Editing Sword and sorcery (section)

{{Short description|Genre of fantasy fiction}}
{{Redirect|Swords and sorcery}}
{{Distinguish|text=[[Sword-and-sandal]], an Italian film genre}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2021}}
{{Fantasy}}
[[File:Harold S Delay - Red Nails I.png|thumb|upright=1.3|Illustration of a scene in [[Robert E. Howard]]'s [[Conan the Barbarian]] story "Red Nails"]]
'''Sword and sorcery''' ('''S&S'''), or '''heroic fantasy''', is a [[subgenre]] of [[fantasy]] characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of [[Romance (love)|romance]], [[Magic (fantasy)|magic]], and the [[supernatural]] are also often present. Unlike works of [[high fantasy]], the tales, though dramatic, focus on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters. The genre originated from the early-1930s works of [[Robert E. Howard]]. While there is a chance example from 1953,<ref name="hdsf">{{Cite web|title=Historical Dictionary of Science Fiction: sword and sorcery|url=https://sfdictionary.com/view/235/sword-and-sorcery|access-date=2024-11-01|website=sfdictionary.com}}</ref> [[Fritz Leiber]] re-coined the term "sword and sorcery" in the 6 April 1961 issue of the fantasy fanzine ''Ancalagon'', to describe Howard and the stories that were influenced by his works.<ref name=SFESandS>{{cite web|url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/sword_and_sorcery|title=Sword and Sorcery|last=Nicholls|first=Peter|website=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]|date=October 10, 2022|access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref><ref name=EoFSandS>{{cite book|last1=Clute|first1=John|last2=Grant|first2=John|last3=Ashley|first3=Mike|last4=Hartwell|first4=David G.|last5=Westfahl|first5=Gary|entry=Sword and Sorcery|title=The Encyclopedia of Fantasy|date=1999|publisher=St. Martin's Griffin|location=New York|isbn=0-312-19869-8|page=915|edition=1st St. Martin's Griffin}}</ref> In parallel with "sword and sorcery", the term "heroic fantasy" is used, although it is a more loosely defined genre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/heroic_fantasy|title=Heroic Fantasy|last=Nicholls|first=Peter|website=[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]|date=October 30, 2015|access-date=July 29, 2023}}</ref>

Sword and sorcery tales eschew overarching themes of "good vs evil" in favor of situational conflicts that often pit morally gray characters against one another to enrich themselves, or to defy [[tyranny]].

Sword and sorcery is grounded in real-world social and societal hierarchies, and is grittier, darker, and more violent, with elements of cosmic, often [[Lovecraftian]] creatures that aren't a staple of mainstream fantasy. The main character is often a [[barbarian]] with [[antihero]] traits.