Great video!! I have the Del Rey Conan collection. I bought back in the early 2000’s when I was in college. I also have the first Imaro book, really enjoyed that. I recommend Savage Realms monthly, New Edge Sword and Sorcery and A Book of Blades vol 1 and 2 for new S&S!! There are a lot of talented writers keeping the flame alive. Swords sharp!! ⚔️
@phillip_rogersjr Hail, sword-brother! Savage Realms gets recommended to me all the time. I'll have to give in and buy some issues one of these days. The covers are rad!
I wish the Amazon Kindle Store Sword & Sorcery category wasn't so polluted with non Sword & Sorcery books. If you look at the top 50 current bestsellers in that category it's a lot of romantasy and smut. There's probably a lot of writers writing S&S right now who are being drowned out by authors piggybacking off the name 'Sword & Sorcery'. 😢
The publishing companies have been run by people who have prioritized publishing YA and romantasy smut to the detriment of other sub-genre authors for awhile now. The horde of them have filled up the algorithm due to sheer mass, recency bias, and industry influence over the years. I feel bad for the capable authors who've surely been tossed aside and have to figure out the publishing business on their own without the same inside-industry & retail advantages.
The Broken Sword is amazing. Three Hearts and Three Lions may be one of my favorites. The High Crusade is a must as well. I just started Trader to the Stars.
This is pretty useful. I have read a few Conan stories in the last years that I really liked so a list of a couple of authors with on the same subgenre is just what I needed.
This video is perfect for me, thanks. I've been wanting to check out the Howard Conan stories for a long time, my library has the audiobooks so I might try them soon based on your recommendation. I just found some Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser paperbacks and what to get to those too. I loved your Elric art video and as a collector I want those so bad, lol. Jirel was fun, the EEBS chat was more fun.
You know how you’re stuck at some shitty job and it’s Hour 2 of 8 and you idly wish a tornado would run through to liven things up? Howard’s tornado is named Conan, and his entire point is to be a giant middle finger to civilization. I envy you your first time through. He’s super fun.
You might like Larry Correia's "Saga of the Forgotten Warrior" series. He's pretty damned good at horror fantasy as well, with his Monster Hunter International series.
Pretty good recommendations overall. About the only one missing is Karl Edward Wagner's Kane, but like many of the other authors you mentioned, his books are difficult to find at a reasonable price.
great topic and really interesting vid, thank you. Just bought Mr. Waag's second volume of the Skaarde series looking forward to reading it, the first volume was great.
I'm getting into this genre of books now, seen a few vids of this style listing recommendations. It does make me beam from ear to ear seeing Gardner Fox on this list, I grew up reading loads of Flash comics and I know he created the original Flash!
I'm hoping that if I drone on interminably about the genius of Karl Edward Wagner enough some enterprising publisher will make his work available again in affordable editions. Not likely, I know, but worth a try. Great video.
@@secretfirebooks7894 I guessed so. Thanks, by the way, for the heads up on the Gardner Fox collections. I'd seen them but because of the awful covers I'd assumed they were ebooks (I don't have an e-reader) and didn't realise they were available as proper books.
Most really fun characters in fiction are shitty people. That doesn’t mean they’re not fun and entertaining to read about. I don’t want to BE Conan or emulate Bob Howard. But it sure is fun to watch everyone’s favorite Cimmerian chop through a wall of hapless Turanians on his way to kick some arrogant General’s ass for some well earned payback. Those stories are pop tarts. You know what you’re getting when you pick up the box. Sometimes, you just want a pop tart
Broken Sword is so good and very clearly a huge influence on Moorcock. Unfortunately it is my understanding that in the 70s Anderson cleaned it up and if you want the dark brutal stuff you have to either get the 1955 edition or the one on azon you showed
Excellent resource video! I just recorded a video where I ponder about the Conan series and which ones were the original unrevised editions. Guess I'll just edit that part out ha!
Great video! We really need more people reading sword and sorcery, it is so damn fun! I prefer the new version of The Broken Sword because it is the original text from 1954. The paperback versions from the 70s and 80s are the 1972 version. Poul Anderson made a revision that simplified the language and made a few minor alterations to the story. They don't alter the overall story but when I have a choice I prefer to read the original instead of the version that got "George Lucas'd". I like Kyrik more than Kothar when it comes to Gardner F Fox but that might just be because I found Kyrik first. I did not know about Imaro. Wow! I need to get a copy.
