We all know what this is. It's probably what attracted us to Fantasy in the first place. Pure magic and medieval societies which have not progressed technologically beyond swords and armor. Mostly. And usually the heroes don't need guns, because they have nasty wizards or little girls with magic wands backing them up.

Swords and Sorcery is fantasy in a primitive setting, where problems must be solved with both violence and magic. The archetype of the genre is Robert E. Howard's Conan, but the field, while littered with gray Conan wannabes, is capable of much originality. Adventure and confrontation are key words to the genre.

Heroic fantasy has grown over the past few years to encompass settings beyond the archetypal pseudo-medieval, low-tech S&S stuff we all know and love.  Harry Potter carved out a new niche in magical heroism, armed only with a wand. Who knows where the genre will go from here?

• Jurgen: A Comedy of Justice, The Cream of the Jest, The Silver Stallion and Figures of Earth by James Branch Cabell
• The Belgariad by David Eddings
• The Worm Ouroboros, Mistress of Mistresses, The Mezentian Gate, and A Fish Dinner in Memison by E. R. Eddison
• Conan the Barbarian by Robert E. Howard
• The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, comprising:
  

  The Eye of the World
  The Great Hunt
  The Dragon Reborn
  The Shadow Rising
  The Fires of Heaven
  Lord of Chaos
  A Crown of Swords
  The Path of Daggers

• Frostflower and Thorn by Phyllis Ann Karr
  
• The Deryni/Camber of Culdi series by Katherine Kurtz, comprising:
  

  Camber of Culdi
  Saint Camber
  Camber the Heretic
  Deryni Rising
  High Deryni
  The Bishop's Heir
  The King's Justice
  The Quest for Saint Camber

• A Wizard of Earthsea, The Tombs of Atuan and Beyond the Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin
  
• The adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, by Fritz Leiber:
  

  The Swords of Lankhmar
  Swords and Deviltry
  Swords Against Death
  Swords in the Mist
  Swords Against Wizardry
  Swords and Ice Magic

• A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm of Swords, and A Feast for Crows by George R. R. Martin
  
• Jirel of Joiry by C. L. Moore
  
• The Witch World series by Andre Norton, comprising:
  

  Witch World
  Web of the Witch World
  Three Against the Witch World
  Warlock of the Witch World
  Sorceress of the Witch World
  Spell of the Witch World
  Trey of Swords
  Year of the Unicorn
  The Jargoon Pard
  The Crystal Gryphon
  Zarsthor's Bane

• The Sunrunner Series by Melanie Rawn, comprising:
  

  The Dragon Prince
  The Star Scroll
  Sunrunner's Fire
  Stronghold
  The Dragon Token
  Skybowl

• The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
• The entire Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling can be classed as heroic fantasy of the old style, minus the swords:

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

• The Sword of Bedwyr by R. A. Salvatore
• The Well of the Unicorn by Fletcher Pratt
• The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien

And many others!

You can buy Heroic Fantasy titles at the Other Worlds Bookstore.