The most basic description is a tale that includes sword-wielding characters in thrilling and adventurous conflicts. There is usually a theme of romance running throughout, most often in the form of the "damsel in distress". Sword and Sorcery is frequently used as an alternative method to describe any fantasy book that is set in a time/place without modern warfare or weapons. Hence you could find a book such as The Lord of the Rings under Sword and Sorcery, but then further defined as Epic.
Thanks to the new world of indie written books, Sword and Sorcery is undergoing a transformation. Whereas before you had the damsel in distress, you are now just as likely to find it is the alpha male in need of rescuing by the fair, yet armed to the teeth, damsel. This gives rise to a strong theme of comedy in the genre, lightening the often tension fraught moments while creating an enjoyable reading experience for men and women alike.
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The vital role of Sorcery allows writers to weave tales of such remarkable magic that readers are entranced. The different worlds, with their strange, and sometimes familiar magical creatures allow for captivating reading and truly inventive foe.
Sword and Sorcery is for the adventurous reader, the one wishing for something a little more in their life, the one who sees the magic hidden in plainsight.
Some outstanding Sword and Sorcery classics are much older than many realise, including... Conan the Barbarian!
Conan the Barbarian was originally written in 1932 by Robert E. Howard, as a character of multiple adventures in the Weird Tales magazine, and pulp fiction books. This character spent his time roaming the lands, quenching his wanderlust while saving damsels, yet never expecting anything in return. The author took inspiration from a variety of ancient deities, creating weird and wonderful tales that still inspire today.
Another fantastic Sword & Sorcery author, whose writing shows clear influence from Robert E. Howard's work, is Catherine Lucille Moore. Catherine wrote an intelligent, proud and strong female ruler; Jirel of Joiry (loosely inspired by medieval France). Jirel's adventures frequently included brushes with the supernatural and life-threatening events, all of which Jirel got herself into, and out of. This ground-breaking work paved the way for many women writers in the Sword & Sorcery (and science fiction) genre. An example of such being Anne McCaffrey, an incredibly prolific writer whose tales spanned both genres, sometimes at the same time!
