Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery in Sword & Sorcery: "An earthier sort of fantasy"

Aug 20, 2020 Christopher rated it it was amazing

I feel like I have been waiting years for someone to write a book like this. Sure, others have tried on occasion, but no one really did a comprehensive capture of the genre before now. And this is not just a history, but a thematic synthesis and-dare I say it-a work of literary criticism. My only complaint, and its extremely minor and a quite understandable omission, is how on the discussion of film the movie 'Mandy' was left out as an example of sword and sorcery. Though its ostensibly a horror ...more

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Jul 30, 2022 Liam rated it really liked it

A great resource, recommend to anyone interested or already into S&S. I think the closing chapter was a great conclusion, and the first chapters really set things up. There is even a chapter on movies, gaming, and music

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Jan 23, 2021 J.W. Wright rated it really liked it

Shelves: owned, guides-nonfiction-biographies

As a rabid fan of the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy, I’ve always found it rather difficult to find a complete guide and history to the genre. That is, at least, until now, with debut author Brian Murphy’s “Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery."
This is truly a well-researched book that is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable to read. Murphy covers the authors that inspired the sword and sorcery genre and what are referred to as “proto sword and sorcery” authors such as Lord Dun As a rabid fan of the sword and sorcery genre of fantasy, I’ve always found it rather difficult to find a complete guide and history to the genre. That is, at least, until now, with debut author Brian Murphy’s “Flame and Crimson: A History of Sword-and-Sorcery."
This is truly a well-researched book that is thoroughly engrossing and enjoyable to read. Murphy covers the authors that inspired the sword and sorcery genre and what are referred to as “proto sword and sorcery” authors such as Lord Dunsany, E.R. Eddison, H. Rider Haggard, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Talbot Mundy, Harold Lamb, Abraham Merritt and Clark Ashton Smith.
He then moves on to the legendary father of sword and sorcery fiction, Robert E. Howard, with his contributions of Kull of Valusia and Conan the Cimmerian that jumpstarted the genre, and also his contemporaries such as C.L. Moore with her Red Sonya-inspired Jirel of Joiry character, and Henry Kuttner with his tales of Elak of Atlantis and Price Raynor. These all compose the “first wave,” that were mainly established in the Weird Tales pulps.
Murphy then delves into the second, third and subsequent waves of sword and sorcery fiction including Poul Anderson’s “The Broken Sword,” “Three Hearts and Three Lions,” “Hrolf Kraki’s Saga,” “War of the Gods,” and his various short stories in the genre, Fritz Leiber with his “Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser,” as well as other legendary authors such as Michael Moorcock with his “Elric Saga” and Karl Edward Wagner with his “Kane Series.” Also included are the authors that helped keep this genre alive through the years such as David C. Smith with his “Oron Series,” Richard L. Tierney with his “Simon of Gitta Series,” Charles R. Saunders with his “Imaro Saga,” Keith Taylor with his “Bard Series,” Ramsey Campbell with his tales of Ryre, Tanith Lee with her myriad sagas and tales, the collaborated “Thieves’ World Stories,” Glen Cook’s “Black Company Series,” and many others, all the way up until the mid-to-latter ’80s where there was inevitably a sword and sorcery bust due to the flow of the piles of steaming garbage films such as “Conan the Destroyer,” “Red Sonja,” “The Barbarians,” “Deathstalker,” and films made by brainless, money-hungry dolts that had no clue what the essence of sword and sorcery really was, and mindless novels churned out without much thought to plot, character, or atmosphere.
After emphasizing the severity of this tragedy, he brings new hope by revealing a whole new wave of sword and sorcery authors and publishers that are flourishing in the underground, dedicated to delivering the goods in the vein of the blood-and-thunder authors of old, including DMR Books, Steven Shrewsbury & Brian Keene, Howard Andrew Jones, and also the advent of the subgenre of grimdark, that owes a lot to the genre of sword and sorcery.
This is a true gem of a book, and Brian Murphy is a stellar new author that is certainly one to watch. I give Flame and Crimson a 4.5 out of 5.

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Jul 20, 2024 MF rated it it was amazing

Shelves: sword-and-sorcery-sword-and-planet

Incredible research, a must read for any fan of sword and sorcery.

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Dec 22, 2022 Christopher rated it really liked it

Impeccably researched

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Aug 29, 2023 Jeff rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Excellent

This is an excellent review and critique of the S&S genre evolution, as well as a good introduction to readers of new (and old ) material they might have missed. Highly recommend. Although scholarly, it is very readable and gives the impression of a conversation between friends rather than an academic treatise.

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