Enuma Elish. The Babylonian Epic of Creation by Johannes Haubold, Sophu Helle, Enrique Jiménez & Selena Wisbom

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 I'm not very much into (old or modern) poetry, but this ancient Epic talks to me. I don't think I would have had such a good experience reading this if not for the excellent introduction (by Sophus Helle) and the excellent 13 essays by Assyriologists, Cuneiform scholars, ancient language experts and near and middle east historians. The Enuma Elish is beautiful. I imagine those ancient scholars and priests reciting the poem in front of big audiences during the famous akītu festival. The Epic is a layered narrative covering themes such as the creation of the universe, Babylonian theology and astronomy but the main theme as interpreted by experts is the justification and establishment of the supremacy of Marduk, god of Babylon. The essays cover topics such as historical and political backgrounds (Gösta Gabriel describes the poem as "not only a poetic masterpiece, but also a masterpiece of political thought"), language and linguistic analyses, ancient cuneiform sources and later works influenced or inspired by the Epic, one of which is the famous Genesis 1, from the bible. The author of this essay speculates that the Genesis 1 text might have been composed during the Babylonian exile where the Judean elite might have come across Babylonian literature. And to end a quote on the intertextuality of the Epic: "the poem draws on a wide range of different sources and weaves together motifs to create an entirely new tapestry. It's use of earlier material is skillful and not merely a matter of stitching together, but also of transforming it's sources. The threads are discernible, but they have created something very different from the original compositions." (Selena Wisnom) Recommend.

Lone Sloane. Salammbô by Philippe Druillet, based on the novel Salammbô by Gustave Flaubert

Both story and art are superb. There is not much SF in this comic book. Lone Sloane lands on a strange planet resembling the ancient Messopotamic/North African period. There are humans as well as other kinds of animals (or monsters). There, the hero takes the identity of Mathô, a warrior, who fights with an enormous army against the powers of Carthage. Mathô falls in love (or becomes obsessed) with a princess called Salammbô, and obviously loses his mind trying to find her. The story is an adaptation of Flaubert's famous work. I am not sure how faithful this Lone Sloane adventure is to the original work but I can say two things: 1) Mathô captures the personality of Lone Sloane and 2) the setting and the aesthetic are decadent and violent.

The Storytelling Animal. How stories make us human by Jonathan Gottschall.

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Why do we create stories, and what function do they have in our lives? 

We make up stories of all kinds. We create stories when we are awake, when we sleep, and when we daydream. Stories are everywhere. Just think how we try to explain our past: as historians and archaeologists piece together clues to create stories, which include distortions and omissions. The author argues that history might be closer to myths than a recollection of the actual past. And what about ancient myths and legends. How and why were they created? Why did our ancestors sit around fire to tell each other stories? Think about the enormous body of fictional literature that we have and the millions of people who read and love them. 

In this book Gottschall introdues the concept of the storytelling mind and presents some literary, psychological and evolutionary perspectives to explain why we evolved to love stories, why and how the brain creates stories and how they affect us. 

My personal takeaway is that evolution designed our minds to enjoy stories because stories help us to put some order in our lives and in the views of the world in which we live. With stories,we can explain why things are the way they are. It doesn't matter if they are actually true or scientific facts. What's important in stories is that they give us meaning. Gottshall follows this line of reasoning in chapter 6 to discuss religion. He says: "Religion is the ultimate expression of story's dominion over our minds." 

Another interesting perspective is that stories help us get ready for life. Stories can affect us mentally as well as physically. In that sense, they help us practice skills for human social life. A good example is children's play. 

Recommend.