Mark Cecil books in order

Q: "How many books has Mark Cecil written?"

"Mark Cecil has written one books in one series."

Q: "What was Mark Cecil's first book?"

"Mark Cecil's first book is Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny, published in 2024."

Q: "What inspired Mark Cecil to write about Paul Bunyan and John Henry?"

"Cecil has cited ancient epics — including the Bhagavad Gita, Beowulf, and the Sumerian story of Gilgamesh — as influences, framing Bunyan as a Gilgamesh figure and John Henry as his companion Enkidu. He wanted to apply that epic structure to American folklore."

Standalone Novels

Title	Published	Buy on Amazon
Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny	2024	Buy

Mark Cecil’s debut novel arrived in March 2024 from Pantheon with an unusual premise: what if Paul Bunyan and John Henry were real people navigating a broken, unjust America? The novel puts Bunyan in a mining town controlled by a single powerful mogul, and John Henry as a fugitive escaping a rigged prison system. Their paths eventually cross.

The book drew attention before publication — it appeared on Goodreads’ most anticipated lists for 2024 — and the reviews noted its ambition in applying the structure of ancient epics to distinctly American myths. Cecil treats the folk heroes not as cartoons but as figures carrying genuine weight, and the novel functions as a critique of American economic and racial inequality without losing its sense of story.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books has Mark Cecil written?

Mark Cecil has written one books in one series.

What was Mark Cecil's first book?

Mark Cecil’s first book is Bunyan and Henry; Or, the Beautiful Destiny, published in 2024.

What inspired Mark Cecil to write about Paul Bunyan and John Henry?

Cecil has cited ancient epics — including the Bhagavad Gita, Beowulf, and the Sumerian story of Gilgamesh — as influences, framing Bunyan as a Gilgamesh figure and John Henry as his companion Enkidu. He wanted to apply that epic structure to American folklore.

Standalone Novels#

Frequently Asked Questions

Standalone Novels