  Fantasy
This week: Swords and Sorcery ~ Then and Now Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
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Welcome to this week's edition of the WDC Fantasy Newsletter I am honored to be your guest guide to this exploration.
All writing contains elements of fantasy, be it a made-up story or a memoir . Those which embrace the Fantasy; weaving characters with powers, strength, magic, that is beyond (either above or below) that of the mundane, however, I think are some of the most creative works of writing either past or present.
Explore with me today one of my favorite types of fantasies ~ that I love to read*read* |
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Greetings, weavers of fantasies both modern and of yore. All writing (even biographies and memoirs) have elements of fantasy. I invite you to explore with me today one of the most fun to read, and (in my case attempt to) write. Some of the most imaginative and creative fantasies, I hold, are those which engage characters (and readers) in battle, wielding a magical sword, or using magic to either empower or defeat the sword.
Unlike epic fantasies (though some battles are 'epic'), sword and sorcery does not concern itself with world-endangering events. The stakes are far more personal. The danger to the hero is usually immediate rather than long term. Sword & Sorcery Fantasy has fast-paced action rather than in-depth story arcs. That means there (is usually) no band of heroes facing off against dark lords that seek to destroy the world, but rather a lone hero on a personal quest of some sort.
Sword and Sorcery often has a much darker feel than some of the other subgenre fantasies; the hero or protagonist is most often imperfect; brutality often occurs, and morality is not clearly defined. Ancient myths and legends are often incorporated into the story.
The hero of the story is often brooding, deep, sometimes fatalistic and always troubled in some way. The hero may be the shunned outcast, the perpetual loaner, the misunderstood wretch who is pitied. The hero tends to be larger than life, a force of nature who can, at times, defeat more powerful opponents (gods, witches, demons, etc). In Sword and Sorcery, the end justifies the means -- even if the means means sacrificing all morality. There's a lot of hand to hand action; with the sorcery aspect centering around the antagonist or villain character.
Sword and Sorcery Fantasy itself is multifaceted. I see a difference between the 'Classic' and 'Modern' modes. Modern Sword and Sorcery has a darker edge, the characters more ambiguous in their morals.
 Conan The Barbarian by Robert Howard, immediately brings to mind the image of a classic sword and sorcery fantasy. These pulp fiction stories are a great read (yes, better than the film, as usual). The hero, Conan, dominates the landscape, akin to the ancient heroes of the Iliad and Odyssey. Conan is an indestructible force of nature, a pure hurricane gale that obliterates all obstacles. Conan is shaped from myth, both a force of nature and a human being, woven ofimagination, history and legend.
Consider now The Black Company by Glen Cook. The traditions of Classic Sword and Sorcery here are modified. The stories include magic and might, where the characters are neither good nor evil, and evil itself has shades of good (remember, ambiguous and brooding heroes).
Consider also Elric of Melinbone by Michael Moorcock. This I think is a transition or blending of the classic and modern sword and sorcery. Elric is an anti-Conan character; a complicated anti-hero who uses evil magic to transform himself form a pale weakling to a killer. Elric tales take place in the moment, focusing more on Elric's adventures rather than a plot with extensive worldbuilding, blending the classic and modern models of sword and sorcery.
What both modes of Sword and Sorcery (classic and modern, as well as those which use elements of both modes) have in common, as I see it, are ~
Strong characters (often ambiguous) battling to attain a personal quest against foes wielding magic to thwart the might of their swords.
The battle(s) are the focus of the story, pitting the characters one against the other, rather than against a changing (or stagnant) world.
The quest is not earth/world-changing, but up close and personal, and, perhaps for that reason, the end justifies the means (again, the ambiguous 'hero').
Engage the battle with your sword and magic and your readers will join the fray.
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
Check out these tales in verse and prose of sword and sorcery, both modern and classic, perhaps wield your own magickal sword Then engage the writers with your 'fantastic'  comments or a review
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A different take on a classic story
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As a guest host, I don't have a formal ask and answer here, but I can invite you to share your own fantastical sword and sorcery tales in prose and verse. Whether classic or modern, I am certain they will provide some exciting reads!
Until we next meet, may your swords (pencils) wield their magic
Write On
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading |
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Fantasy: July 11, 2012 Issue [#5146]
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