Mesopotamian myth retellings
This is a curated, but not ranked, collection of Mesopotamian myth retellings.
Some of it was published recently, and some more than a century ago. Some is traditionally published; some is independently published.
Please note that some of these titles are part of a series. The title listed will always be the first volume.
Like all ancient-world fiction lists on this site, this one is a living document that I’ll expand over time as I discover new titles. If you’d like to suggest a book for consideration, please submit it via the form at the bottom of the page.
Whether or not each book is right for you is a decision between you and Goodreads. A book’s inclusion on this list should not be taken as a personal recommendation from me. I’ve read some but not all of these titles.
I have, however, researched all of them to minimise the chances of AI-generated or otherwise very low-quality fiction appearing on the list. Different readers have different tastes, and my goal is to spread the word about ancient-world fiction, not review it.
Related lists:
Historical fiction and historical fantasy set in ancient Mesopotamia
Fantasy books inspired by ancient Mesopotamia
Inanna
By Emily Wilson. Published in 2023. Epic fantasy inspired by the stories of Inanna, Gilgamesh, and Ninshubur (who starts out as a mortal warrior woman in this story).
Gilgamesh
By Stephan Grundy. Published in 1975. A historical fiction (not fantasy) rendering of the life of Gilgamesh.
Gilgamesh the King
By Robert Silverberg. Published in 1984. A fantasy rendering of the Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Tablet of Destinies
By Robert Calasso. Published in 2020. Utnapishtim, the immortal flood survivor we meet in the Epic of Gilgamesh, tells Sindbad the Sailor a series of stories that amount to a part-fiction, part-scholarly romp through Mesopotamian mythology.
