History Main / SwordAndSorcery

* The ''TabletopGame/DarkSun'' setting specifically aims to emulate old pulp stories and is heavily influenced by ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'', as well as Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian.

* ''Literature/{{Kane}}'' by Creator/KarlEdwardWagner.

* ''Literature/JirelOfJoiry'' by C.L. Moore.

* Some of Creator/EdgarRiceBurroughs' pulpy TwoFistedTales provide formative early examples. Though the stakes are often high enough to push the stories more into HighFantasy territory, the magic - or in the case of the PlanetaryRomance ''Literature/JohnCarterOfMars'' series, PsychicPowers - is limited enough to keep the focus more on swashbuckling action and swordfights. ​His heroes are principled and unambiguously heroic - but typically still have a little bit of BloodKnight in them. The Creator/FrankFrazetta covers many of Burroughs' books received later were a natural fit.

* ''Literature/TheIronDream'' is a DeconstructiveParody of the genre by posing an AlternateHistory where UsefulNotes/AdolfHitler became an author of pulp fiction in the mode of Creator/RobertEHoward.

* ''WesternAnimation/ThundarrTheBarbarian'' is another classic '80s post-apocalypse cartoon describes its setting as [[Main/ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin "A world of savagery, super-science and sorcery!"]].

-->-- ''TabletopGame/DarkSun''

If the heroes of a story are [[TheHero actually heroic]] and morally unambiguous, it's probably HeroicFantasy. If there is only a low supernatural presence, it is most likely LowFantasy. Can sometimes overlap with DarkFantasy. See also {{Wuxia}}, the Chinese version of the genre with very strong overlaps.

A subgenre of HeroicFantasy, with which it is often lumped together, but having its own distinguishing characteristics. Coined by Creator/FritzLeiber in the early '60s to define the style of his own works and those writers that inspired him, and to differentiate it from other works described as Heroic Fantasy, Sword & Sorcery is a genre of fantasy that is often [[DarkerAndEdgier considerably less glamorous]] and [[RatedMForManly all about fast paced action]]. Almost universally, Sword & Sorcery stories are about mighty warriors fighting supernatural horrors with blade in hand, either an EldritchAbomination or EvilSorcerer. Any political or criminal leaders are usually merely an UnwittingPawn of a [[TheManBehindTheMan much darker power]]. Many victories will be by the skin of their teeth, and usually won more through quick thinking and cleverness rather than physical might. There will be at least a few times where they [[KnowWhenToFoldEm cut their losses and bail on a fight]], and they will have at least one RunOrDie moment when they recognize that a threat is way out of their league. While they may have genuine allies here and there, they know better than to trust most people; as far as they are concerned, everyone they meet has a hidden dagger in their clutches until proven otherwise, and even then, they are usually still prepared for betrayal at some point.

* The ''ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi'' series is quite different in style from most ''Franchise/StarWars'' stories and has very stong allusions to Sword & Sorcery, being set 5,000 to 4,000 years before the rest of the Expanded Universe. Being the stories of the ancient Sith, it's full of demonic looking evil sorcerers, their huge palaces and temples, and alchemy.

* ''Literature/{{The Ties That Bind|Hayes}}'' by Rob J. Hayes is set in a spectacularly grim and gritty world where the world's second best swordsman has to deal with a ''lot'' of trouble from her male rivals. Thankfully, she has help.

* ''WesternAnimation/ConanTheAdventurer'' was a Conan-based SaturdayMorningCartoon with all the 80s camp. The much less well-received followup, ''WesternAnimation/ConanAndTheYoungWarriors'', was more HeroicFantasy.

* ''Literature/TheEyeOfArgon'' is an infamously terrible novella that goes for this sort of tone, mostly trying to mimic the style of ''Conan''. It tells of a BarbarianHero named Grignr getting mixed up in the [[WretchedHive decadent city]] of Gorzom, running afoul of TheEvilPrince, and [[SaveThePrincess rescuing a princess]] from being [[HumanSacrifice sacrificed]] by a {{cult}}.

* The ''ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi'' series is quite different in style from most StarWars stories and has very stong allusions to Sword & Sorcery, being set 5,000 to 4,000 years before the rest of the Expanded Universe. Being the stories of the ancient Sith, it's full of demonic looking evil sorcerers, their huge palaces and temples, and alchemy.

* ''WesternAnimation/{{Fangbone}}'': Skullbania appears to be one of these with obvious inspirations from ''Conan the Barbarian'' and similar fantasy stories.

* ''Primeval Thule'' is a campaign setting set in the world of Robert Howard's ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' and ''Literature/{{Kull}} (with a bit of the Franchise/CthulhuMythos thrown in) but taking place in a time between them, on the [[ArtisticLicenseGeography tropical continent of Greenland]].

** Likewise, there have been several

* ''Primeval Thule'' is a campaign setting set in the world of Robert Howard's ''Franchise/ConanTheBarbarian'' and ''Literature/{{Kull}}'', but taking place in a time between them, on the [[ArtisticLicenseGeography tropical continent of Greenland]].

If the heroes of a story are [[TheHero actually heroic]] and morally unambiguous, it's probably HeroicFantasy. If there is only a low supernatural presence, it is most likely LowFantasy. Can sometimes overlap with DarkFantasy. See also {{Wuxia}}, the Chinese version of the genre with very strong overlaps. May end up as ThudAndBlunder.