Ishtar has written several novellas and short stories set in prehistory and antiquity. Each story was carefully researched and written to surround the reader with the beauty of the ancient past. While the subject is typically queer romance, action, adventure, and mystery are all significant themes. Ishtar believes that romance isn't based solely upon a simple explicit interaction but built upon an intense and sensual relationship. Characters need to feel real and be genuinely interesting, both to the reader and to one another. It is from these relationships that true romance can be written.
Medusa and Andromeda of Aethiopia
LGBTQIA+, Mythology, Action, Aegean, Medusa, Andromeda, RomanceShort Story (~4300 words) - ~1300 BCE Bronze Age Aegean
The original tale of Medusa, Perseus, and Andromeda has long held problematic themes. It paints the victim of many crimes, Medusa, as a villain while ignoring the vile acts of her murderer, Perseus. Long have some dreamed of a better version, one in which the famous gorgon is no longer a monster but a valid person with feelings and substance. To this end, some of the unsavory tropes and themes of the original story are found within, such as assault and misogyny, but these are now correctly cast as the immoral acts they are. The gods no longer get a pass
