Periklis’s Comments (group member since Sep 30, 2012)

Periklis’s comments from the Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy" group.

The Sword and Sorcery Article Page:
Sword and Sorcery: The Genre,
Sword and Sorcery: The History,
Sword and Sorcery: Series and Characters.

"Those who have only a passing familiarity with fantasy fiction are apt to use the terms "fantasy" and "sword and sorcery" as though they are interchangeable. While sword and sorcery is certainly a type of fantasy fiction (as a sports car is a type of automobile), the label sword and sorcery was proposed by Fritz Leiber to distinguish the genre from other fantasy."
[swordandsorcery.org]

Special Worldcon Live Panel with James Enge, Howard Andrew Jones and John O'Neill

The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 112): 2012 Sword and Sorcery Mega Panel, Part 3

The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 110): 2012 Sword and Sorcery Mega Panel, Part 2

The SF Signal Podcast (Episode 108): 2012 Sword & Sorcery Mega Panel Part 1

The Sword & Sorcery Panel Podcast

From The Demarcation of Sword and Sorcery:

"One man who never confused the two terms was the famous writer Fritz Leiber. Best known today as one of the “Grand Masters” of science fiction, he is also beloved for his creation of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, a pair of swashbuckling fantasy adventurers. Although the numerous stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are undoubtedly heroic fantasy, Leiber once wrote “It strikes me (and something might be made of this) that Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser are at the opposite extreme from the heroes of Tolkien. My stuff is at least as equally fantastic as his, but it is an earthier sort of fantasy. . .”*. It is impossible to say that he was specifically thinking of the term heroic fantasy when he wrote this, but it is clear that he was discontent with his fantasy stories being placed in the same category as The Lord of the Rings. Because of this, in 1961, Fritz Leiber coined the term “Sword and Sorcery” to refer to his own type of fantasy. Thus, because the term was created specifically for the stories of Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser, these tales belong unquestionably to the genre."

*Fritz Leiber, The Swords of Lankhmar, (London, Grafton Books, 1987)

G.W. Thomas' comprehensive lists.

[from swordandsorcery.org by Ryan Harvey]


ca. 700-600 B.C.E.: "A copy of The Epic of Gilgamesh is archived in the Library of Asshurbanipal in Assyria. The story dates back to the second millennium B.C.E. Its tale of a mighty hero-king battling monsters and going on a quest to find the secret of immortality contains many elements essential to what will later be termed "sword-and-sorcery." One of the first surviving stories of civilization."

1929: "Publication in Weird Tales of Robert E. Howard's "The Shadow Kingdom," his first story featuring the Barbarian King Kull, and the first time Howard set a story in a completely fictional fantasy setting."

1961: "Fritz Leiber first suggests the use of the term "sword-and-sorcery" to Michael Moorcock as a way of distinguishing the particular sub-genre of fantasy in which they write."

[source: swordandsorcery.org]

What Is Sword-and-Sorcery?

Some people use “sword-and-sorcery” to mean any kind of fantasy fiction. While sword-and-sorcery is certainly a type of fantasy fiction (as a sports car is a type of automobile), the label “sword-and-sorcery” was proposed by award-winning speculative fiction author Fritz Leiber (originally to Michael Moorcock) to distinguish the genre from other categories of fantasy. So the simple answer to the question is that “sword-and-sorcery” is a label used for a sub-genre of fantasy.

What makes sword-and-sorcery different from other fantasy?

The environment, the protagonists, the obstacles, and story structure.

The Environment: Sword-and-sorcery fiction takes place in lands different from our own, where technology is relatively primitive, allowing the protagonists to overcome their martial obstacles face-to-face. Magic works, but seldom at the behest of the heroes. More often sorcery is just one more obstacle used against them and is usually wielded by villains or monsters. The landscape is exotic; either a different world, or far corners of our own.

The Protagonists: The heroes live by their cunning or brawn, frequently both. They are usually strangers or outcasts, rebels imposing their own justice on the wilds or the strange and decadent civilizations which they encounter. They are usually commoners or barbarians; should they hail from the higher ranks of society then they are discredited, disinherited, or come from the lower ranks of nobility (the lowest of the high).

Obstacles: Sword-and-sorcery�s protagonists must best fantastic dangers, monstrous horrors, and dark sorcery to earn riches, astonishing treasure, the love of dazzling members of the opposite sex, or the right to live another day.

Structure: Sword-and-sorcery is usually crafted with traditional structure, meaning that it isn't stream-of-consciousness, slice-of-life, or any sort of experimental narrative—it has a beginning, middle, and end; a problem and solution; a climax and resolution. Most important of all, sword-and-sorcery moves at a headlong pace and overflows with action and thrilling adventure.

What is Planetary Romance?

The structure of planetary romance (sometimes called “sword-and-planet”) feels absolutely identical to the structure of sword-and-sorcery; the other elements are very similar. In place of magic, planetary romance has telepathy and scarce technological leftovers from a remote, absent, dead, or dying race of advanced beings—so advanced that their technology might as well be magic. The protagonists of planetary romances, like those of sword-and-sorcery, are outcasts and foreigners, dropped in to strange lands (often by accident). They might be explorers from advanced civilizations, but all they are likely to carry are a beam weapon with a few shots and a handful of survival gismos. More often a planetary romance protagonist has to make do with his wits and the sword he wrested from the planet’s primitive culture. He or she faces obstacles very similar to those faced by sword-and-sorcery heroes.

What Is Swashbuckling Historical?

A swashbuckling historical is similar in tone to both sword-and-sorcery and planetary romance; a swashbuckling historical is an historical adventure or alternate history rooted in the past of planet Earth. The preceding comments about protagonists and structure are identical for swashbuckling historicals, and obstacles and setting are similar. Think The Three Musketeers or Captain Blood. A supernatural element is NOT required (though it is welcome), but action and excitement is a must.