“The term sword-and-sorcery itself is phrase of Fritz Leiber’s, agreed upon in 1961 by the members of a loose association of writers of this fiction to identify this manner of story. Michael Moorcock desired a name to identify the sort of fiction written by Robert E. Howard, and he and Leiber both ‘were united in a desire to distance themselves from The Lord of the Rings‘… The matter was settled in correspondence published in the fanzine Amra.” (p. 11)
Way back in the 1960s, I discovered Sword-and-Sorcery paperbacks. I read Robert E. Howard’s Conan tales. I was transfixed by Michael Moorcock’s incredible Lancer paperbacks featuring Elric of Melnibone’s magic sword. Fritz Leiber’s “Bazaar of the Bizarre” in Fantastic–featuring The Gray Mouser and Fafhrd–triggered a hunger for more of their adventures.
Arcane Arts and Cold Steel: Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction (2025) isn’t just another writing manual. David C. Smith has published sword-and-sorcery novels. And a quick look at Smith’s Recommended Reading and Bibliography sections is clear proof he knows what he’s writing about. Not only does Arcane Arts and Cold Steel: Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction give you a history of sword-and-sorcery fiction, but Smith gives detailed analysis of over a dozen major writers of the genre.
If you have any interest in sword-and-sorcery fiction, Arcane Arts and Cold Steel: Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction will enhance your reading experience. Highly recommended! Are you a sword-and-sorcery fan? GRADE: A
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
Forward By John O’Neill
- Sword-and -Sorcry Fiction: What It is and What It Is Not –1
Robert E. Howard –11
After Howard — 13
Fritz Leiber — 21
Mid-Century Authors — 24
The 1970s and After — 36
Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction and Heroic Fantasy Fiction — 43
World Building — 50
The Mythic Dimension — 61
2. Story Structure –73
Character and Setting — 73
Must a Protagonist Even Be Human? — 108
Flat and Round Characters — 119
Plot and Scenes — 121
Style, Voice, and Tone — 161
Theme — 184
3. The New Edge: Current Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction — 187
4. Some Final Words — 229
AppendixI: Writing Sword-and-Sorcery Fiction — 231
Appendix II: Recommended Reading — 253
Interview with the Author — 257
Bibliography — 267
About the Author — 281
Index — 283
It always amazes me how you read across genres-except maybe romance. Or are there some romance novels on your shelves?
Patti, if you consider Jane Austen’s novels “romances” then yes, I have romances on my shelves (and I’ve read them all).
No, never cared much for sword and sorcery.
Jeff, Sword-and-Sorcery is an acquired taste…
An acquired taste unless one is reading, say, the best work of Fritz Leiber in the field, or Jack Vance, Tanith Lee, Catherine L. Moor, Jessica Amanda Salmonson, Joanna Russ, Karl Edward Wagner and no few others who have made much more of the form than Robert Howard dreamt of, and, of course, beyond anything Lin Carter could hope to write.
C(atherine). L.Moore, of course. Mea maxima typo.
Todd, all those sword-and-sorcery writers you mention are included in ARCANE ARTS AND COLD STEEL!
As well they might.
Todd, Carter had the makings of a decent writer, but unfortunately all his books were fan fiction.
Decent at best. He was one of the more shallow prolific writers I’ve had the misfortune of reading, if not for too long, before I gave up on his fiction (his nonfiction not much better, and his editorial acumen only slightly better than that…I’m surprised his DAW Books annual lasted as long as it did, though they did hand it over to Arthur Saha eventually to its betterment).
Todd, Lin Carter also had a number of problems…
I was not fully cognizant of his late health problems till now…however, his professional bad habits began early, as Jerry notes. He didn’t survive long into middle age. I can think of about one, perhaps two, in the large handful of his anthologies I’ve tried that I found fully satisfying, as opposed to mixtures of competent and some very good work with plenty of stale bubblegum.
Todd. you made a good assessment of Lin Carter’s career…
Jerry, Lin Carter was a fantasy enthusiast. But, as you say, he was a better editor than a writer.
Just ordered this one, George, you !@#$%%^& tempter, you!
Jerry, George the Tempter strikes again! You’ll love ARCANE ARTS AND COLD STEEL!