Hooray for the Del Rey Conan books! That's how I read 'em (starting with their edition of Solomon Kane.) I would also recommend "Wolf of the Steppes," a collection of Khlit the Cossack stories from Harold Lamb. (No sorcery, but lots of swords). I also read the "Savage Realms" e-zine for modern tales. And, for the youth out there, "Redwaaaaaaaaaaall!" On the comics side, I just today received a kickstarter-funded book staring "Deathstalker." Hopefully it'll be good. The Near Mint Condition channel recently showed off a custom-bound omnibus for the "Warlands" comic, which would have been awesome had that been an official release. And, naturally, you can't go wrong with (the recently re-released) Savage Sword of Conan Omnibuses 1 and 2. The best Conan stories, illustrated by the best penciler to ever draw the character; John Buscema. ...I've heard of Imaro before, but there doesn't appear to be any e-book release for it, either at Amazon or Barnes and Noble....
How is it even possible that this great video has been up for a whole day and still doesn't have a comment from Michael K Vaughan? Has he been raptured, or what?
Hail, Great Saint Donoghue! If Michael got raptured before me, I'd like to speak to afterlife management. lol Michael probably thinks he's too cool to comment on my vids anymore (he's only partly right).
The best comic of the sword and sorcery genre i can recommend is Thorgal. It's a French/Belgian comic that's been in print since 1977 and recently got translated into English in the past 20 or so years. The main character has a lot in common with Conan, but he's not an island, over the course of the stories he gets a wife who is his ride or die, and even has two kids. These aren't just anchors for him, they are characters unto themselves and contribute to the stories instead of holding Thorgal back. While fantastic things are happening, the stakes always feel real for them. Outside that, the Cimmerian comics (also French) are great as well, accurately adapting classic conan stories and even including the original text of every story they are adapting after the comic for you to compare. Every bit of dialogue is right out of the original story. Its great to see such a faithful adaptation done with recent art.
The Elric omnibus books are a great deal, especially with colour illustrations. These books could easily sell for at least double what the current MSRP is.
It's such a shame about Charles R. Saunders. I'm lucky that I have all three of printings from the '80's and all four of his revised editions. Saunders deserves so much more love and not to be forgotten. I'm sure there may be some issues with the rights, but there needs to be a new printings of his Imaro works. In many ways I believe his creation, Imaro, surpasses even Moorecock's Elric. Also, they're probably hard to come by now, but Gollancz released all the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories in two books, The First Book of Lankhmar and The Second Book of Lankhmar. And there are two different editions of The Broken Sword. The 1954 original printing and the 1971 revised printing, which may be important to some when picking a printed copy. Like Moorecock loved the 1954 version and loathed the 1971. I'm pretty sure I read the '71 version and loved it enough to make my buddy read it too. He particularly loved the viking elves. Lastly, I as well love C.L. Moore and her Jirel of Joiry. Northwest Smith is pretty great too. Good video.
When you go into the fantasy/sword & sorcery section in my local bookshop its basically a teenage section full of Asian comics and Harry Potter. Maybe a shelf or 2 with Tolkien and Martin and some tv and video game tie-ins. Conan and Elric are conspicuous by their absence :(
@@mrhed0nist Same here. Meanwhile, if you check out the indie fantasy authors on Amazon, you'll find no shortage of barbarian babes and battle axes. Strange times, indeed.
The most recent S&S, the wonderful Chronicles of Hanuvar by Howard Andrew Jones. There's three out now; the series probably won't be finished because the author has a terminal illness, which is so sad. Hanuvar is an amazing character. He is a warrior and was a general, who is trying to save the remnants of his defeated nation from slavery. He is very intelligent and can outthink his opponents, is a good organizer, and what I love the most about him is that he is very empathetic and compassionate and has a moral compass even for the people of the empire that defeated him. There is magic in this world.
Rober Howard - Conan - Kull - Bran Mak Morn - Solomon Kane Karl Edward Wagner - Kane Michael Mooecock - Elric - Hawkmoon - Corum - Von Bek Fritz Lieber - Fafhrd & Gray Mouser Glen Cook - Dread Empire - Black Company Matthew Woodring Stover - Acts of Caine - Iron Dawn / Jericho Moon Steven Brust -Vlad Taltos Joe Abercrombie - First Law books - Best served cold - Red Country - Heroes William King - Gotrek and Felix
@RalphNC09 In a way he is. All of his characters (especially Elric) are grim and moody. The conflicts in his stories are more "law VS chaos" instead of good VS evil.
@RalphNC09 His Corum series is great too. The main character is a more traditional hero, but the plot is based mainly around a war between the gods of order and chaos.
Karl Edward Wagner's "Kane" series (about an immortal red-bearded warrior/sorcerer in prehistory- the idea is that the Biblical tale of Cain and Able is a "history is written by the victor" corruption of the horrible truth) is also must-read. Unfortunately, the five books in the series are out of print, and the old paperbacks with the classic Frazetta covers have become expensive collectors' items.
Have you read any Imaro books by any chance? I recently got the first edition DAW paperback novels of the first two, by Charles R. Saunders. I see what looks like three DAW paperbacks behind you (yellow spines), and they reminded me the DAW Imaro books
Something to keep your eye out for: The author of The Sun Eater (amazing epic space opera series, read it if you haven’t) will be writing sword and sorcery when he finishes the sun eater next year. He released a short story called The Barrow King for his upcoming sword and sorcery stuff and it’s really good. Based on the quality of The Sun Eater, it should be amazing
Nice list man! However, I don't get Leiber and his Lankhmar characters. It took me 4 years to just finish The Snow Clan just because I thought it was SO boring and his writing was beyond awful. I literally couldn't believe that this dude was held int he same light as Howard and Moorcock. I have however finished that one and the next (can't remember it's name), and begun reading Ill Met In Lankhmar and now it's starting to look like something. I still think his writing is very clumsy at points but it's starting to get entertaining now, but those two origin stories of Fafrhd and The Gray Mouser were not good, with an exception of Mousers which was decent. Thanks for the tips here, I'll have to check them out :)
@@Wabin22 lol. Leiber's writing can be a little wonky. I don't blame you. Fafhrd's origin story is a pretty bad story to open the series on, I will admit. Hope you find some better stuff in the pulp world. Happy reading! 🤘
@@secretfirebooks7894Haha im glad Im not alone on that 😅 I haven't given up on Leiber though. Just like Moorcock, hos writing perhaps improves with time :) Thanks! There was just released a Red Sonja novel, did you know that?
Solid picks. It's a shame that sword and sorcery is an almost hidden genre these days. It's rare in corporate book stores but it's also hard to find on line. If you look at Amazon's top 100 S&S books, you will find romantasy, litrpg, harem, and mainstream fantasy books that are just tangentially sword & sorcery. Most S&S fans are active fans. They don't passively consume what's in front of them. And thanks for the shout out!
@erikwaag6438 It also comes down to the mainstream having no concept of what "sword and sorcery" means. It's a very niche subgenre with a lot of history, but most people are like, "Oh, it means a book has swords and magic in it!" I am glad that the small active fan base is still so on fire. Love the genre, love the indie scene. Hail, Erik! 🤘
RE: toxic masculinity ... when you absolutely insist on being threatened with a good time. also, listening now, and don't know if you'd mentioned it, but i'd add RA Salvatore.
Tim, I came across a copy of The Horror Stories Of Robert E Howard. I have only read a few of the stories but I am considering not continuing. Some of his writing seems quite racist.I was chalking it up to "product of the times" at first but it seems like it's getting worse the more I read. I am not into canceling or throwing out the baby with the bathwater, it think its up to each reader to decide what content we feel comfortable consuming. I know you are a huge fan so I wanted to get your take. The Hills of the Dead seems particularly problematic to me.
@@BookPigg A lot of his early stories do come off as VERY bigoted - he was a white, working-class guy from 1930s Texas. He does seem to be more tolerant in his later stories (such as Conan) and even wrote some stories that star minorities as the heroes. But yes, his material is DEFINITELY a product of its time. It's not for everyone. Don't feel too bad if you don't gel with his stuff.
