sword-and-sorcery
Conan's genre territory
Sword-and-sorcery is a subgenre of fantasy fiction featuring muscular heroes, dark magic, and violent adventure in pre-industrial settings.
The tone is grittier and more personal than epic fantasy—less saving the world, more surviving it: Conan the Barbarian is the archetypal sword-and-sorcery hero.
The term dates to the 1960s.
Irish or barbarian name
- pulpSoft wet mass
- barbarianUncivilized, crude person
- dark fantasyGrim supernatural storytelling genre
- heroic fantasyGenre of valiant adventure
Red Sonja · adventure · low fantasy · grimdark · Kane · paperback · quest
Malevolent force from antiquity
- tavern brawlFight in drinking establishment
- dungeon crawlUnderground maze exploration genre
- dark ritualOccult ceremony with malevolent intent
- revenge questPursuit of retribution
scantily clad · femme fatale · blood sacrifice · haunted ruins · exotic lands
Wide-bladed cutting weapon
- chainmailArmor of linked rings
- loinclothWrapped groin covering
- muscularHaving well-developed sinews
- jeweled daggerGem-encrusted short blade
battle-scarred · fur cloak · bronze age · primordial · gritty · visceral · sensual · lurid
Mythologized early Egyptian pharaoh
- tabletop RPGGroup storytelling with rules
- video gameElectronic interactive visual entertainment
- hack-and-slashAction genre emphasizing combat
- action RPGReal-time combat with character growth
Conan
Irish or barbarian name
- pulpSoft wet mass
- barbarianUncivilized, crude person
- dark fantasyGrim supernatural storytelling genre
heroic fantasy · Red Sonja · adventure · low fantasy · grimdark · Kane · paperback · quest
ancient evil
Malevolent force from antiquity
- tavern brawlFight in drinking establishment
- dungeon crawlUnderground maze exploration genre
- dark ritualOccult ceremony with malevolent intent
revenge quest · scantily clad · femme fatale · blood sacrifice · haunted ruins · exotic lands
broadsword
Wide-bladed cutting weapon
jeweled dagger · battle-scarred · fur cloak · bronze age · primordial · gritty · visceral · sensual · lurid · vivid
Scorpion King
Mythologized early Egyptian pharaoh
- tabletop RPGGroup storytelling with rules
- video gameElectronic interactive visual entertainment
- hack-and-slashAction genre emphasizing combat
action RPG · Diablo · graphic novel · comic book · Marvel Comics
sword-and-sorceryhard science fiction
Speculative fiction emphasizing accuracy
literary realism · realistic fiction · contemporary fiction · cyberpunk · space opera
sword-and-sorceryliterary fiction
Prose emphasizing craft and depth
sword, sorcery, swords, swordsman, swordsmanship, swordsmen, swordplay, swordfish, sorcerer