The Loki Variations: The Man, The Myth, The Mischief

by Karl Johnson

Genres: Non-fiction
Pages: 96
Series: Inklings
Rating:

Synopsis:

Loki, ever the shapeshifter, has never been more adaptable across pop culture. Whether it’s deep in the stories from Norse mythology, the countless offshoots and intepretations across media, or even the prolific Loki that has come to dominate our screens via the Marvel Cinematic Universe, each serves its own purpose and offers a new layer to the character we’ve come to know so well.

By exploring contemporary variations of Loki from Norse god to anti-hero trickster in four distinct categories – the God of Knots, Mischief, Outcasts and Stories – we can better understand the power of myth, queer theory, fandom, ritual, pop culture itself
and more.

Johnson invites readers to journey with him as he unpicks his own evolving relationship with Loki, and to ask: Who is your Loki?

And what is their glorious purpose?

Karl Johnson’s The Loki Variations digs into the character of Loki — not specifically the Norse god in his original form, nor Loki just as portrayed by Tom Hiddleston, but Loki as an overall concept. Pretty much what it says on the tin, in fact: he’s looking at the varied ways people have portrayed and enjoyed Loki’s character, and what he’s meant to people.

It’s nice to read something that takes pop culture seriously, because — regardless of how ephemeral or unimportant it can seem — it’s a great reflection of what’s on people’s minds. Johnson talks specifically about Loki’s queerness, which is linked to how difficult he can be to pin down: he’s not your typical Asgardian (in any incarnation), he’s not exclusively bad or exclusively good; he slides past definitions adroitly.

(A sudden thought: given the red hair and general inclination to mischief over evil, I wonder if Good Omens’ Crowley as portrayed by David Tennant is technically a bit of a variation on Loki himself. In some ways, no, but something of Loki’s instinct for self-preservation, adaptability, and unwillingness to be pinned down and defined does ring true for Crowley as well.)

Anyway, it’s a slim book and doesn’t go into enormous depth, but it’s written with a love for Loki and an appreciation for popular culture that I very much enjoyed.

Rating: 4/5