In Episode 20 of We Aren’t Dead Yet, we take a swim into the lake of Sword and Sorcery, the sub-genre of Fantasy Literature known for smaller stakes, higher pace and plenty of escapist action. Vivid, gritty visceral imagery soaking typically muscle-powered loner or small group protagonists in the blood of their enemies, through a fast-paced magical world, Sword and Sorcery focuses on smaller scale, more personal conflicts, moral ambiguity and tons of action and adventure. This is the land of Conan, Kull and Jirel of Joiry. Here, there be monsters.
Episode Highlights
What is Sword and Sorcery?
A brief look into the history of Sword and Sorcery and the genre’s major authors.
Finding the start of Sword and Sorcery on the big screen.
Credits
Hosts: Sapha Burnell, K. S. Bishoff, Emily Armstrong
Audio Production: Emily Armstrong
Music: Jazzy Abstract Beat by Yrii Semchyshyn
Special Thanks
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Show Notes:
[00:00] - Introduction and Welcome
[01:00] - Start of Creator Guide: Sword and Sorcery
[03:58] - Where did the Pulp genre come from?
[06:32] - On Robert E. Howard and his life.
[16:09] - Fritz Lieber and the Grey Mouser.
[22:57] - Sword and Sorcery in film and TV.
[34:54] - Violence in Sword and Sorcery media.
[45:43] - Wrap-up and what's coming next
Additional Resources and Links:
Theory of Fantasy Literature - A fantastic series of 6 articles on fantasy literature and its genres. This link is to the final entry on Sword and Sorcery, but the other entries are linked in the article.
Top 30 Sword and Sorcery Films of All Time - Sit back and relax to an hour of content by Marvelous Videos reviewing the most popular Sword and Sorcery films.
