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What does "swords and sorcery" mean to you?
I think of Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Robert E. Howard, P. C. Hodgell, C. L. Moore, Barbara Hambly's Sun Wolf books, and Megan Lindholm's Ki and Vandien books.
To me, it's a genre separated from other forms of secondary-world fantasy by tone and scale: small-scale, and down-to-earth to the point of being grubby.
Swords and sorcery is not about saving the world (though the world might be saved incidentally), but about the attempts of one or two or a handful of characters to survive, earn a living, get rich, escape the long arm of the law, have adventures, or do right in a world that doesn't appreciate it.
One of things that I like most about the genre is that its heroes often lack reluctance: they have adventures because it's their job, or they do it for fun. Conan does not long to lay down his sword and return to his peaceful former existence.
The characters tend to be loners or partners, not fellowships; they don't command armies; they may be considered members of the lower classes. If they're warriors, they're usually mercenaries rather than knights or soldiers. They can lie, cheat, steal, and kill in a manner that would be considered revisionist if it appeared in epic fantasy.
There's often a world-weary, noirish tone: the world isn't going to give you cookies. Frequently accompanied by a wry, sardonic sense of humor.
So what does "swords and sorcery" mean to you? What tropes do you associate with it?
Bonus story: Where Virtue Lives, by Saladin Ahmed. Classic sword and sorcery in a Middle Eastern fantasy setting: a slovenly old demon hunter and an uptight young warrior get more than they bargained for (S&S heroes always get more than they bargained for) in a battle against water ghouls.
I think of Fritz Leiber, Jack Vance, Robert E. Howard, P. C. Hodgell, C. L. Moore, Barbara Hambly's Sun Wolf books, and Megan Lindholm's Ki and Vandien books.
To me, it's a genre separated from other forms of secondary-world fantasy by tone and scale: small-scale, and down-to-earth to the point of being grubby.
Swords and sorcery is not about saving the world (though the world might be saved incidentally), but about the attempts of one or two or a handful of characters to survive, earn a living, get rich, escape the long arm of the law, have adventures, or do right in a world that doesn't appreciate it.
One of things that I like most about the genre is that its heroes often lack reluctance: they have adventures because it's their job, or they do it for fun. Conan does not long to lay down his sword and return to his peaceful former existence.
The characters tend to be loners or partners, not fellowships; they don't command armies; they may be considered members of the lower classes. If they're warriors, they're usually mercenaries rather than knights or soldiers. They can lie, cheat, steal, and kill in a manner that would be considered revisionist if it appeared in epic fantasy.
There's often a world-weary, noirish tone: the world isn't going to give you cookies. Frequently accompanied by a wry, sardonic sense of humor.
So what does "swords and sorcery" mean to you? What tropes do you associate with it?
Bonus story: Where Virtue Lives, by Saladin Ahmed. Classic sword and sorcery in a Middle Eastern fantasy setting: a slovenly old demon hunter and an uptight young warrior get more than they bargained for (S&S heroes always get more than they bargained for) in a battle against water ghouls.