For the life of me, I do not understand why you did not mention Howard Andrew Jones. He is the only true S&S author writin today in the mainstream trad publishers.
stop harping on about politics. a LOT of us who love sword and sorcery also have the same politics as razorfist. by virtue signalling it just puts a sour taste in our mouth. Conan would never give a shit., lol
if you really feel that was harping, i'd hate to be the one to call you a lyre! :)~ srrsly tho'. Razorfist rocks. conservatism is the new punk-rock. don't believe me? back in the 80's the blue hairs were first and loudest to declare their virtue, then gossip, pearl-clutch/play victim, and "call the cops" if something was even slightly out of (their) control. just like today.
Although there are traces of SF in it, the "Horseclans" novels of Robert Adams are great sword and sorcery novels. While mostly out of print, it seems the first three books are available in Kindle. I have the entire set in paperback.
Great video!! I have the Del Rey Conan collection. I bought back in the early 2000’s when I was in college. I also have the first Imaro book, really enjoyed that. I recommend Savage Realms monthly, New Edge Sword and Sorcery and A Book of Blades vol 1 and 2 for new S&S!! There are a lot of talented writers keeping the flame alive. Swords sharp!! ⚔️
@phillip_rogersjr Hail, sword-brother! Savage Realms gets recommended to me all the time. I'll have to give in and buy some issues one of these days. The covers are rad!
Fritz Leiber's Fahfrd and The Grey Mouser series is a lot of fun .
Reading swords against death right now .
I wish the Amazon Kindle Store Sword & Sorcery category wasn't so polluted with non Sword & Sorcery books. If you look at the top 50 current bestsellers in that category it's a lot of romantasy and smut. There's probably a lot of writers writing S&S right now who are being drowned out by authors piggybacking off the name 'Sword & Sorcery'. 😢
@@kenward1310 Exactly. ☝️
Romance fantasy has killed the Amazon fantasies list algorithm. I can’t find any true recommendations on there, but at least there is booktube
Amazon's algorithm used to be very insightful. Not sure what was changed over the last ten years, but it's definitely declined.
Yeah that's one of the reason why I stopped writing S&S. No one can find my books and the audience is already small.
The publishing companies have been run by people who have prioritized publishing YA and romantasy smut to the detriment of other sub-genre authors for awhile now. The horde of them have filled up the algorithm due to sheer mass, recency bias, and industry influence over the years. I feel bad for the capable authors who've surely been tossed aside and have to figure out the publishing business on their own without the same inside-industry & retail advantages.
Good stuff Tim! Nice to see Jirel of Joiry in there.
The Broken Sword is amazing. Three Hearts and Three Lions may be one of my favorites. The High Crusade is a must as well.
I just started Trader to the Stars.
Great video! I'm more of a horror guy, but I like to read more and more fantasy as I get older. This gave me some new things to check out!
This is pretty useful. I have read a few Conan stories in the last years that I really liked so a list of a couple of authors with on the same subgenre is just what I needed.
Excellent video………….sword and sorcery, heavy metal yeahhhhhhhhh
This video is perfect for me, thanks. I've been wanting to check out the Howard Conan stories for a long time, my library has the audiobooks so I might try them soon based on your recommendation. I just found some Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser paperbacks and what to get to those too. I loved your Elric art video and as a collector I want those so bad, lol. Jirel was fun, the EEBS chat was more fun.
@@sfwordsofwonder Awesome! Happy reading, Ira. All three of those series are amazing!
You know how you’re stuck at some shitty job and it’s Hour 2 of 8 and you idly wish a tornado would run through to liven things up?
Howard’s tornado is named Conan, and his entire point is to be a giant middle finger to civilization.
I envy you your first time through. He’s super fun.
@@Androsynth75 Sold, lol.
You might like Larry Correia's "Saga of the Forgotten Warrior" series. He's pretty damned good at horror fantasy as well, with his Monster Hunter International series.
Awesome video, Tim. Thanks for providing us with such great information.
Hell yeah Tim, really enjoyed this video!
