Fair winds to Retellings of the Inland Seas, the latest member of the Feral Astrogators series to set sail. Its older siblings are The Other Half of the Sky (2013) and To Shape the Dark (2016). Its haunting, evocative cover is by Eleni Tsami, whose stunning artwork has graced previous Candlemark efforts.

Retellings of the Inland Seas re-imagines Mediterranean and Black Sea stories in SFF contexts: from a Minoan exodus through wormholes to Furies on Mars, from space Argonauts to Imazighen and Scythian warrior queens. It’s a wish to honor my own roots, and also an expression of my desire to reclaim ageless foundational myths that are considered declassé common property because of long, casual handling that has flattened their echoing depths. In addition to its older siblings, the previously-launched story collection Fates and Furies by Christine Lucas is a boon companion of Inland Seas.

Retellings of the Inland Seas received terrific reviews from several SFF venues and personalities. Excerpts (longer ones are on the book page):

Anyone who can envision Atlantis as a doomed space-faring civilization // should take a look. —Sarah Rice, Booklist

Readers // will find both beauty and solace in these eloquent, well-told tales. —Pamela Sargent, editor of Women of Wonder

…universally strong and well written // …gems on the shore for readers to pick up and discover. —Paul Weimer, Hugo finalist SFF reviewer, Nerds of a Feather

This anthology provides a great feast for readers; // there’s not a bad story in it. —Nancy Jane Moore, author of The Weave

Classic myth meets feminist spec fic in this crunchy, challenging anthology. —Tansy Rayner Roberts, multiple winner of Ditmar and WSFA awards

As a reminder here’s the TOC of Inland Seas. Most gratifying is that, with no urging from me, each contributor chose a distinct tale to transmute:

Retellings of the Inland Seas

Distant Campfires, Eternal Beacons — Athena Andreadis
The Wine-Dark Sea — A. M. Tuomala
Sirens — Melissa Scott
Hide and Seek — Shariann Lewitt
The Sea of Stars — Genevieve Williams
Between the Rivers — Judith Tarr
Calando — James L. Cambias
One Box too Many — Christine Lucas
The Fury of Mars — F. J. Doucet
Out of Tauris — Alexander Jablokov
Little Bird — Kelly Jennings
Wings — Elana Gomel
The Crack at the Border — Dimitra Nikolaidou
Unearthing Uncle Bud — Athena Andreadis

For those who buy the print version, the ornaments are an Easter egg that I’ll discuss in a separate post. If you figure it out, send word and we’ll celebrate together! And if you want to know more about the unique Minoan civilization, which gave rise to the legend of Atlantis and whose echoes ripple underneath Inland Seas, read my blog post The Hyacinth among the Roses.

Retellings of the Inland Seas is available on Amazon, B&N, Kobo – and of course on our website, where buying the lovingly prepared trade paperback also brings along the full digital bundle (PDF, Epub and Mobi) . All C&G ebooks are DRM-free. As a reminder, it may take a day or two post-launch for the print version to appear on Amazon and get linked to its digital counterpart (it’s already linked at B&N).

Come to the Inland Seas journeys with us; hear and follow the beating of great wings from distant times and places, the dreams that nourish us while they trouble us, and keep us exploring.