Arcane Arts and Cold Steel

Arcane Arts and Cold Steel is the definitive guide to writing sword-and-sorcery fiction. Veteran author David C. Smith breaks down what makes these stories work, from Robert E. Howard’s raw, primal tales to today’s diverse “New Edge” movement. His tutelage includes detailed analyses of character, setting, plot, and theme. With a foreword by John O’Neill of Black Gate magazine, Smith’s book is both a practical manual for writers and a tribute to the genre.