Flame and Crimson is Brian Murphy’s affectionate yet fair examination and analysis of the Sword-and-Sorcery sub-genre of Fantasy. (Disclaimer: Brian is an acquaintance. So factor in whatever bias you like to what follows.) Published in 2019, F&C adds a significant component to the renaissance of S&S.
Dissection requires a corpse, and vivisection is hardly an improvement. A close examination of something you enjoy always carries with it the risk of diminishing that enjoyment. You want to eat the sausage, not ponder the meat grinder and intestine stuffing. Happily, F&C does not blunt the appetite for those who feast in the halls of S&S. Instead Murphy examines the sub-genre in entertaining, exhaustive (though not exhausting) detail. Like a skilled waiter, he describes the dish being served in a manner that only enhances the dining experience.
Murphy provides S&S definitions, literary origins, a history, analysis, and cultural impact. He offers useful biographical information about the major players, and lays out their conflicting opinions, philosophies, and thematic shibboleths without taking sides. Plenty of inside baseball stuff, and fun to read even for those already relatively familiar with most of it.
It is game day, so I have to wrap this up. But before I go, the obligatory self-promotion. The four-volume set of Semi-Autos and Sorcery remains a good deal.
1 comment