Title: Queer Villains of Myth and Legend

Author: Dan Jones

Genre: Nonfiction

Publisher: Radar, Octopus Books

Publication Date: 18th January 2024

Rating:4/5

Cover:

Summary:

Every good hero needs a villain! Explore the hidden world of magnetic and mysterious villains, often cast aside and misunderstood in tales of mythology and folklore. Through the pages of Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, discover a diverse community of fascinating characters, ranging from seductive and cunning to powerful and awe-inspiring.

Experience the dark allure of Circe and Medusa through to David Bowie’s Jareth in Labyrinth and delve into their complex and multifaceted personalities and motivations. Take a deep dive into the intersection of queerness and villainy, re-examine some of our favourite characters, and discover why so many ‘bad’ characters are queer-coded. 

From ancient mythology to contemporary pop culture, Queer Villains of Myth and Legend celebrates the fascinating stories of these often-overlooked characters. Join Dan Jones on a journey of discovery, as he explores the hidden depths of queer villainy and sheds light on the queer identities of these compelling figures. It’s a powerful celebration of queerness through the ages in all its legendary complexity.

Review:

I’m a bit of a mythology nerd so I was very excited to get my hands on this fabulously fun book celebrating the queer villains from both mythology and also pop culture – and it didn’t disappoint! It is such an easy book to just enjoy, with its short chapters on the various morally complex or sometimes just deliciously bad LGBTQIA+ characters that are sometimes overlooked but certainly shouldn’t be. There were lots of characters I knew of already but the authors witty take on them was great fun to read. There were also quite a few I wasn’t aware of, so I loved hearing more about the slightly more obscure ones as well. This collection also reveals a great deal about history and social constructs in a light yet thought provoking way and I absolutely loved spending every evening over a week reading about the less saintly but perhaps more fun figures from mythology and legends. Queer Villains of Myth and Legend is fun, sharply humorous and full of fascinating and engaging stories about queer characters. It is also an intriguing commentary on the way these characters have been portrayed as queer and why. Highly recommend!

★★★★

Thank you so much to Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours for inviting me on this tour and organising it. I kindly received a copy of the book from the publisher. My review is entirely my own honest opinion.

Buy the book:

Waterstones | Blackwell’s | Amazon