When I was 17, a friend introduced me to Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser. I read the first book when I should have been paying attention in class. The stories were short but packed with adventure, action, and exotic worlds. I was hooked. Soon I'd read them all. I moved on to Tanith Lee and The Birthgrave, the Thieves World books, particularly the stories from Andrew J Offutt. I read any I could get my hands on, never noticing they were coming fewer and farther apart.
Real life intervened. Fast forward to 2011.
Conan the Barbarian is the latest in a line of remakes that seems to be sweeping Hollywood. It comes out August 19th, but this isn't about whether remakes are right or wrong. I was discussing this with a friend and it suddenly hit me. Where are all the sword and sorcery books? I may be missing something but I have not seen any in a long time.
So, what happened to the genre? Surely there are still writers turning out books in the sword and sorcery genre. Where are the heirs of Fritz Leiber and Robert E. Howard? Whatever happened to fantasy that didn't have such creatures as Elves and Dragons. Sorry Lord of the Rings fans, Conan would kick Legolas's backside and use the skinny Elf's arrows to pick his teeth with after he barbecued Smaug. Where are the stories of high adventure and heroes who fight evil Wizards and Sorcerers with nothing but their swords and the knowledge their cause is right?
I suspect we'll see a slew of S&S stories across the board. A lot will be written by authors who see the movie and fall in love with the genre for the first time. To these authors I say: research it, read some of the classics, then write your stories. And to the other authors out there who know and love the genre, what are you waiting for? Write! I know I will be…
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
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