A delirious and gripping story of fatherhood and masculinity, told through the reimagined Greek myth of Daedalus, Icarus, King Minos, Ariadne, and the Minotaur.

Daedalus of Crete is many things: The greatest architect in the world. The constructor of the Labyrinth that imprisoned the Minotaur. And the grieving father of Icarus, who plunged into the sea as father and son flew from the grasp of the tyrannical King Minos.

Now, Daedalus seeks to reunite with Icarus in the Underworld, even as he revisits his own memories of Crete, hoping to understand what went so terribly wrong at the end of his son's life. Daedalus will confront any terror to see Icarus again—whether it's the cruel punishments of Tartarus, the cunning Queen Persephone, or the insatiable ghost of the Minotaur.

But the truth, stalking Daedalus in the labyrinth of his own heart, might be too monstrous for him to bear.

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Praise for this book

Praise for Daedalus Is Dead

“An accomplished and powerful story about love, obsession, and the labyrinth of lies that we build around ourselves. Sullivan breathes new bold life into old myths by asking one devastating question: Why did Icarus do it?” —Sunyi Dean, bestselling author of The Book Eaters

“Sullivan’s lovely debut puts an inventive spin on Greek myth... Sullivan gradually peels back the layers of Daedalus’s past, including several revelations that will shift readers’ views of the inventor significantly. In the crowded field of revisionist retellings, this stands out.” —Publishers Weekly

“Soars far above any retelling I have read -- twisty, poetic, beautiful, plumbing every depth of despair and height of joy possible in human, beast, and god. This book will destroy you.” —Premee Mohamed, author of The Butcher of the Forest

“Rich and vividly imagined; as intricate, cruel and haunted as the labyrinth at its heart. Here is something ancient made thrillingly, blisteringly new.” —Malcolm Devlin, author of And Then I Woke Up

“An exquisitely wrought, tenderly examined portrait of fatherhood, invention, legacy, tragedy, and myth that would make Roberto Calasso proud. The irony is, for such a title as Daedalus is Dead, this story and these characters have never felt more alive.” —Nat Cassidy, author of Mary: An Awakening of Terror and Nestlings

“Sullivan heart-wrenchingly conveys a father's grief at the loss of his child. The result is a devastating examination of fatherhood and masculinity.” —Shelf Awareness

“[A] tale of an unreliable man placing the blame for his sins and his crimes on everyone but himself... Readers who enjoy mythic retellings will be riveted.” —Library Journal

“Daedalus is Dead is a poetic requiem, written in sturdy, buoyant prose that ferries you across brilliantly reimagined Greek mythology to deliver you to the shores of a story about love and fatherhood and the endless maze of the human heart. A stunning debut; Sullivan has achieved something special here.” —Moses Ose Utomi, Ignyte Award-winning author of The Lies of the Ajungo

“Daedalus Is Dead is more than a mere reimagining of Greek myth. It takes an epic, sweeping, page-turning adventure and makes it unnervingly intimate, a meditation on meaning, vulnerability, grief, and longing that spans a lifetime and an afterlife. Sullivan has a clear eye not only for the details of this world, but for the small moments of joy, wonder, horror, and Sisyphean determination.” —Robert Repino, author of the War With No Name series




About the AuthorSeamus Sullivan’s fiction has appeared in Terraform and his book reviews have appeared in Strange Horizons. He lives in Jersey City with his family. Daedalus Is Dead is his first book.
Title: Daedalus Is Dead
Author(s): Seamus Sullivan
ISBN: 9781250370488
Copyright 2025
Release Date: September 30, 2025
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group
Countries: United States, Canada | Learn more about available countries
Language: English
Format: mobi,ePub | Learn More about our supported formats
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