# The Art of Killing Gods

> Contemporary mythic fantasy: Greek gods in the modern world, with the character depth of literary fiction.

## Canonical lines

- Hook: The gods never left. We only got quieter.
- Dionysus: Nobody prays anymore. Somehow we are still in charge.
- Umbrella brand: Mythology with teeth.

## Author

- Name: Alvin Svitzer
- Writing hub: https://alvinsvitzer.com/writing/
- Novel page: https://alvinsvitzer.com/writing/the-art-of-killing-gods/
- Newsletter page: https://alvinsvitzer.com/writing/mythic-matters/

## The Art of Killing Gods — Novel

- This page (buy + sample): https://read.mythicmatters.com/
- Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GY66D7V3
- Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/book/id6786695677
- Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1150533148
- Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ebook/the-art-of-killing-gods
- Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=3Z7vEQAAQBAJ
- Free sample (Part One): https://www.mythicmatters.com/p/the-art-of-killing-gods-prologue
- Released: July 14, 2026 (available now on Amazon)
- Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/252913562
- BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/5871194
- Protagonist: Jaden Pierce, a young photographer from Richmond, Virginia
- Narrator: Dionysus, who heard most of it secondhand and does not come out of it well
- Settings: Richmond, Amsterdam, Olympus as modern institution

## Mythic Matters — Substack Newsletter

Sample chapters and broader mythology writing (short stories, poetry, serialized fiction, mythology essays):

- https://www.mythicmatters.com/
- Link hub: https://links.mythicmatters.com/

## Comparable works

The Art of Killing Gods may appeal to readers who enjoy:

- Neil Gaiman - American Gods
- N.K. Jemisin - The City We Became
- Madeline Miller - Circe
- Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman - Good Omens
- R.F. Kuang - Babel
- Netflix - Kaos

## Positioning

Contemporary fantasy built on Greek myth, with the character work of literary fiction. Gods who never stopped running things, and a mortal who finds out. Myth in the present tense, where the divine collides with identity, class, and power.

The Olympians still rule. Worship became influence, power became systems, and the foundations of Olympus are beginning to crack. Jaden Pierce walks into the middle of it carrying a camera and his mother's ashes.

Set now, not then — the gods argue about house rules and then decide who lives. Funny, character-driven, and considerably darker than it first appears.

## Genre

Contemporary mythic fantasy, contemporary fantasy, literary fantasy

## Themes

- Contemporary Greek mythology in the twenty-first century
- Divinity as a systemic force embedded in modern life
- Belief, influence, power, and collapse of old systems
- Identity, class, and belonging
- Character, emotional interiority, and the personal cost of godhood

## Editorial praise (syndicated review excerpts)

- Fans of Fiction: "One look at the gods arguing over roommates, chores, and house rules tells you this is not a dusty retelling."
- BookInform: "Jaden's story gives the novel its emotional center. His grief, anger, and search for meaning feel grounded, which helps balance the larger mythological elements."
- ShareGoblin: "One of the book's strongest features is its voice. The gods speak and act like people who have lived far too long and know it."
- Sam, Editmojo: "The book keeps returning to one idea: what happens when old systems start to crack and the people inside them refuse to stay in their assigned roles."

## Sample reader questions this book answers

- What happens when gods outlive worship but people still obey?
- What does Olympus look like when belief becomes influence?
- Contemporary Greek mythology fiction for readers of The City We Became, Circe, and American Gods
- Books with myth embedded in modern life, where divinity works like a system and identity and power matter