Sci-fi take on The Saga Of Grettir The Strong

This is an idea/possibility of an idea that I've been playing around with for a bit: A series of steampunk/biopunk novels set in post-apocalyptic Iceland, retelling various sagas. What would a steampunk sci-fi take on Grettir's saga be like?

Here's the basic elements of the story:

• stubborn, hot-tempered, daredevil type, strained relationship with father, kind heart, heirloom sword
• incredible strength
• defeats a revenant who lays a curse on him
• ends up as an outlaw and is killed by a curse

Anyone have ideas on how to add a steampunk twist to Grettir's story? I think I'll keep the rural setting because the story (to me) is so associated with rural Iceland. Maybe combining elements from the Kullervo story in the Kalevala would help? (There are broad similarities in personality and traits between these two figures.) What does everyone else think?

edited 16th Oct '13 1:35:52 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

I hated Grettis saga. He was an outlaw, the tallest man in Iceland, but he was never caught because he wore a hood. A tall guy in a hood does NOT look like the tallest man in Iceland - facepalm.

Give him a machine that digs a trench, he walks in the trench, noone notices how tall he is.

A trench? Wouldn't that be really noticeable?

Maybe he secretly knows how to perform some illusion spells (seidr) to make himself look shorter.

edited 16th Oct '13 5:23:26 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

If they can't spot the tallest man in Iceland, they won't spot trenches wherever he goes.

Or a second machine to fill in the trenches.

On the "tallest man" thing, I brought that up with my dad, and he said that maybe Grettir was so tall he looked like a tree! . Maybe he also made himself an aegishjálmar out of lead and stuck it on his forehead.

edited 20th Oct '13 3:36:49 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

Actually, would a steampunk Wizarding School-set take be doable? With Grettir as a teenage boy with serious authority issues, magical and combat talent, and the famous hot temper? I know it sounds a bit weird... understatement.

edited 21st Oct '13 2:49:21 AM by MorwenEdhelwen

I don't remember Grettir using magic. Even when he fought the ghost, he just hit it with an axe same as everyone else.

He didn't, but it would resolve problems like "why didn't they catch him"? Plus a Harry Potter-type hero with Grettir-esque strength and a similar personality would probably be unusual.

edited 21st Oct '13 4:46:29 PM by MorwenEdhelwen

On the height issue, I don't think that would be too much of a problem: after all, he may be tallest, but not necessarily by a wide margin.

How did they know he was the tallest anyway? What did they do, measure the height of every guy in the country? :snark: .

June: every Iceland citizen must go to Althing.

They make a law, everyone must stand in line, shortest at the front, tallest at the back.

Thanks!