A Million and One Ways to Interpret Mythology

It's nearly the end of summer, and as I currently work the same days as the school calendar, it has been a summer of unemployment, good reading and getting into shape. The reading part is what concerns us this time around, as I have been addicted to mostly paranormal-related romances and fantasies.

When did stories about gods, goddesses, fairies, vampires, werewolves, harpies, and all matter of related creatures become so popular? Most "hot" titles feature one of the above creatures as their main character, but the world that surrounds them varies with each and every author.

For example, take Greek mythology. I have become a big fan of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series about a group of warriors who opened and destroyed Pandora's box because of jealousy and have since been forced to house the demons inside of them (Pain, Death, Misery, Lies, Doubt, Nightmares, etc). The results are some engaging, steamy romances books (with a great background story and cast of characters, I might add), focusing on how every person, no matter their weakness, has someone out there meant for them. Take this approach and compare it to Sherrilyn Kenyon's Dark-Hunter series, divided into those who were created by Apollo (Apollites), who sometimes work with the daimons, and those favored by Artemis (the Dark-Hunters) who are granted a single act of vengeance before they serve her. The Dark-Hunters are immortal, seeking out those daimons and Appollites at night who wish to hurt humans. The use of the same set of mythological stories produces two very different worlds.

Another example is the portrayal of fey in Karen Marie Moning's Fever series and in Richelle Mead's Black Swan series. Again, the same set of stories and myths produce two very different takes on what it means to be an outcast fey in a modern world.

These are the type of stories I've dreamed of reading since I was little, but I guess my imagination was ahead of the curve. No matter, I enjoy the stories now and am nothing but guilty of producing yet another take on what it means to be "fairy" in a world interconnected to our own.

Now, I'm going ponder what the difference is between paranormal fiction and urban fantasy and see if I can come up with an answer, because honestly, they blend and overlap in my mind.