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sword and socery?

lately pondering what the elements of sword socerery stories since i want try my hand at them at some point reading grey mouser and fahid if thats correct spelling i do have idea for characters and will soon start a short story exploring meeting of protagonist i have twist to one of the protagonist but will not reveal till end of final story also was elves used in sword and socery because i will eventually have them and orcs too i like mixing elements into my story hopefully it will end up the way i intended most likely due to my dyspraxia i have research, develop and plot as i go due my condition which is a pain and the fact i haven'twritten in 1o years brings my dyspraxia back in the writing sence anyway i have been told i do have exellent fatastasy type imagination and think one thing and turn it into another any ideas whaty makes a swword and socerery ocver a epic fantasy ?
 

robertbevan

Troubadour
how do you define the difference between "epic fantasy" and "sword and sorcery"? i don't think they're mutually exclusive.
 

Saigonnus

Auror
I think really the only major difference is that S&S tend to be a series of small adventures in the same world, but usually with different characters in each one... high fantasy is generally a single major chain of events that culminate in a climatic ending.
 

Taro

Minstrel
it also has alot more fighter type characters with the use of magic here and there. my main novel Test of Heart is a trilogy but its all done in the S&S way. But that is how i classify it.
 

Philip Overby

Staff
Article Team
I just finished an article about Conan the Destroyer that should be up in several weeks. I think sword and sorcery is distinctively different from other fantasy. It usually takes place in an incredibly dangerous setting of some sort and features sort of "against the odds" kind of character. Like Conan for instance. He shouldn't be able to defeat wizards and such, but he does. Usually the world is low magic with the exception of wizards, and magic is usually bad in some way.

There have been some recent attempts to revitalize the genre, which I hope happens. I'll post some links later of some recommendations I have, based on what I've heard and read.
 

Shockley

Maester
While I disagree with Howard being the progenitor of sword and sorcery, I think the divisions are sound.

What fantasy I do write I try to write along the sword and sorcery line and its rewarding in its own way. It can be very primal and raw in a way that more elaborate works of epic fantasy just can't.
 
Asking Google to "define sword and sorcery" gets back some rather not-so-pleasant results for fans of the genre. I wouldn't mind classifying my work as "sword and sorcery" since there are swords and there is sorcery...

But I do object to it being called "low fantasy" where the emphasis is on "action and not thought".

Also, I do not want to be rude, but I could not bring myself to read the original post and instead just read from the second post on.
 

Shockley

Maester
Low fantasy/high fantasy refer to the concerns of the character, not the quality of the work.

Low fantasy is the existential crisis of the individual, high fantasy the existential crisis of the world. In other words, the Hobbit is low fantasy and Lord of the Rings is high fantasy.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
Low fantasy is the existential crisis of the individual, high fantasy the existential crisis of the world. In other words, the Hobbit is low fantasy and Lord of the Rings is high fantasy.

That's an interesting definition. I've never heard that one before, but I'll think on it.

I think the general distinction in most minds between the two is the degree to which magic is present and/or common in the world. Another definition, which I don't like but which shows up (I think) on Wikipedia, is that low fantasy occurs in some fantastic version of our world, while high fantasy occurs in an entirely made up world.
 

Shockley

Maester
If it helps, Steerpike, I took my definition from David Beagley, a fantastic literature professor specializing in the history of children's literature at La Trobe University. All of his lectures are available online.
 

Steerpike

Felis amatus
Moderator
If it helps, Steerpike, I took my definition from David Beagley, a fantastic literature professor specializing in the history of children's literature at La Trobe University. All of his lectures are available online.

Thanks, that sounds great. Since I write children's stories as well as stories for adults, I will definitely look him up!
 
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