In high school, I enrolled in a senior elective where we studied adaptations of all kinds; we read and watched Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, we unpacked why 10 Things I Hate About You was an adaptation of The Taming of the Shrew, and on the final day of classes, fulfilling her promise to show us a wholly unique adaptation, our teacher showed us the movie Clue. I learned that adaptation is both an art and a fickle beast; retelling a work, especially a classic is challenging–to always be compared in one way or another to the original text is no small consideration. Perhaps that’s, at least in part, why buzz around Christopher Nolan’s upcoming adaptation of Homer’s Odyssey has already caused such a stir. But Nolan’s film isn’t the only work taking on this historic epic; Isabel J. Kim’s debut novel Sublimation, out this month, is also a retelling of the myth. Her novel explores immigration and identity in a universe where one splits into two people when they immigrate: one who stays behind, and one who leaves.

“I specifically wanted to include a sort of classical narrative from the western canon that could run in parallel with the story—and that’s how I ended up reimagining The Odyssey,” Kim tells me. “It being a story about Odysseus’s homecoming contrasted against his long trials and his own son’s journey to find him, made for an easy vessel for the concepts I was discussing, and rewriting his story as a foil against the main characters’ journeys was a natural fit.”

Adaptation’s power is often its ability to create nuance or contemporary context to an enduring conflict; it was T.S. who said that myth might give us “a way of controlling, of ordering, of giving a shape and a significance to the immense panorama of futility and anarchy which is contemporary history.” And Kim says adaptation proved an effective vessel for her to interrogate these themes with an eye to the larger context. “If we’re talking about immigration today, we might end up focused on the minutia of policy, or hemmed in by our own biases,” she says. “But if we talk about it in the context of ancient mythology, then maybe we gain the tools to talk about the heart of the issues with less intrinsic bias.”

In addition to Kim’s debut, and Nolan’s upcoming film we’ve compiled a list of must-read retellings and adaptations that play with the original canon and teach us how versatile and powerful the retelling of a classic can be.

‘Circe’ By Madeline Miller: This novel is a retelling of the story of the Greek Goddess Circe; it explores her life from birth through her becoming a witch and her myriad encounters with other mythological figures. “If you haven’t explored the genre, this is a smooth entry point,” says Kim.

‘Ithaca’ by Claire North: This novel, narrated by Hera, is an account of those left behind while Odysseus is gone and was an “easy pick” for Kim. “Ithaca beautifully fleshes out the reality of an island whose king and the majority of able-bodied men are missing, and whose queen has to wield power through a subtle slant,” she says.

‘American Born Chinese’ by Gene Luen Yang: This graphic novel adapts parts of The Journey to the West, and explores the experience of being Chinese-American diaspora. Kim says, “The narrative has a really elegant use of mythology to discuss real world issues and the feeling of wanting to assimilate into a culture versus being true to yourself.”

‘Spinning Silver’ by Naomi Novik: A loose retelling of Rumpelstiltskin, this novel follows a woman who claims she can turn silver into gold. Kim says this adaptation takes an old and simple story and turns it into something complex without ever losing it’s roots – “much like the main character turns silver into gold,” she adds.

‘The City of Brass,’ By S.A. Chakraborty: The first in a trilogy, this novel is loosely inspired by Middle Eastern Folklore and is brimming with mythological and historical references. It follows a young woman who becomes entangled politically and emotionally in a mythical city filled with djinn. “Just read it,” says Kim.

‘The Bright Sword’ By Lev Grossman: Built around Arthuriana lore, this novel takes place in an immediate post-Arther world. “There’s a really wonderful high-low and mythic-historical juxtaposition in this novel, where the various mythological figures are humanized,” says Kim. “And Camelot is placed in the historical context of post-Roman Britain.

‘Eight Days of Luke’ By Diana Wynne Jones: “I can never resist an opportunity to talk about a Diana Wynne Jones novel!” lauds Kim. This children’s novel which Kim says is “light, fun, and filled with references for the discerning eye “reimagines Norse mythology.

‘The Witches Heart’ By Genevieve Gornichec: If a light children’s novel about Loki isn’t your speed,” she says, “Try a slightly more solemn rendition told from Angrboda’s point of view.” This novel delves into unexplored corners of Norse mythology from the perspective of a more commonly minor character.

‘The Dream of Perpetual Motion’ By Dexter Palmer: Though technically a retelling of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Kim says this adaptation is one of her favorite things she’s ever read. It’s a “loose adaptation... set in a strangely dreamlike, almost gaslamp fantasy world.”