The Odyssey has an author.
Odysseus ( [ oʊˈdɪsiəs , _ oʊˈdɪsjuːs ] Ὀδυσσεύς , Ὀδυσεύς [ odysse͜ús ] ) , also known by the Latin variant Ulysses ( [ juːˈlɪsiːz ] , [ ˈjuːlɪsiːz ] Ulyssēs , Ulixēs ) , was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca and the hero of Homer 's epic poem the Odyssey . The Odyssey '' ' ( [ ˈɒdəsi ] Ὀδύσσεια Odýsseia , [ o.dýs.sej.ja ] in Classical Attic ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer . The Odyssey is fundamental to the modern Western canon , and is the second-oldest extant work of Western literature ; the Iliad is the oldest . The Cherryh Odyssey . Locus Magazine put the book on its `` 2004 Recommended Reading List '' , and Carmien received a nomination for the 2005 Locus Award for Best Non-fiction book for The Cherryh Odyssey .