Review: Queer Villains of Myth and Legend, by Dan Jones

Description

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.

My Review

Thanks to Anne, of Random Things Tours for organising this blog tour, and to Octopus Books for sending me a copy of this book.

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Queer 

adjective (SEX AND GENDER):

having or relating to a gender identity or a sexuality that does not fit society’s traditional ideas about gender or sexuality.

adjective (STRANGE):

strange, unusual, or not expected:

noun:

a person whose gender identity or sexuality does not fit society’s traditional ideas about gender or sexuality

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Thought I’d include the Cambridge dictionary definitions of ‘queer’ just in case we have any disagreements. I’m not sure what definition Jones is using though…it seems to be a flexible definition of ‘queer’, even if we’re talking academic Queer Theory.

I read the book in a single sitting, mainly because I couldn’t sleep and it was entertaining enough to keep me interested. Jones writes amusingly and with style about mythical, legendary, historical, literary and film/television characters that might be described as ‘queer’. The characters and people fall into broad sections, first mythical and legendary, then historical, then literary and finally television and movies. The vast majority are modern fictional characters, with thirty-three entries. Next, at thirteen entries we have the titular queer villains of myth and legend, and finally seven real people who have been villainised.

Jones retells their stories with a queer twist, looking at them from a different angle. He draws on original sources and modern reinterpretations of them. These are interesting and unexpected. I’ve added a few films to my list of horrors to watch.

I liked the illustrations. They were very well done.

However, there is a lot of stretch in some of his examples, and he repeats myths about real people. For example, Ecsedi Báthori Erzsébet, or Elizabeth Bathory. Evidence suggests she wasn’t ‘the world’s most prolific serial killer’ and the allegations against her were mostly ginned up to damage her birth and marriage families after her husband died.

He also misses some really obvious queer mythical characters, like Loki, who turned into a mare and gave birth to Sleipnir. He had a relationships with a witch, and fathered the ocean serpent, the wolf that bit off Tyr’s had and Hel, mistress of the underworld. Tell me that isn’t incredibly queer? Loki practically lives for subverting gender, gender roles and sexuality. He’s also commonly treated as a villain, although he’s not really.

There’s a single nod to non-Classical deities, in Amaterasu, who wasn’t really a villain, just upset with her brother. There are probably some more figures from world mythology – lots of tricksters tend to be villains in some of their myths/legends and also tend to subvert Western concepts of gender and sexuality. They would have been interesting subjects to read about.

It wasn’t a bad book, but if you’re looking for an in-depth look at queerness in myth and legend, you need to look elsewhere. If you want to read about fictional characters that are canonically queer, or could be if you look at it from the right angle, or who’s creators were queer (possibly) this is a reasonably decent resource.

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Author Biography

Dan Jones is a freelance writer and author based in Brooklyn, New York. Originally from the UK, he has previously covered men’s style and grooming as an editor for several fashion and lifestyle magazines – including the New York Times’ Wirecutter – and ecommerce brands. A big myth nerd and martini fan, Dan has published books on both legendary queer mythological characters and cocktails alongside a series of fashion titles.

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