once cared about him. But that is about to change when destiny seeks… Shares: Fantasy fiction, Fantasy

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