as someone who worships mythological deities, but has very little insight into any 'fandom' related versions of them. do you think that reading books such as percy jackson and the sunbearer duology is disrespectful? i have no idea how my deities have been represented in this media but i would love to hear your ideas on this topic :)
This ask has been sitting in my inbox for wayyyy too long (life has been BUSY) but I'll do my best to answer it. Though, keep in mind: I don't worship mythological deities, so I can't really speak from a personal perspective, just what I've looked up/researched.
First things first: the way PJO and TSBT portray mythological deities are hugely different. PJO directly uses Greek gods and goddesses, while TSBT draws inspiration from Mesoamerican mythology without directly using any gods or goddesses.
PJO is an interesting case because of the fact that Greco-roman gods are common in pop culture today. But popular does not always mean respectful.
IMO, PJO is...questionable. Do note though: at NO point does anyone who reads PJO think that any of this is an accurate portrayal of Greek gods and goddesses (Well...I would hope so). It's clear fiction and RR is clear that it's his take on the research he's done.
That being said... inherently, by writing a novel, he's forced to treat these gods and goddesses, these figures in Greek mythology that are still worshipped and a part of a culture, as characters. It can come off very shallow. One of my main gripes is that Ares, who, in myths is described as a caring father, is depicted as a bad one in PJO. It goes directly against the actual mythology itself, and if I had to guess, the only reason Ares is portrayed this way is because he's the god of war.
Though, while RR is questionable, the fans are far, far worse. The PJO fandom has this weird quirk where it's cool to find your "godly parent" based on your aesthetic, popularised by the Buzzfeed quizzes and fandom pages and users. And to me, this treats a Greek mythology as an aesthetic, which is hugely dismissive to those who worship these gods.
And the stereotypes. Don't even get me started. Apollo the himbo, Dionysus the cranky drunk. These figures becomes memes and centre of jokes as if they aren't hugely culturally significant. Figures in Greek mythology are more than Tumble tropes and fandom ha-ha's.
Also, like, the amount of YouTube shorts I see on PJO pages that are like "Oh lol, praying to Athena for this test" and similar just rub me the wrong way. Clearly, it's kids making jokes but the jokes can be harmful and seen as a mockery.
I guess my point is that PJO is...questionable. Reading it means understanding that it's an old white dude who's pulling from what he's read, and how that's going to leak into the portrayals of the gods. The fandom...I would leave them alone completely. It can be hugely insensitive and will likely not be taken seriously because they're not used to taking things too seriously.
I don't think TSBT is disrespectful. Actually, I think it's a fantastic terms of being sensitive.
The main reason being: TSBT does not use existing deities. This is so important because Aiden Thomas is not writing "characters" of actual deities and instead borrows from the culture, so he doesn't misrepresent of flandarise any parts of the culture. It's intentional and thoughtful, IMO.
Aiden Thomas is Latinx and chose not to speak over Indigenous people on purpose. He's bringing awareness while being respectful, which is the best way you can do anything, really.
It's clear that TSBT doesn't try to use mythology for "cool points". It's self aware and sincere because Thomas pulls inspo for awareness, not for "hey, that looks like somewhere I could put my characters in!"
Also, the book deals with themes identity, power, colonialism, colourism, while also being such good queer rep. Even being inspired by Mesoamerican myth, it's clear that there's a story and a reason for that being the world it's set in.
It's not pretending to be teach anyone about Mesoamerican mythology. It's clear fiction from the very start and Aiden Thomas chooses to honour the Nahua religion instead of carelessly tossing characters into a world.
TSBT is genuinely such a good example for how books with mythological deities can be respectful - I recommend it, if you're into YA queer fantasy.
PJO attempts this but it reeks of the insensitivity of the early 2000s. Looking back (it's been two years since I read the series), I probably wouldn't read this now.
Thanks for the ask! I hope this answers what you're asking. Honestly, it took a fair bit of research considering I'm not too well-versed in the topic. But it was hugely fun!
