<p>Karnataka's oral traditions hold centuries of stories waiting to be reimagined. Yakshagana performances, Jataka tales retold by grandmothers, village legends about river spirits — these are a goldmine for the contemporary novelist.</p><p>When I wrote my first fantasy novel, I deliberately wove in the structure of a Yakshagana performance: the slow ritual opening, the comic interlude, the climactic battle of dharma and adharma. Most readers did not consciously notice it, but several told me the story felt "familiar in a deep way." That is exactly what folklore does — it speaks to something pre-verbal in us.</p><p>Modern Kannada writers have a unique opportunity. Our mythology is rich but underrepresented in English-language global fiction. We can introduce Kali temples at crossroads, the significance of neem trees, the fear of the preta, to readers who have never encountered them — and make those elements feel absolutely real.</p><p>The world does not need another retelling of Greek myths. It needs ours.</p>