Throwing Down with The Lost Sisterhood: Amazons, Academics, and Adventure

Anne Fortier's previous novel, 2010's Juliet, brilliantly retold the source legend of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. It was a New York Times bestseller and written while the author worked at the libertarian Institute for Humane Studies.

Fortier's new novel, The Lost Sisterhood, switches back and forth between the travails of Diana Morgan, a contemporary scholar at Oxford, and Myrina, the legendary warrior who would become the first ruler of the Amazons. It's a page-turning thriller that is also packed with ideas about history, gender, self-determination, and the desire for true freedom.

"I hope to raise a lot of questions about the choices that we make by...asking, 'What if a group of women decided to live outside of society, bend the spoon, and override all rules and regulations?'" says Fortier, who was raised in Denmark, holds a doctorate in the history of ideas from Aarhus University, and co-produced the Emmy Award--winning documentary Fire and Ice: The Winter War of Finland and Russia.

Fortier recently talked with Reason TV's Nick Gillespie about the ongoing popularity of deeply researched historical fiction, the power of novels to rock people's worlds, and her creative process.

About 12 minutes. Produced by Amanda Winkler. Additional camera: Joshua Swain.

For downloadable versions, visit http://reason.com/reasontv/2014/03/18/what-if-a-group-of-women-decided-to-live