Pulp Sword & Sorcery?

[joela]

I'm trying to come up with a succinct way to describe my fantasy campaign setting, which is a low-magic desert world where the inhabitants battle the environment with psionics and divine magic.

The latest term I've come up with is "pulp sword & sorcery". But didn't S&S come out of the pulp era? And more importantly, what do those words invoke in you?

 

[Reynard]

I'm trying to come up with a succinct way to describe my fantasy campaign setting, which is a low-magic desert world where the inhabitants battle the environment with psionics and divine magic.

The latest term I've come up with is "pulp sword & sorcery". But didn't S&S come out of the pulp era? And more importantly, what do those words invoke in you?

I'd probably refer to it as Dark Sun.

More seriously, sword and sorcery is not inherently low magic. That is a common misconception. What makes something sword and sorcery is a "grittier", less moral tone than high fantasy. Usually, a strong arm and sharp blade trumps magic, but not always.

As to the "pulp" part -- that's more of a description of an era and an arm of the publishing industry during that era (the 20s and 30s, though neither edge of that is a hard boundary). There was as much "pulp Western" and "pulp Crime" fiction as there was "pulp Fantasy".

 

[dm4hire]

Sword & Sorcery was devloped during the pulp era for the most part with the advent of Conan, Red Sonja, Kull, and others along that line from that time period. As Reynard points out pulp is the era referring to when most of the stories were released in cheap magazines made from wood pulp, thus the "pulp" reference. Also as pointed out Sword and Sorcery wasn't always low level magic. Pulp stories often contained a mix of everything also, thus you saw magic and science being used in the same stories often.

 

[joela]

I'd probably refer to it as Dark Sun.

That's the usual reaction.

More seriously, sword and sorcery is not inherently low magic. That is a common misconception. What makes something sword and sorcery is a "grittier", less moral tone than high fantasy. Usually, a strong arm and sharp blade trumps magic, but not always.

Good point. Moorcock, Vance, etc. are usually grouped with S&S and their stories (the Melnibone series, Dying Earth, etc.) are definitely not what'd I call low magic.

As to the "pulp" part -- that's more of a description of an era and an arm of the publishing industry during that era (the 20s and 30s, though neither edge of that is a hard boundary). There was as much "pulp Western" and "pulp Crime" fiction as there was "pulp Fantasy".

Yah. Today's common usage definition, though, evokes over-the-top action ala Indiana Jones, etc.

 

[joela]

Pulp stories often contained a mix of everything also, thus you saw magic and science being used in the same stories often.

Thundarr the Barbarian, many Japanese cartoons and movies, etc., "steampunk", etc. would probably be modern representations then.

 

[Doug McCrae]

What Reynard said. 'Dark Sun' is a much more precise descriptor than 'pulp' or 'sword & sorcery', which are broader and far more subject to multiple interpretations.

I see pulp, for example as lurid, mass market, lowest common denominator entertainment from the 20s and 30s, designed to deliver cheap thrills - lots of sex, lots of violence, impossibly capable proto-superhero protagonists, lack of realism. Doc Savage, The Spider, Operator #5, etc.

 

[joela]

I see pulp, for example as lurid, mass market, lowest common denominator entertainment from the 20s and 30s, designed to deliver cheap thrills - lots of sex, lots of violence, impossibly capable proto-superhero protagonists, lack of realism. Doc Savage, The Spider, Operator #5, etc.

Yah. That's kinda what I'm aiming for but in a sword & sorcery setting.

 

[Verdande]

Yah. That's kinda what I'm aiming for but in a sword & sorcery setting.

Do tell! Sounds like fun

 

[Reynard]

Yah. That's kinda what I'm aiming for but in a sword & sorcery setting.

In that case, I'd point you not so much at the original pulp S&S classics of REH and Clark Ashton Smith, but the pastiche writers of later decades. Lin Carter in particular included lots of heaving milky flesh between sprays of gore. I recently read his "The Black Star" which i would have taken for a novellization of a 12 year old boy's dream D&D campaign were it not written before D&D was published.

Also, don't forget Planetary Romance as you research. Burroughs, obviously, but also Moorcock and even REH wrote Mars style novels and stories and laser guns notwithstanding, they are all S&S.

 

[joela]

Do tell! Sounds like fun

I think so, but then, I'm biased .

I hope to start playtesting it late this year or early next year with my gaming groups. Will let you know how it goes.