Mayan Murder Mystery... or something like that
December 27, 2015 7:39 PM Subscribe
Is there historical fiction set in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica? If so, where do I find it?
I've really been enjoying descriptions of Mayan and Aztec society in Coe & Coe's The True History of Chocolate, and want to read more in the context of a good story. Has anyone written historical fiction in this setting?
English-language or Young Adult-level Spanish-language texts preferred, but I'd attempt more challenging Spanish literature for a really fascinating tale. (It's hard to stay engaged if I'm reaching for the dictionary too often.)
I've really been enjoying descriptions of Mayan and Aztec society in Coe & Coe's The True History of Chocolate, and want to read more in the context of a good story. Has anyone written historical fiction in this setting?
English-language or Young Adult-level Spanish-language texts preferred, but I'd attempt more challenging Spanish literature for a really fascinating tale. (It's hard to stay engaged if I'm reaching for the dictionary too often.)
The Aztec series by Gary Jennings!
posted by lettersoflead at 8:11 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lettersoflead at 8:11 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
I just read Aztec by Jennings, it is very entertaining. The novel presents Aztec culture at its just-pre-Columbian height, and the last 20% or so is the Spanish invasion and aftermath. The author does a fantastic job of creating the sensory and religious world of the Aztecs. There is a lot of pretty gruesome death, true to the culture of the time, so be ready for that. (I'm not a fan of gruesome but enjoyed the book quite a bit nonetheless.)
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:05 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 9:05 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Gary Jennings series was legendary among my high school friends for ridiculous sex scenes. I don't think I ever tried to read the whole thing, so I cannot confirm the ridiculousness levels.
posted by yarntheory at 10:06 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by yarntheory at 10:06 PM on December 27, 2015 [1 favorite]
British author Phil Dickinson posted about his 2012 novel New Fire here at Metafilter and it appears to have been successful enough for him to do two sequels so far. He links to various reviews on his web site.
The Twilight Histories alternative-history fiction podcast did an episode in which the Chinese discovered the Americas before Europeans did; the protagonist is a European trader stranded in a Central America in the midst of a war between Chinese colonists and the Aztec civilization.
The Maztica Trilogy by Douglas Niles are some books written in the early 1990s as part of a project to add a Mesoamerica-like continent to the Forgotten Realms fantasy role-playing game campaign setting. So vaguely Mayan-and-Aztec-inspired, but with sorcery and swordplay and stuff.
You may also be familar with Mel Gibson's film Apocalypto, set in Mesoamerica with its entire dialogue in the Yucatec Maya language.
And since we're talking about Western-hemisphere pre-European-contact stuff let me say that the Māori film The Dead Lands is awesome.
posted by XMLicious at 10:34 PM on December 27, 2015
The Twilight Histories alternative-history fiction podcast did an episode in which the Chinese discovered the Americas before Europeans did; the protagonist is a European trader stranded in a Central America in the midst of a war between Chinese colonists and the Aztec civilization.
The Maztica Trilogy by Douglas Niles are some books written in the early 1990s as part of a project to add a Mesoamerica-like continent to the Forgotten Realms fantasy role-playing game campaign setting. So vaguely Mayan-and-Aztec-inspired, but with sorcery and swordplay and stuff.
You may also be familar with Mel Gibson's film Apocalypto, set in Mesoamerica with its entire dialogue in the Yucatec Maya language.
And since we're talking about Western-hemisphere pre-European-contact stuff let me say that the Māori film The Dead Lands is awesome.
posted by XMLicious at 10:34 PM on December 27, 2015
Gary Jenning's Aztec is very well-researched - impressively so - but he definitely takes liberties in order to play up the sex and violence. It's a little uncomfortable, IMHO; there's a fair bit of flirtation with ideas of barbarian savagery.
It's still worth a look, in my opinion, but be warned that it's not a restrained novel and was not written at a time when you would expect much consideration of these kinds of issues.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:05 AM on December 28, 2015
It's still worth a look, in my opinion, but be warned that it's not a restrained novel and was not written at a time when you would expect much consideration of these kinds of issues.
posted by Kutsuwamushi at 12:05 AM on December 28, 2015
Haha, yeah, the sex parts of the book are ... well, it reminded me of Clan of the Cave Bear. The violence felt more like, "I am going to make modern readers appreciate that pre-modern societies are disturbingly violent to their pacifistic sensibilities and show how violence functioned culturally to keep order," but the sex seemed designed to titillate and sell.
I think it saves itself from the barbarian savage angle by its constant sly commentary on the European invaders, especially the sex-obsessed bishop, and the similarly clear discussion of the Europeans' barbarity and venality when they invade. Everybody's just super violent.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:58 AM on December 28, 2015
I think it saves itself from the barbarian savage angle by its constant sly commentary on the European invaders, especially the sex-obsessed bishop, and the similarly clear discussion of the Europeans' barbarity and venality when they invade. Everybody's just super violent.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 4:58 AM on December 28, 2015
Aliette de Bodard's series of - yes - Aztec detective novels, Obsidian and Blood are supposed to be pretty good. They do have fantastic elements and de Bodard is a fantasy/SF writer, but she's a pretty good fantasy/SF writer, and she does her research. I have not read these, but I really, really like her Viet diaspora in space short stories, which are truly unique in all of SF.
posted by Frowner at 6:23 AM on December 28, 2015
posted by Frowner at 6:23 AM on December 28, 2015
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posted by PussKillian at 7:48 PM on December 27, 2015 [2 favorites]