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Sword and Sorcery is a literary genre that emerged from the early 20th century by blending elements from theAdventure andHorror genres with major influences from earlyarcheology andtheosophy, as well asfolklore andmythology,[1] often written in agothic literature fashion with heavy themes ofexistentialism, social critiques, questions about agency, and expressions of free will. It is a sub-genre ofweird fiction, and the parent offantasy. It is also known for its utilization of eastern story telling techniques and religious story telling concepts such asDivine intervention, often employing theDeus Ex Machina trope.[2]
Violent and controversial,[3] the genre has experienced small bubbles of popularity. This genre is marked by hard-magic systems, morally grey characters, romance subplots, and an elevation or appreciation of primitive instinct or emotion as superior to civilization and/or law.[4] These characters typically face interpersonal trials as they venture out to fight a mythical or supernatural evil in the pursuit of self-discovery or self-enrichment.[5][6]
This genre was created by the authorRobert E. Howard in 1926 with his King Kull storyThe Shadow Kingdom.[7][8] Howard's charactersConan the Barbarian andSolomon Kane would go on to become the basis for this genre. It received its official name much later, in 1961, whenMicheal Moorcock andFritz Leiber had a public discussion through fanzines, deciding that there must be "a name for the sort of fantasy-adventure story written by Robert E. Howard."[9][10]
This list will attempt to chronicle all films related to or inspired by the Sword and Sorcery genre. Due to the nature of film as being quite different from literature, there is substantial variation even in direct adaptions of S&S stories to the screen. There is considerable crossover with the screen presence of this genre and other subgenres ofheroic fantasy.
In film, this genre is commonly referred to by theHybrid nameSupernaturalAction-Adventure.
