Retelling in literature refers to a new version of a previously told story. In retelling, an author takes a well-known story, myth, fairy tale, or legend and rewrites it, either by changing some of its elements or by adapting it to a different setting or context. Retellings can be found in a variety of genres such as fantasy, science fiction, historical fiction, and romance, among others.
Retellings allow authors to explore familiar stories in new and creative ways, adding their own twists and interpretations to well-known tales. They can also be used as a way to update and modernize old stories, making them more relatable to contemporary readers. Popular examples of retellings include Margaret Atwood's "The Penelopiad," which retells the story of Penelope from Homer's "The Odyssey," and Gregory Maguire's "Wicked," which tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz."