Heroic fantasy

The heroic fantasy (literally “Fantastic Heroic”) subdivision of the literary movement of the Fantasy. The recurrence of the publications in made a kind with whole share.

Origins of the word

Anglo-American made up word meaning “heroic account” which probably appeared with the the United States in the years 1930.

Definition

  • the heroic fantasy is in the beginning the name given to the Fantasy, in the direction of works centered on heroic adventures in imaginary worlds with the strongly medieval or pre-moyenâgeux context (Thorgal). The purists and the old ones still use this name to define the whole of the productions of fantasy. It should be said that before the First World War, works were rather uniform.

The héroic fantasy was especially in the cartoon and the pulps, fanzines of bad paper in which one could find adventures of virile warriors combatant of the monstrous creatures, demons malefic and of the perverse wizards.

In the Forties, the appearance of topics and different elements in fantasy involved the creation of under kinds, and the heroic fantasy then became the name given to the one of these under kinds

  • Today, the commonly allowed definition of the Heroic Fantasy is that of under kind of the Fantasy which has as characteristics to center its intrigue on one or two heroes only and not on a group of characters like the fact, for example, the High fantasy.

The character is a key component of the intrigue in héroïc fantasy, sometimes at the expense of the world which surrounds it, or of the little developed supporting characters. It is often a recluse, without fasteners, which evolves/moves in kingdoms in conflicts, in a violent and brutal world.

One of the most known guns of the heroic fantasy is the character of Conan Cimmérien (or Conan the barbarian) created by Robert E. Howard in the years 1930. Massive character facing thousand dangers in many news, it symbolizes the wild force, not-civilized but soperverted.

  • the distinction between “heroic fantasy” and “ sword and sorcery ” (sword and sorcery) does not make consensus.

The author Fritz Leiber used this last term to distinguish the adventures from muscular, amoraux hero and violent one against the supernatural one (“sword and sorcery”, with the image of the Conan of Howard), versus of the virtuous champions defending the Good against the Evil (with the image of Aragorn of J.R.R. Tolkien and the accounts of the Middle Ages, such the Dead of Arthur of Thomas Malory). A certain distinction can be held between héroic fantasy and sword and sorcery. The sword and sorcery is more brutal than the héroic fantasy and the magic is always malefic there whereas in the héroic fantasy, the magic can be held by the hero or be held by one of its temporary allies.

--> the sword and sorcery of the first times often crosses the Dark fantasy and the Science fantasy. Indeed, the universe of sword and sorcery is often very dark and one crosses there of the amoraux heroes as in dark fantasy. The heroic fantasy and science fantasy are especially interfered in works with Burroughs or Brackett.

The heroic fantasy cannot mix with the High fantasy which is its opposite not more than with the urban Fantasy whose context is contemporary, the Manner fantasy or the mythical Fantasy whose universe is often marvellous.

Genesis and history

The true creator of the heroic fantasy, as opposed to what one thinks, is not Howard but Edgar Rice Burroughs (Although that who improved art is Tolkien, with the Lord of the Rings, Silmarillion like the tales and legends of the 1 {{er}}, 2 {{E}} and 3 {{E}} Age.)

Its Tarzan (created in 1912) initially acted as precursory character. Although initially it is not in a universe of fantasy, it has all the characteristics of the hero. It put on its physical force, is little civilized and evolves/moves in a brutal world. In the African jungle, it fights animals against, of the African wizards and strange tribes. But progressively, Tarzan leaves the purely adventurous framework to return in the fantasy. He meets the magic, of horrible monsters and civilizations to cruel and cruel manners.

In same time, Burroughs returns of full foot in the heroic fantasy with a whole series of cycles: the Cycle of Mars, the Cycle of Venus, the Cycle of the Moon and the Cycle of Pellucidar. These cycles put in scene a heroic character lost in worlds in conflicts which are in fact of planets of our solar system. The overlap technology-fantasy makes of it also the precursor of the Science fantasy.

At the time, the majority of these stories are news published in the pulps. It is in those that the heroic fantasy will be born.

The second great author of heroic fantasy is obviously Robert Ervin Howard. He will create the true prototype of the hero.

Characteristics

Summary

  • warlike Hero in the center of the history. Recluse or two excellent friends

  • personal and human Stakes. Rather egoistic motivations and amorales in the sword and sorcery, less in the modern heroic fantasy.

  • Kingdoms in conflicts, few intelligent races, little magic.

  • rather dark and medieval Environment primarily in the sword and sorcery.

Hero

The hero is very often alone at the time of his adventures: Conan and Kull at Howard; Regnak, Druss, Waylander at Gemmell; Elric, Hawkmoon at Moorcock; Fitz Knighthood for Robin Hobb….

