Why ancient Babylon?

I've been fascinated with the various cultures of the ancient Near East ever since I read Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash, and the Sumerian goddess Inanna is one of my favorite mythological figures.

The more I read about the first urban civilizations to spring up on planet Earth, the intrigued I became. I was fascinated to discover that the most ancient cities bear many resemblances to modern ones--we've got better technology, but we're using that technology to solve the same basic problems that the builders of those first cities faced.

Will there be other stories in the Blood Hero universe?

There will be at least two more stories in this world, one focusing on Cuno's background, and another which will deal with Iltani's curse. I'm currently re-reading the Gilgamesh cycle, in preparation for Rihat and Iltani's upcoming adventure in the Babylonian underworld.