Great choices! I would also add the Nevèrÿon books by Samuel Delaney along with the Kane books that were already mentioned.
@kurtjensen4661 Yeah, I NEED to find some of those Kane books!
Never heard of Nevèrÿon, thanks for bringing it to my attention!
Pretty good recommendations overall. About the only one missing is Karl Edward Wagner's Kane, but like many of the other authors you mentioned, his books are difficult to find at a reasonable price.
@PeculiarNotions Totally. I would have included him if I knew of an easy way to get his books. If they ever get reprinted I will be ON IT.
Centipede Press has a gorgeous hardback re-printing of the _entire set_ available in the next few weeks (December 2024). Obviously, it will be pricey.
Get em as ebooks . They are cheap. And yes, they are wonderful.
great topic and really interesting vid, thank you. Just bought Mr. Waag's second volume of the Skaarde series looking forward to reading it, the first volume was great.
@@CPWebster Nice. Skull Totem is his best work so far, if you ask me. Happy reading!
@@secretfirebooks7894 I've just put Sand & Steel in my Amazon basket...
I'm a big fan of sword and sorcerer ,elric by Michael morcock ,fritz liber ,Robert e Howard, Charles Saunders imaro
Okay! Fine Tim! I'll read some sword and sorcery. Sheesh.
Great overview. It can be hard to parse out which versions are the correct ones.
@@BadTasteBooks LOL. Do your homework, young man!
Thanks for the CJ Cherryh recommendation. I picked up the Audiobook of The Gate of Ivrel and I’ve been enthralled by it.
@@Sylentmana Awesome! Nothing beats a good fantasy audiobook!
I'm getting into this genre of books now, seen a few vids of this style listing recommendations. It does make me beam from ear to ear seeing Gardner Fox on this list, I grew up reading loads of Flash comics and I know he created the original Flash!
@@katamattyon Nice! Fox's fantasy novels are a little on the trashy side, but they're also tons of fun.
Solid list, bro. I’m long overdue to have Conan in my collection
@@AuthorJohnADouglas Do it!
DO IT NOOOWWW!!
I'm hoping that if I drone on interminably about the genius of Karl Edward Wagner enough some enterprising publisher will make his work available again in affordable editions. Not likely, I know, but worth a try. Great video.
@@parazatico9030 If the only available versions of his books weren't the lame ebook versions, I would have included him in the video. Sad times...😂
@@secretfirebooks7894 I guessed so. Thanks, by the way, for the heads up on the Gardner Fox collections. I'd seen them but because of the awful covers I'd assumed they were ebooks (I don't have an e-reader) and didn't realise they were available as proper books.
Critics: Sword and Sorcery is toxically masculine.
Me: Yeah, that's what I like about it.
@@19tzortz Hell yeah 🤘😎
Most really fun characters in fiction are shitty people.
That doesn’t mean they’re not fun and entertaining to read about.
I don’t want to BE Conan or emulate Bob Howard. But it sure is fun to watch everyone’s favorite Cimmerian chop through a wall of hapless Turanians on his way to kick some arrogant General’s ass for some well earned payback.
Those stories are pop tarts. You know what you’re getting when you pick up the box.
Sometimes, you just want a pop tart
@Androsynth75 Well spoken. 👏👏👏
@@Androsynth75 Speak for yourself, I want to be Conan:)
Yes sir!!!
Broken Sword is so good and very clearly a huge influence on Moorcock. Unfortunately it is my understanding that in the 70s Anderson cleaned it up and if you want the dark brutal stuff you have to either get the 1955 edition or the one on azon you showed
@@NathanielWinkelmann So I've heard. I'll have to remedy that immediately!
Excellent resource video! I just recorded a video where I ponder about the Conan series and which ones were the original unrevised editions. Guess I'll just edit that part out ha!
@TheBookGraveyard lol. Always here to help.
Great video! We really need more people reading sword and sorcery, it is so damn fun!
I prefer the new version of The Broken Sword because it is the original text from 1954. The paperback versions from the 70s and 80s are the 1972 version. Poul Anderson made a revision that simplified the language and made a few minor alterations to the story.
