Pulp Sword & Sorcery?

[joela]

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.

Any particular works? I'm looking for the real exotic stuff especially set in desert climes.

 

[Krensky]

Any particular works? I'm looking for the real exotic stuff especially set in desert climes.

Leigh Brackett's Eric John Stark stories were recently reprinted by Baen in ebook and Paizo in paper.

Dashiel Hammet, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Robert Howard and Raymond Chandler rolled in one. With a black hero in the 1940s.

The Skaith books and anything on Mars are desert stories.

 

[Spinachcat]

Desert world
Mind Magic
Gods & Priests

Hmm...

S&S doesn't mean what it used to mean. It's just a fancy way to say "fantasy game" and "pulp" is confusing to anyone who isn't a geezer. Seriously, the pulp era was 80 years ago!

If your setting is low magic, does that mean the gods are weak? Usually divine magic is the truly big guns in S&S (aka Elric's pacts with Chaos).

 

[Plane Sailing]

Any particular works? I'm looking for the real exotic stuff especially set in desert climes.

How about the Barsoom books? John Carter of Mars, etc?

 

[joela]

If your setting is low magic, does that mean the gods are weak? Usually divine magic is the truly big guns in S&S (aka Elric's pacts with Chaos).

The Overgod and its priesthood pretty much have arcane magic under control.

 

[joela]

How about the Barsoom books? John Carter of Mars, etc?

Definitely a source of inspiration. Same with Arabian Nights.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm trying to come up with a succinct way to describe my fantasy campaign setting, which is a low-magic desert world

Sandbox

 

[Reynard]

Sandbox

"Must spread some around..."

I lol'd.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

what Reynard said. lol

 

[Grimstaff]

The term "Sword & Sorcery" was actually coined by Fritz Leiber in 1961. For a nice concise history of the genre, along with tales from several "new" Sword & Sorcery writers, check out "[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Swords-Dark-Magic-Sword-Sorcery/dp/0061723819"]Swords and Dark Magic[/ame]" anthology, lots of good gaming inspiration there.

The genre has a lot more to do with questionable morality than with the "magic level" of the setting. While Sword & Sorcery tales often have a protagonist, this doesn't necessarily make them heroes. Removing that level of predictability is what makes Sword & Sorcery so fun - has the protagonist rescued the kidnapped princess from the High Priest of Set because its the noble thing to do? Or is it because he wants the ransom (or just the woman) for himself? That's Sword & Sorcery.