Remember Me in Azatlán: the mythos of Greg Mele
- L. D. Whitney
- Mar 24
- 7 min read
I've made it no secret that I crave "American" Sword and Sorcery.
What do I mean by that?
I desire to read S&S fare inspired by the cultures, history, and geography of the American continents - not just North America, but Central and South as well. While I myself write stories with the Rocky Mountain West and Great Plains at their heart, it is not often that I encouter stories by other authors in the same vein. While I have heard that GMB Chomichuk's "Once Lands" has an indigenous feel, I haven't had the opportunity to check it out. There is also the two-part "Ashes of the Urn" series by Alexander Palacio set in a fantastical Aztec Empire and some epic fantasy in the "Between Earth and Sky" series by Rebecca Roanhorse that combines Meso-American aesthetics with Mound Builders and sea farers (but is distinctly NOT S&S). In this niche of a niche, however, one author truly stands out in my mind. Between the thoughtful and detialed setting, the memorable characters, and the sheer variety of story-styles, author Greg Mele's "Tales of Azatlán" cycle is top-tier in the field.
In order to write this piece, I went back and read all of Mele's available work in the e-issues of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly - where it seems most of Azatlán appears. At this time, I have yet to read at least one story in the pages of Tales from the Magician's Skull and according to an interview with DMR (https://dmrbooks.com/test-blog/2023/5/9/independent-author-spotlight-gregory-d-mele) there are some stories that have yet to see the light of day. That said, there is a decent body of work here, enough to get a interesting glimpse into the Land of Obsidian and Bronze.
The first story that I read in Mele's bronze age world is titled "Servant of the Black Wind", appearing in issues 39 of Heroic Fantasy Quarterly and again in DMR's "Die By the Sword". This particular tale revolves around the defense of a sacred temple to Xocolatl, Lord Death, and his favored priest Sipan. By Mele's own admission in the afformentioned interview, this story (and all those involving Sipan) are a sort of homage to the weird fantasy of Clark Ashton Smith, replete with dark sorcery and a distant perspective. The writing here is eloquent if occasionally challenging - a trait I mentioned of Bryn Hammond and my review of "Waste Flowers" as well. Mele also infuses these quasi-religious yarns with a sort of poetic chanting to mimic the prayer cadence of one calling upon Death itself for aid. Stanzas such as this appear in a number of similiar Azatlán stories, including the dark revenge story "Old Ghosts" in issue 49 if HFQ. I think what really shines in these yarns is the display of such an other-worldly culture, one far removed from Medieval-esque Europe, Not-Imperial Rome, and other accompanying settings. In this way, Mele integrates a lot of the world building terminology that one might expect from a Robert Jordan, George R. R. Martin, or Brandon Sanderson. That said, it is also weaved so naturally into the stories that no sort of glossary is needed and the meanings are often readily gleaned from context. This is an approach Charles Saunders used in his Imaro stories, though I think Mele does a slightly better job at it. When all is said and done, readers looking for modern stories with an air of Zothique or Hyberborea, the tales of Sipan, High Priest of Lord Death should fill that want nicely.
Alternatively, for S&S afficionados looking for the more traditional Robert E. Howard appraoch to blood and thunder, you will find your scratching post in Sarrumos the Sailor. This swashbuckling character is a sort of pirate on the sea at the heart of Azatlán. I can only imagine this geographical feature is inspired by Lake Texcoco, which is now dry and makes up the central valley where Mexico City is today. While Sipan provides the reader with a lot of spirtual and mythological context for the setting, Sarrumos is much more grounded in the politics of ethnic identity, reflecting the realities of life under the historical Aztec empire. The pirate and his motly crew of disprate backgrounds ride the waves and find themselves in combat with forces both man and beast. It seems that the origin story for Sarrumos is in issue 12 of Tales from the Magician's Skull, but a las I have not read it. HFQ has a number of these pirate tales and all are well worth reading. These stories make use of Meso-American mythology to combine adventure, action, and horror is the way only Sword & Sorcery can. Speaking to Mele's range, these stories are also in a much closer, personal feeling perspective that puts the reader right in the action - as opposed to Sipan's more distant narrative style. In the more recent Sarrumos stories that appear in HFQ, there is a brief introduction that elaborates briefly on the continutiy between stories, giving some tantalizing context to the sailor's adventures. As it stands, the Sarrumos cycle appears to be the largest body of Azatlán tales produced by Mele.
