A (Condensed) Dictionary of Mythological Characters

by Rachel Rodman

Adonis-Argus

He was a beautiful youth, possessed of 100 eyes. But he scorned women, preferring cows.

Oedipus-Orpheus

He consigned his mother to Hell. But then he looked back, as he exited the pit, and perceived that he desired her.

Pandora-Phaeton

From the box, while her father slept, she released the sun, which burned all the world.

Priapus-Procrustes

To humanity, he gave the gift of penis standardization. He cut penises that were too long and stretched penises that were too short. After that, all men were the same.

Saturn-The Sirens

To his sons, he sang haunting lullabies. Then he devoured them.

Rachel Rodman’s fiction has appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Grievous Angel, On the Premises, and other places. You can link to more of her published fiction (and equally weird non-fiction) here: rachelrodman.com.

Check out the write-up of the journal in The Writer.

Matter Press recently released titles from Meg Boscov, Abby Frucht, Robert McBrearty, Tori Bond, Kathy Fish, and Christopher Allen. Click here.

Matter Press is now offering private flash fiction workshops and critiques of flash fiction collections here.

Submissions

Poetry, creative nonfiction, and fiction/prose poetry submissions are now closed. The reading period for standard submissions opens again September 15, 2025. Submit here.

Upcoming

09/15 • Abbie Doll
09/22 • Karen Regen Tuero
09/29 • Amy Speace
10/06 • Jennifer Edwards
10/13 • Joseph O’Day
10/20 • Carolyn Zaikowski
10/27 • Sunmisola Odusola
11/03 • Sara Cassidy
11/10 • Liz Abrams-Morley
11/17 • Alison Colwell
11/24 • Lucy Zhang
12/01 • TBD
12/08 • TBD
12/15 • TBD
12/22 • TBD
12/29 • TBD
11/17 • TBD
11/24 • TBD
12/01 • TBD
12/08 • TBD
12/15 • TBD
12/22 • TBD
12/29 • TBD