The story of King Arthur first drew me through Disney's The Sword and The Stone.
I read everything I could put my hands on as a child, so naturally I ran through every telling of King Arthur and his noble knights that I could. Stephen Lawhead's series remains one of my favorites - he begins on the island of Atlantis and spins a family history both rich and complex. Miriam Zimmer Bradley's The Mists of Avalon kept me up many a night - the story is told from the female perspective and gives yet another viewpoint. In college I was lucky enough to take a class on King Arthur and delved into stories of Gawain, Galahad, Mordred - all the biggies.
BBC America's Merlin first arrived on US television via NBC last summer. When I discovered the SyFy Channel would begin airing Season 2 this April, I was quite happy. The series presents the story from Merlin's point of view. Merlin is just learning magic and works as Arthur's servant. This is definitely a modern take on the tale, but that's actually the beauty of the King Arthur story. Each telling breathes new life for another generation, driving exploration of the past and interest in the future.
Can't wait to see what Season 2 brings.
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