Sword and Sorcery
is a canonical sub-genre of Fantasy—it spawns the action side of Fantasy. It is a sub-genre that has it all—magic, supernatural elements, action, romance, excitement, and escapism.
The atmosphere in is darker. Good and evil still exist, but there is more moral ambiguity and fewer absolutes. There are many battles that are focused more of the might of the hero than on the battle's morality. As the sub-genre has evolved it has become more gritty and increasingly morally ambiguous.
Broadly, Robert E. Howard is considered the founder of the sub-genre, writing in the late 1920s. However, the term was coined in the 1960s by Fritz Leiber. The name comes from the sub-genre's protagonists, sword swinging heroes, and its antagonists, wand wielding villains.
Fantasy does not present complex stories and worlds because they are meant to be fun, entertaining reads. The world is fantastical, often medieval in structure, and incorporates working magic and very real gods and demons. These action-focused stories tend to feature masculine characters and worlds—brave heroes fight many battles against evil villains with brawn and wit. In fact, female characters are notoriously underdeveloped and typically model the damsel in distress trope.
On the science fiction front, sword and sorcery is highly related to the sword and planet science fiction genre, which is essentially sword and sorcery on an alien planet, with the magic replaced by futuristic technology.
Level of Magic
Moderate. Magic is definitely a part of the Sword and Sorcery world, but its use is generally restricted to the villains.
Level of Grand Ideas and Social Implications
Low-None. Sword and Sorcery Fantasy rarely has a message and rarely engages in social commentary, instead it focuses on fun, well-paced stories. The sub-genre tends to be escapist literature.
Level of Characterization
Moderate. There is a strong main character, but secondary characters are often left underdeveloped. While readers will get a good sense of the main character, these Sword and Sorcery heroes are sometimes more stock than original.
Level of Plot Complexity
Moderate. Plots of Sword and Sorcery can be intricate, but they are are always action-packed excitement.
Level of Violence
High. Barbarians at the gate! Fight! Win! Conflicts in the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre are violent and feature swashbuckling heroes.
High Fantasy. These two sub-genres share similar characteristics, the main difference is that Sword and Sorcery stories are focused more on personal gain (love, wealth), rather the grand and epic battles of High Fantasy.
Heroic Fantasy. Both Sword and Sorcery and Heroic Fantasy are action and adventure stories in fantastic worlds; differentiating between the two can be murky.
Series Fantasy. Another adventure is always possible in Sword and Sorcery and so many stories turn into series.
If you want stories with lots of depth and meaning. If you want altruistic heroes.
1. Robert E. Howard, Conan the Barbarian. Arguably, the Conan stories are the foundation of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre.
2. Fritz Leiber, Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser. One of the father's of Sword and Sorcery, Leiber's works are often imitated. This series is an example of how writers of this sub-genre infuse details from mythology and old tales.
3. Michael Moorcock, Elric of Melniboné. The first of the Elric Saga, this novel is signficant because the protagonist is a magic user and a bit frail—not quite the typical Sword and Sorcery hero.
4. Charles R. Saunders, Imaro. A classic example of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre, features a hero who fights humans, beasts, and demons. A noteworthy example that mixes somewhat familiar histories with legend.
5. David Gemmell, Legend. The first of the Drenai Saga introduces readers to Druss, a legendary hero who awaits death and can kick your cushy behind.
6. Sprague de Camp, Swords and Sorcery. The first anthology of Sword and Sorcery stories—this sub-genre has a strong presence in short fiction.
7. Karl Edward Wagner, Darkness Weaves. The first novel in the Kane series, Wagner is often credited with reenergizing the sub-genre.
8. Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself. The first novel of the The First Law series, this book is an example of the morally ambiguous and gritty evolution of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre.
9. Marion Zimmer Bradley, Sword and Sorceress. This anthology series is important to the evolution of the Sword and Sorcery sub-genre because it encourages female writers as well as the creation of swordswomen and sorceresses as strong characters.
10. C.L. Moore, Jirel of Joiry. Jirel is a reaction to Sword and Sorcery's masculine heavy characters. She is the first female protagonist in the sub-genre and her stories are written by a pioneering female writer.
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