The Twilight of the Gods, and Other Tales

On a mountainside in the fourth Christian century, Prometheus finds his chains broken and discovers the unfamiliar needs of a mortal body. Elenko, a priestess of Apollo fleeing the destruction of her shrine, offers him food and tells him how the old gods have lost their worshippers. Their meeting opens a collection of short tales that draws on mythology and legend to consider belief, power and human judgment.

Richard Garnett mixes solemn settings with pointed dialogue and unlikely encounters. In another tale, a pope ventures through shadowy rooms filled with alarming memories to meet a ratcatcher whose appearance raises a startling connection with a painted predecessor. Religious authority and philosophical ideas become material for satire, with arguments unfolding through stories. Readers interested in the changing fortunes of gods, thinkers and rulers will find a collection built around the uneasy meeting of grand claims and ordinary human limits.