TOP 10 ODYSSEY ADAPTATIONS (PART 2)

 

(11) PHILIP JOSE FARMER –

RIVERWORLD (1965-1993)

 

Okay, this is not so much an adaptation of the Odyssey – although it is something of an afterlife odyssey – but an adaptation of Odysseus, who is among the billions of humans resurrected in Riverworld after life on Earth and is allied with the other resurrectees recruited by the Mysterious Stranger to reveal the secrets of Riverworld.

Interestingly, there is a history of Farmer’s creation published in 2026 with the title Riverworld Odyssey.

 

(12) S.M.STIRLING & DAN SIMMONS –

ISLAND IN THE SEA OF TIME & ILIUM / OLYMPOS (1998-2000 & 2003-2005)

 

More SF adaptations of Odysseus.

The premise of Stirling’s Island in the Sea of Time series, sometimes called the Nantucket series, is that the modern island of Nantucket (in Massachusetts) is displaced in time back to the Bronze Age (1250 BC) by the mysterious “Event” – with all its contemporary technology. Obviously that shakes up the Bronze Age and creates an alternate history. One of the few Bronze Agers to ascertain the nature of the time interlopers is Odysseus – or Odikweos as he is called here.

The premise of the Ilium / Olympos books by Dan Simmons is in some ways the reverse of that of Stirling’s series, as future posthumans have used their god-like technology to recreate and study the Trojan War…on Mars, aptly enough near Mons Olympus. Of course, Odysseus features prominently in it.

 

(13) RICK RIORDAN –

PERCY JACKSON & THE OLYMPIANS (2005-2009)

 

Adapting much of the Odyssey to its young adult fantasy series – most notably in the second book, The Sea of Monsters, which has the premise that its mythical sea, much like Olympus and its deities, “moves” to where Western popular imagination (or its Jungian “collective unconscious” places it. Which in this case is the Bermuda Triangle.

 

(14) MADELINE MILLER –

THE SONG OF ACHILLES / CIRCE (2011-2018)

 

The adaptations here should be obvious. Miller adapts the character of Circe from the Odyssey – including her liaison with Odysseus in it – but also her other references in classical mythology, including the lost “sequel” to the Odyssey, the Telegony, featuring her son from Odysseus, Telegonus.

And yes – the adaptation in The Song of Achilles has an obvious focus on Achilles through the eyes of Patroclus but Odysseus also features in it. Indeed, the scenes with Odysseus are easily the coolest in the book, with the arguable exception of those featuring Thetis – so when they appear in the same scene together, that is definitely the coolest in the book.

 

(15) VALERIO MANFREDI –

ODYSSEUS: THE OATH / THE RETURN (2013-2014)

 

I was introduced to Manfredi by his trilogy about Alexander the Great. The title of these two books reveals their subjects, Odysseus in his role in the Trojan War (bound by the oaths they swore) and in the Odyssey (with his return to Ithaca).

 

(16) ULYSSES 31 (1981)

 

Ulysses, Ulysses, soaring through all the galaxies.

Anime Odyssey IN SPACE!

That pretty much sums up this French-Japanese animated series.

 

(17) THE ODYSSEY (1997)

 

Yes – it’s the 1997 TV miniseries. It’s decent, if somewhat cheesy in parts and hokey in effects at times.

 

(18) THE RETURN (2024)

 

Is there anything Ralph Fiennes can’t do or anyone he can’t be? Here he’s Odysseus in the second half of the Odyssey, returning to Ithaca

 

(19) EPIC: THE MUSICAL (2022-2024)

 

A sung-through adaptation of the Odyssey – apparently has been picked up for adaptation to animated film

 

(20) THE ODYSSEY XXX (2026)

 

You know my drill for final or twentieth special mention as my kinky entry – and of course there’s an adult film parody version of Nolan’s Odyssey.

In fairness, you could argue that it’s putting all the s€x back into the Odyssey that Nolan took out – Nolan’s films being somewhat notoriously s€xless.

I mean, Inception would have to be the least er0tic dreamscape ever.