They don't alter the overall story but when I have a choice I prefer to read the original instead of the version that got "George Lucas'd".
I like Kyrik more than Kothar when it comes to Gardner F Fox but that might just be because I found Kyrik first.
I did not know about Imaro. Wow! I need to get a copy.
@JosephReadsBooks Thanks for the heads up on the Broken Sword. 👍
And yes, Imaro is absolutely sick. Get a copy while you can!
Great video, keep it up…………………..sword and sorcery, heavy metal yeahhhhhhh
Hooray for the Del Rey Conan books! That's how I read 'em (starting with their edition of Solomon Kane.) I would also recommend "Wolf of the Steppes," a collection of Khlit the Cossack stories from Harold Lamb. (No sorcery, but lots of swords). I also read the "Savage Realms" e-zine for modern tales. And, for the youth out there, "Redwaaaaaaaaaaall!"
On the comics side, I just today received a kickstarter-funded book staring "Deathstalker." Hopefully it'll be good. The Near Mint Condition channel recently showed off a custom-bound omnibus for the "Warlands" comic, which would have been awesome had that been an official release. And, naturally, you can't go wrong with (the recently re-released) Savage Sword of Conan Omnibuses 1 and 2. The best Conan stories, illustrated by the best penciler to ever draw the character; John Buscema.
...I've heard of Imaro before, but there doesn't appear to be any e-book release for it, either at Amazon or Barnes and Noble....
@@fortcastellan1730 Redwall was awesome. Loved those as a kid.
Sliding Dust Jacket had me on the end of my seat!!!
@PulpMortem Master of Suspence right here. 😅
How is it even possible that this great video has been up for a whole day and still doesn't have a comment from Michael K Vaughan? Has he been raptured, or what?
Hail, Great Saint Donoghue!
If Michael got raptured before me, I'd like to speak to afterlife management. lol
Michael probably thinks he's too cool to comment on my vids anymore (he's only partly right).
@@secretfirebooks7894 Too cool???? Is there a different, non-dorky MKV out there I don't know about? Hee
@@saintdonoghue I did say "partly". Give him another day or so. He'll come around, eventually. 🤣
I've read EVERYTHING by T.H. Brandt. Not bad stuff.
The best comic of the sword and sorcery genre i can recommend is Thorgal. It's a French/Belgian comic that's been in print since 1977 and recently got translated into English in the past 20 or so years. The main character has a lot in common with Conan, but he's not an island, over the course of the stories he gets a wife who is his ride or die, and even has two kids. These aren't just anchors for him, they are characters unto themselves and contribute to the stories instead of holding Thorgal back. While fantastic things are happening, the stakes always feel real for them.
Outside that, the Cimmerian comics (also French) are great as well, accurately adapting classic conan stories and even including the original text of every story they are adapting after the comic for you to compare. Every bit of dialogue is right out of the original story. Its great to see such a faithful adaptation done with recent art.
@@antigrav6004 I've heard great things about both of those.
Ugh! I need to read more COMICS!!
The Elric omnibus books are a great deal, especially with colour illustrations. These books could easily sell for at least double what the current MSRP is.
@@nickfoster9350 Absolutely. Saga press is too good to us.
It's such a shame about Charles R. Saunders. I'm lucky that I have all three of printings from the '80's and all four of his revised editions. Saunders deserves so much more love and not to be forgotten. I'm sure there may be some issues with the rights, but there needs to be a new printings of his Imaro works. In many ways I believe his creation, Imaro, surpasses even Moorecock's Elric.
Also, they're probably hard to come by now, but Gollancz released all the Fafhrd and Grey Mouser stories in two books, The First Book of Lankhmar and The Second Book of Lankhmar. And there are two different editions of The Broken Sword. The 1954 original printing and the 1971 revised printing, which may be important to some when picking a printed copy. Like Moorecock loved the 1954 version and loathed the 1971. I'm pretty sure I read the '71 version and loved it enough to make my buddy read it too. He particularly loved the viking elves.
Lastly, I as well love C.L. Moore and her Jirel of Joiry. Northwest Smith is pretty great too. Good video.