There are also a pair of stories in HFQ that feature other characters or are only tenuously part of a previously described cycle. Earlier, I mentioned the tale "Old Ghosts", which takes the readers on an odyssey through the underworld to discover the truth behind a terrible murder. This story has a lot in common with the other Sipan stories, though it is told in a first-person narrative style which helps to slowly unravel the context of what's happening. The story is both sorrowful and gruesome, a mediation on the cost of revenge and the price of justice. The characters present here are familiar in the sense that they represent archetypes of people that you have either read about in tabloids or potentially met in person. This makes such a weird and sorcerous tale feel simulatanously relatable and down to earth. The other story, "Heart of Vengeance", briefly mentions Sipan but focuses again on the the theme of revenge. This time, a betrayed noble makes a pact with Lord Death with the help of one of his priestesses. This tale again takes a distant perspective, describing with blood and sharpened-bronze a swath of tumultuous history as Lord Death delivers on his promises.
In the DMR interview, Mele also mentions a sort of Occult Detective story that was written for Tales from the Magician's Skull, but with the change in ownership, I'm unsure if that tale has yet to see the light of day. There is also brief talk of an Azatlán novel being shopped around, but that was in 2023 and I know not the extent of that line.
Though I'd clearly love to see it.
Something that I find interesting outside the stories is Mele's alteration of real-world history and mythology. As an archeologist who has spent much of his academic career studying the Desert Southwest and Mexico, a lot of the iconography is familiar yet fantasy enough as to not be a one-to-one. Generally, I think it's safe to assume that most people are aware that American Pre-Columbian civilizations did not invent the wheel. This is sort of a misnomer, because they did in-fact "invent the wheel", but without beasts of burden there was no reason to craft wheel carts or transport. This leaves the wheel relegated to novelty and children's toys. Likewise, metalworking was left mostly to decoration and occasionally blunt weapons or axes. The closest thing to swords we see on these continents are the obsisidan-bladed clubs called macuahuitl from the Aztecs and Maya.
In Azatlán, this is not the case.
Mele has infused Meso-American aesthetics with those of bronze age Greece, specifically (I imagine) Mycenae. In this we are gifted war scenes with horse drawn chariots, sword duals with bronze weaponry, and even camel (prehistoric camelops) riding barbarians. It is an interesting combination that makes for a unique and imaginative setting. A lot of this is tied, in-world, to the different ethnic groups of Azatlán. In one Sarrumos story we are given a hint that some people, specifically the ruling class, are descended from semi-divine explorers from Iperboritlan (a wonderful mash-up of "Hyperborea" and Meso-American language conventions).This is sort of an Atlantis, but instead of beneath the waves, this fabled land lies locked beneath glacial ice. Even the name Azatlán itslef is a call back to the mythical homeland of the Aztec. Also, here and there about the texts are sprinkled bits of flora and fauna in the sort of way that Clark Ashton Smith would do in his fantasies. The whole thing really weaves an evocative tapestry of colorful history, flashing swords, and dark sorcery.
If you've read this far, it's safe to say you can tell I'm a fan. Though I've seen Mr. Mele's name pop up in Facebook Groups and Comment Threads where I also exist, I've never talked to the man. So far as I know, there is not one place to get all of these stories. Instead, as many modern S&S writers, his work lies in a number of disparate publications. So, in an unabashed "shoot-your-shot" moment, Greg, if you're listening, Rogues in the House can help you out here!
To wrap up, S&S readers looking for variety as well as something different in setting will do no better than seeking out stories of Azatlán by Gregory D. Mele. Luckily for us, it seems all but one Sarrumos story is available in the free online publication Heroic Fantasy Quarterly, as well as "Old Ghosts" and a couple Sipan Tales. All it takes is a little searching...OR...below you can find a list of links that will take you right there.
Are you too a fan of Azatlán and the works of Greg Mele? Are YOU Greg Mele? Leave us a comment and tell us your thoughts!
May your Swords always remain sharp!
-Logan
Azatlán Stories in Heroic Fantasy Quarterly
Servant of the Black Wind - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=2657
Heart of Vengeance - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3030
Old Ghosts - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3469
Father-of-Rivers - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3528
The Path of Two Entwined - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=3528
Death Upon the Torquoise Road - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=4216
The Fountain of Hatteos - https://www.heroicfantasyquarterly.com/?p=4353
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May your swords always remaind sharp!
OK, I wasn't expecting to wake up to THAT! Wow, thanks Logan; I can't tell you how gratifying it is to see someone "get it" and catch some of the Easter eggs--even the ones I thought obvious, like Iperboritlan. (Only David C Smith caught it.)
This is, of course, an inversion of the early 20th c tropes of Mesoamerican and Mound-Builder culture must be a product of Egyptian/Phoenician adventurers...even the name of the "mestizo" ruling class of Azatlán--the Naakali--is a wink to LePlongeon and Churchward's lost "Naacal" language. But yeah, if someone needs an elevator pitch...Colonial Mexico, colonized by Myceneans-Minoans, and what that would look like centuries later...in an analog to the Americas during the end of the Wisconsinian Ice Age,…