When it is accompanied, it is often by only one companion with whom it maintains a powerful report/ratio fraternity. Thus, gray Fafhrd and Souricier (the Cycle of the Swords) are two inseparable friends just like Eldin and David Hero (in the Ground of the Dreams of Brian Lumley). In series, we have the duet Hercules-Iolaus and Xena-Gabrielle

Generally, it is a male character with the spirit independent and endowed with great capacities, often warlike. Its morality is never exemplary. Eldin steals a jewel and ransacks the taverns, Conan kills out of the hundreds of men, Fitz is an assassin, Druss a bourrin, Waylander a cynical murderer and Regnak seems to be a coward who wants that one leaves it in peace. They seem not to believe of anything, if not in them same and their weapons.

In the same way, they did not embarassent scruples and their motivations are often personal and egoistic (money, survival, revenge)

But, in the second phase of the heroic fantasy, the heroes are deeper and are sometimes seized by the doubt, the remorses. They feel finally human feelings and are equipped with a certain morality. Fitz remains faithful to his/her half-brothers, saving the life of one of them with the danger of his; Regnak reproaches its cowardice and Waylander ends by finding its redemption and even up having a girl (and thus to fix itself).

Indeed, one of the characteristics of the heroes of the héroic fantasy is that they have difficulties of settling durably or to found a family. They go from battle in battles, of combat in combat; and when they like, their family relations are often rather complicated. Heroins of heroic fantasy as for them, are always unmarried and intend to remain it, thus preserving their independence: Xena; Sonia the Russet-red one, Raven (in the cycle of raven of Robert Holdstock). But in the second phase, the heroes become more familiar and more inclined to found a family. Waylander has a girl, Druss was marrié, Fitz also finishes him by marrier.

Other characters

Here, still one must distinguish two phases. In the first, until the years 1980, the supporting characters are developed very little. They are there to only advance the intrigue, to create adventures or to make specific appearances to guide the heroes. Thus in Conan, one meets sometimes the character of Amalric, friend of the Barbarian.

In the second, the revival of the heroic fantasy gives a place much more important to the supporting characters. In Legend, the intrigue although centered on Druss and Regnak, articulates around ten interesting supporting characters all to their manner (Flécheur, Virae, Gilad and Bregan, Serbitar, Caessa, Vintar). Robin Hobb gives it also a great importance to his supporting characters: the Insane one being only one example.

Exceptions

In Excalibur, the central hero is in fact the sword it even. The history turns around the sword. If one must find a central figure, it is all the same about king Arthur.

the world

Le Monde in which the heroes evolve/move is very often a world of conflicts and wars of very medieval inspiration. A chaotic world where the men can become of the heroes. Environment is very little manichéenne, and it is sometimes even violent and brutal in the sword and sorcery. The Magic, the inhuman creatures are very few and often malefic there. In the saga Conan, the Barbarian fights hundreds of monsters but recontre never a conscious humanoïde. At Gemmell, the creatures very close to the humanoïde and are developed often little. Seule Megan Lindholm ends up introducing the Dragons. Exception in the Lion of Macedonia and in the series Hercules and Xena which puts all in scene the creatures of Greek mythology.

the Magic

The Magic often strange, mysterious and is held by some rare characters. In the sword and sorcery, it is almost always a malefic and démoniaque magic (Elric) which makes fear with the laymen. In the modern heroic fantasy, the magic takes more the form of psychic capacities: divination and astral projection for the Thirty (David Gemmell), telepathy and empathy within the framework of Art and Sharp (Robin Hobb).

Stakes

Contrary to High Fantasy, it is not a question to save the world. The problems are caused by the human ones, or not-intelligent creatures; never by any lord of malefic darkness. Especially, the stakes are often localized, human and personal.

Feminist Heroic fantasy

Certain authors have creates heroins of heroic fantasy, free, independent of the supervision of the man and seductresseses with regard to the male heroes. Situation reverses, whereas it is usually Conan which allures many women without defense, here, they are sometimes the women who defend the men and who choose their many lovers or amantes.

These heroins can be warlike or magicians. The three principal examples are Red Sonja, Raven, and Xena.

Authors

These authors wrote almost only heroic fantasy and are the founders or the renovating ones.

Literary works

Novels

Cartoons

Cartoons Franco-Belgian

Mangas

Works of other media

Cinema

Telefilms and series

Animated series, mangas

Illustrations

Plays

See too

  • the Warlike Amazon: expression of a diffusion of feminism in the heroic fantasy.

  • List of works of heroic fantasy

External references and bonds

Random links:The Last Brass band | Case of head | List communes of Tarragone | Equip with Austria of female football | Richard J. Evans