I made a small discovery a few weeks ago — but one that might help me target agents and publishers a little more effectively. Whenever asked what genre Curse of the Black Swan would fit in, I’d say Fantasy. But that’s a big genre. Just like there are multiple sub-genres of mystery (hard-boiled, procedural, detective) there are sub-genres of fantasy.
For several of my books, they were World Affairs where the focus was on world-endangering matters. They were considered Epic, or High Fantasy. Simple enough. But with Curse of the Black Swan, the story was his personal journey — where the world affairs effected him, not the other way around.
The closest I’d found would be Scott Lynch’s Lies of Locke Lamora. Very close to what I’d done. My main character, Nathaniel, was like The Man With No Name, Han Solo, Indiana Jones, Jake (from China Town), James Bond, and other swashbuckling characters rolled into one. A scoundrel, a thief, a lover…
But I still couldn’t define what it was. I happened upon a description in Wikiepedia: S&S is a fantasy subgenre generally characterized by swashbuckling heroes engaged in exciting and violent conflicts. An element of romance is often present, as is an element of magic and the supernatural.
Interesting. Because I thought S&S usually equated to ‘crap’. I must be wrong. Wait, let me keep reading…
Sword and sorcery has more colloquially come to be known as a catch-all phrase for low grade, derivative fantasy such as that which played a seminal role in influencing Dungeons & Dragons and other fantasy role-playing games, as well as fiction written in such universes.
The term continues to be used in a derogatory manner amongst writers and readers of the fantasy genre.
Huh. So what I write is crap. Okay, simple enough — don’t mention S&S…but use the term to help me find agents and publishers…