Herc - by Phoenicia Rogerson

About the Book

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labors, his endless adventures--everyone's favorite hero, right? Well, it's not. This is the story of everyone else: Alcmene: Herc's mother; Hylas: Herc's first friend; Megara: Princess of Thebes; Eurystheus: oversaw Herc's labors; and his friends, enemies, wives, children, lovers, rivals, gods, and victims. It's time to hear their stories.

Book Synopsis

A queer revisionist retelling of the story of Hercules, for fans of The Song of Achilles, A Thousand Ships and Ariadne.

This should be the story of Hercules: his twelve labours, his endless adventures... everyone's favorite hero, right?

Well, it's not.

This is the story of everyone else:

• Alcmene: Herc's mother (She has knives everywhere)
• Hylas: Herc's first friend (They were more than friends)
• Megara: Herc's wife (She'll tell you about their marriage)
• Eurystheus: Oversaw Herc's labours (He never asked for the job)
• His friends, his enemies, his wives, his children, his lovers, his rivals, his gods, his victims

It's time to hear their stories.

Told with humour and heart, Herc gives voice to the silenced characters, in this feminist, queer (and sometimes shocking) retelling of classic Hercules myth.

Review Quotes

"Alternately hilarious and shocking, this is an astonishingly vivid retelling of the story of Hercules, and these are not the Greek myths I learned in school."-Jodi Taylor, author of Just One Damned Thing After Another

"Funny, action-packed, violent, tragic... this is the story of Hercules as you've never experienced it before! An eye-opening treat."-A.J. Elwood, author of The Cottingley Cuckoo

"Hercules had his story, now it's time for everyone else to get their say. Wickedly fun and devilishly dark - the tell-all for our times."-Cari Thomas, author of Threadneedle

"A captivating retelling with a very definite, personal voice, and a sharp, fresh perspective on the lives surrounding the hero rather than from the perspective of the hero himself."-Genevieve Cogman, Sunday Times bestselling author of Scarlet

"A brilliant debut! Rogerson has produced a fresh and totally original retelling of the Hercules myth. For the first time, long-silent characters from the hero's story are given a voice. They provide a sparkling new perspective on the club-wielding, all-daring son of Zeus. A Herculean triumph of creative writing, and a joy to read. Finally, a Hercules for the twenty-first century!"--Alex Rowson, author of The Young Alexander

"A brilliant, witty and unique retelling of the myths that at times had me laughing out loud. Rogerson's impressive talent leaps from the pages."--Carly Reagon, author of The Toll House

"A rollicking ride through Greek mythology, Herc tells the story of the famous hero through his impact on the people around him. By turns quippy, hilarious, and shocking, Herc will make you want to hide in a jar like King Eurystheus, dodging all your responsibilities to read it from cover to cover."--Luna McNamara, author of Psyche and Eros

"Phoenicia Rogerson's Herc approaches the myth of Hercules from the people who had the fortune (or misfortune) to know him best. With each perspective the reader gets closer the elusive hero. The result is a wonderfully layered piece of storytelling which manages to be earthy, haunting and beautiful all at once. Herc is such a unique take on the Greek retellings, and days later I'm still haunted by Megara and the fifty daughters' perspective which was portrayed with such sensitivity and power."--Stacey Thomas, author of The Revels

"Rogerson offers a witty, queer, and heartfelt revisionist retelling worthy of the gods." -Entertainment Weekly

"[Q]uick-paced and quick-witted... A refreshing take on an ancient tale and one that reminds us that heroes are rarely as heroic as we remember them being, Herc is an astute examination of mythology and the centuries-long game of telephone we call storytelling."--Booklist