Cool video, subscribed
When you go into the fantasy/sword & sorcery section in my local bookshop its basically a teenage section full of Asian comics and Harry Potter. Maybe a shelf or 2 with Tolkien and Martin and some tv and video game tie-ins.
Conan and Elric are conspicuous by their absence :(
@@mrhed0nist Same here. Meanwhile, if you check out the indie fantasy authors on Amazon, you'll find no shortage of barbarian babes and battle axes. Strange times, indeed.
Would you classify Howard Andrew Jones’ _Chronicles of Hanuvar_ in the sword & sorcery sub-genre?
@@paulbigbee I wouldn't know. I haven't read it yet, but it's on my list!!
I have heard him compared to Robert E Howard more than once so my guess it probably is.
The most recent S&S, the wonderful Chronicles of Hanuvar by Howard Andrew Jones. There's three out now; the series probably won't be finished because the author has a terminal illness, which is so sad. Hanuvar is an amazing character. He is a warrior and was a general, who is trying to save the remnants of his defeated nation from slavery. He is very intelligent and can outthink his opponents, is a good organizer, and what I love the most about him is that he is very empathetic and compassionate and has a moral compass even for the people of the empire that defeated him. There is magic in this world.
Jirel of Jiory is fantastic and a great rec.
Rober Howard
- Conan
- Kull
- Bran Mak Morn
- Solomon Kane
Karl Edward Wagner
- Kane
Michael Mooecock
- Elric
- Hawkmoon
- Corum
- Von Bek
Fritz Lieber
- Fafhrd & Gray Mouser
Glen Cook
- Dread Empire
- Black Company
Matthew Woodring Stover
- Acts of Caine
- Iron Dawn / Jericho Moon
Steven Brust
-Vlad Taltos
Joe Abercrombie
- First Law books
- Best served cold
- Red Country
- Heroes
William King
- Gotrek and Felix
Elric looks awesome. I always hear about Moorcock as a precursor to modern grimdark.
@RalphNC09 In a way he is. All of his characters (especially Elric) are grim and moody. The conflicts in his stories are more "law VS chaos" instead of good VS evil.
@secretfirebooks7894 oh my gosh, I love that kind of thematic conflict!
@RalphNC09 His Corum series is great too. The main character is a more traditional hero, but the plot is based mainly around a war between the gods of order and chaos.
Karl Edward Wagner's "Kane" series (about an immortal red-bearded warrior/sorcerer in prehistory- the idea is that the Biblical tale of Cain and Able is a "history is written by the victor" corruption of the horrible truth) is also must-read. Unfortunately, the five books in the series are out of print, and the old paperbacks with the classic Frazetta covers have become expensive collectors' items.
Pick up the 1e Dungeon Masters Guide and read appendix N for an excellent start.
That's where I found out about a lot of my new favorite books! Great resource.
another old author you might like is Keith Taylor the Bard series I - V just recently reprinted main charather is a bard of course but I enjoyed them.
@matthewhyke Nice. Never heard of it before.
It's going on the list!
Have you read any Imaro books by any chance? I recently got the first edition DAW paperback novels of the first two, by Charles R. Saunders. I see what looks like three DAW paperbacks behind you (yellow spines), and they reminded me the DAW Imaro books
Something to keep your eye out for:
The author of The Sun Eater (amazing epic space opera series, read it if you haven’t) will be writing sword and sorcery when he finishes the sun eater next year.
He released a short story called The Barrow King for his upcoming sword and sorcery stuff and it’s really good. Based on the quality of The Sun Eater, it should be amazing
@@brandon8667 Nice. I've heard great things about his books. I'll definitely keep an eye out!
Excellent video!
I just ordered Imaro on Amazon. They had books one and two! Old-school book three was only $300.
@@spartaguswoodall3062 Wow! What a deal! 🤣💀
Thanks!
The Broken Sword is a masterpiece
Well done.
Nice list man!
However, I don't get Leiber and his Lankhmar characters. It took me 4 years to just finish The Snow Clan just because I thought it was SO boring and his writing was beyond awful. I literally couldn't believe that this dude was held int he same light as Howard and Moorcock.
