Fantastic Fiction: What’s in a Name? The Birth of the Term “Sword and Sorcery”

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If you’re of a certain age, the phrase “sword and sorcery” conjures up visions of muscular barbarians and busty damsels fighting monsters or evil wizards on paperback covers illustrated by Frank Frazetta, Boris Vallejo, or Jeffrey Catherine Jones. But did you know that the subgenre had no name for the first 30 years of its existence? And do you know how the term for the genre of “sword and sorcery” came to be?

Newsletter January 2025: Seeking book donations!

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The Freebies Lounge is looking for book donations, party suites may be requested, hotel room availability updates, announcing the Con-Verse blog column with Brandon O’Brien, membership rate increases, how to unsubscribe from the newsletter, writing contest submissions close soon, and Hugo, Lodestar, and Astounding award nominations open soon!