I have been playing Magic for over 19 years and I do not think I have ever been as excited for a new set as I am for Theros. I have been excited for just abut every release in some base capacity ("Oh sweet, new cards") but Theros, man, it hits me on an entirely different level. The reaction from my friends and the Magic community as a whole seems to be overwhelmingly positive. And this got me thinking.
When I was younger, I was fascinated by mythologies. I started, like many American youth's educated in a culture that values European history above the history of other parts of the world, with Greek and Roman myth. After learning the very basics, I sought out the library and found the big book of Greek myth by D'Aulaires.
I devoured that book. Then Egyptian mythology. Then Norse.
I can't even fully explain why I like these stories. It could be because I love stories or it could be because I adore the fantastic. However my love of myth was the seeding for my love of fantasy. The books and worlds I love the most are those that have a well thought out structure of faith and a developed mythos. Zelazny's Amber, Sanderson's Mistborn, Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, and Gaiman's American Gods are some of my favorite worlds because they weave mythology and the history of the worlds in which they exist into the narrative. Even my favorite comic books have deep rooted pantheons and surrounding myths, books like Moon Knight and Iron Fist speak to me on a primal level.
But it all started with the stories from the Greeks and Romans.And I think that is why Theros resonates so deeply for me.
It is Magic going back to my roots in the fantastic. It is a love letter that someone else wrote for me. It is a warm hug saying "we read those books too."
And that is awesome.
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