I have however finished that one and the next (can't remember it's name), and begun reading Ill Met In Lankhmar and now it's starting to look like something. I still think his writing is very clumsy at points but it's starting to get entertaining now, but those two origin stories of Fafrhd and The Gray Mouser were not good, with an exception of Mousers which was decent.
Thanks for the tips here, I'll have to check them out :)
@@Wabin22 lol. Leiber's writing can be a little wonky. I don't blame you. Fafhrd's origin story is a pretty bad story to open the series on, I will admit. Hope you find some better stuff in the pulp world. Happy reading! 🤘
@@secretfirebooks7894Haha im glad Im not alone on that 😅
I haven't given up on Leiber though. Just like Moorcock, hos writing perhaps improves with time :)
Thanks!
There was just released a Red Sonja novel, did you know that?
Thieves' World should be included imo
@@Br1cht Almost included it. I haven't actually finished the first book yet. 😅
@@secretfirebooks7894 80's pulp. i couldn't get enough.
Damn, I hella wanna get in your DCC group, lol
@RadChannel That's what they all say, until I get a TPK on the second combat, and suddenly I'm the bad guy???
Bunch of sissies...
@secretfirebooks7894 😂
DCC is absolutely fantastic!!
Solid picks. It's a shame that sword and sorcery is an almost hidden genre these days. It's rare in corporate book stores but it's also hard to find on line. If you look at Amazon's top 100 S&S books, you will find romantasy, litrpg, harem, and mainstream fantasy books that are just tangentially sword & sorcery. Most S&S fans are active fans. They don't passively consume what's in front of them.
And thanks for the shout out!
@erikwaag6438 It also comes down to the mainstream having no concept of what "sword and sorcery" means. It's a very niche subgenre with a lot of history, but most people are like, "Oh, it means a book has swords and magic in it!"
I am glad that the small active fan base is still so on fire. Love the genre, love the indie scene. Hail, Erik! 🤘
👍!!!
fuck yeah
How you could find room to recommend Gardner Fox's Kothar, yet fail to mention Karl Edward Wagner's Kane is beyond me.
@@heymitch100 I haven't read any of them. They're also INSANELY hard to find nowadays. And the ebook versions suck.
RE: toxic masculinity ... when you absolutely insist on being threatened with a good time.
also, listening now, and don't know if you'd mentioned it, but i'd add RA Salvatore.
Tim, I came across a copy of The Horror Stories Of Robert E Howard. I have only read a few of the stories but I am considering not continuing. Some of his writing seems quite racist.I was chalking it up to "product of the times" at first but it seems like it's getting worse the more I read. I am not into canceling or throwing out the baby with the bathwater, it think its up to each reader to decide what content we feel comfortable consuming. I know you are a huge fan so I wanted to get your take. The Hills of the Dead seems particularly problematic to me.
BTW, great video as always
@@BookPigg A lot of his early stories do come off as VERY bigoted - he was a white, working-class guy from 1930s Texas. He does seem to be more tolerant in his later stories (such as Conan) and even wrote some stories that star minorities as the heroes. But yes, his material is DEFINITELY a product of its time. It's not for everyone. Don't feel too bad if you don't gel with his stuff.
For the life of me, I do not understand why you did not mention Howard Andrew Jones. He is the only true S&S author writin today in the mainstream trad publishers.
@@JohnAndrewMacDonald I haven't read any of his books yet. Sorry
Thieves World
@shampoovta Almost added it. I haven't finished the first anthology though.
Normies will claim The Lord of the Rings was the best fantasy novel published in 1954, but it was actually The Broken Sword.
stop harping on about politics. a LOT of us who love sword and sorcery also have the same politics as razorfist. by virtue signalling it just puts a sour taste in our mouth. Conan would never give a shit., lol
if you really feel that was harping, i'd hate to be the one to call you a lyre! :)~
srrsly tho'. Razorfist rocks. conservatism is the new punk-rock.
don't believe me? back in the 80's the blue hairs were first and loudest to declare their virtue, then gossip, pearl-clutch/play victim, and "call the cops" if something was even slightly out of (their) control.
just like today.
Although there are traces of SF in it, the "Horseclans" novels of Robert Adams are great sword and sorcery novels. While mostly out of print, it seems the first three books are available in Kindle. I have the entire set in paperback.