Gor

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For other uses, see Gor (disambiguation).
Hunters of Gor (1974), 1980 Star paperback edition. 363 pages
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Hunters of Gor (1974), 1980 Star paperback edition. 363 pages

Gor, the Counter-Earth, is the alternate-world setting for John Norman's "Chronicles of Gor," a series of 26 novels that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction.

The customs, terminology and imagery depicted in these books has inspired a related BDSM-influenced subculture. On- and off-line followers of this lifestyle are called Goreans.

Contents

[edit] Summary

Gor is an intricately detailed world in terms of flora, fauna, and customs. John Norman — the pen-name of Dr. John Lange, a professor of Philosophy and a classical scholar — often delights in ethnography, populating his planet with the equivalents of Roman, Greek, Native American, Viking, and other cultures. In the novels these various population groups are actually transplants from earth brought there by space-craft through the behind the scenes rulers of Gor, the Priest-Kings, an extra-terrestrial species insect-like in appearance. The Gorean humans are permitted advanced architectural and medical skills (including life extension), but are forced to remain primitive in the fields of transportation and weaponry (at approximately the level of Classical Mediterranean civilization) due to restrictions on technology imposed by the Priest-Kings. This limitation is imposed in order to ensure the safety of both the Priest-Kings as well as the other indigenous and transplanted beings on Gor, who would otherwise possibly come to harm due through humans and their belligerent tendencies.

The planet Gor has lower gravity than earth's (which allows for the existence of large flying creatures, and tall towers connected by aerial bridges in the cities), and would have an even lower gravity if not for the technology of the Priest-Kings. The known geography of Gor consists mainly of the western seaboard of a continent which runs from the arctic in the north to south of the equator, with the Thassa Ocean to the west, and the Voltai mountain range forming an eastern boundary at many latitudes. There are also offshore islands in the ocean, and some relatively sparsely-settled plains to the east of the Voltai. The word "Gor" itself means home stone in the Gorean language (the native language of the city-states in the northern temperate region, and a widely-spoken lingua franca in many other areas).

Most of the novels in the series are action adventures, with many of the military engagements borrowing liberally from historic ones, such as the trireme battles of ancient Greece and the castle sieges of medieval Europe. Ar, a Rome-like city in which several of the novels are set, maintains a "margin of desolation" similar to that of Mesopotamia's Gu-Edin.

The series is a planetary romance and the first book, "Tarnsman of Gor," opens with some scenes very reminiscent of the first book of the Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who helped create the genre; both feature the protagonist narrating his adventures after being transported to another world. These parallels end after the first few books, when the stories of the books begin to be structured along a loose plot arc involving the struggles of the city-state of Ar and the island of Cos to control the Vosk river area, as well as the struggles at a higher level between non-human Priest-Kings and Kurii (see below) to control the solar system.

On Gor, men are the rulers and women are for the most part chattel; their interactions often feature what some consider the machismic stereotypes of Gorean society. This has led feminists to label the works as blatantly misogynistic. Since John Norman postulates a strong natural drive for men to dominate women and in turn for women a strong desire to submit to strong men, this according to Norman leads to a society that affords freedom and property rights to men while affording women slavery. (For further elaboration on the psychosexual content of Norman's writings, see John Norman.)

Criticisms have also been leveled at Norman's prose, which is often fraught with unnecessary diction and stilted dialogue, and a fondness for certain dubious forms such as "muchly", "unoften", or the word "modality" used as a synonym for "role". Passages — especially in books later in the series, when the protagonist begins to assimilate into Gorean society — occasionally veer off onto lengthy and repetitious philosophical tangents lampooning feminism and liberalism at length.

On the other hand, the world of Gor which John Norman vividly paints has a strong and growing fan-base in the BDSM subculture, where many aspects of Gorean culture are imported into the sexual roleplay of the interested couples.

[edit] Books

The Gorean Kajira "kef" symbol.
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The Gorean Kajira "kef" symbol.
  1. Tarnsman of Gor (1967) ISBN 0-345-27583-7
  2. Outlaw of Gor (1967) ISBN 0-345-27136-X
  3. Priest-Kings of Gor (1968) ISBN 0-7592-0036-X
  4. Nomads of Gor (1969) ISBN 0-345-33421-3
  5. Assassin of Gor (1970) ISBN 1-56333-538-7
  6. Raiders of Gor (1971) ISBN 1-56333-558-1
  7. Captive of Gor (1972) ISBN 1-56333-581-6
  8. Hunters of Gor (1974) ISBN 1-56333-592-1
  9. Marauders of Gor (1975) ISBN 1-56333-662-6
  10. Tribesmen of Gor (1976) ISBN 1-56333-677-4
  11. Slave Girl of Gor (1977) ISBN 0-87997-679-9
  12. Beasts of Gor (1978) ISBN 0-88677-028-9
  13. Explorers of Gor (1979) ISBN 0-87997-905-4
  14. Fighting Slave of Gor (1981) ISBN 0-87997-882-1
  15. Rogue of Gor (1981) ISBN 0-87997-892-9
  16. Guardsman of Gor (1981) ISBN 0-87997-890-2
  17. Savages of Gor (1982) ISBN 0-88677-191-9
  18. Blood Brothers of Gor (1982) ISBN 0-88677-157-9
  19. Kajira of Gor (1983) ISBN 0-87997-807-4
  20. Players of Gor (1984) ISBN 0-88677-116-1
  21. Mercenaries of Gor (1985) ISBN 0-88677-369-5
  22. Dancer of Gor (1986) ISBN 0-88677-301-6
  23. Renegades of Gor (1986) ISBN 0-88677-382-2
  24. Vagabonds of Gor (1987) ISBN 0-88677-188-9
  25. Magicians of Gor (1988) ISBN 0-88677-279-6
  26. Witness of Gor (2001) ISBN 0-7592-4235-6

Norman has reportedly completed a 27th Gor book, Prize of Gor, which has yet to be printed.[1]

[edit] General notes

Most of the books are narrated by transplanted British professor Tarl Cabot, master swordsman and possibly Norman's alter-ego, as he engages in adventures involving Priest-Kings, Kurii, and humans alike. Books 7, 11, 19, 22, and 26 are narrated by abducted Earth women who are made slaves. Books 14, 15 and 16 are narrated by male abductee (and initially slave) Jason Marshall.

The series features several sentient alien races. The most important to the books are the insectoid Priest-Kings and the huge sharp-clawed predatory Kurii, both space-farers from foreign star systems. The Priest-Kings rule Gor as somewhat disinterested custodians, leaving humans to their own affairs as long as they abide by certain restrictions on technology. The Kurii are an aggressive, invasive race with advanced technology (but less so than that of the Priest-Kings) who wish to colonize Gor and Earth. The power of the Priest-Kings is diminished after the "Nest War" described in the third book, and for the most part, Priest-Kings and Kurii struggle against each other only by proxy, through their respective human agents and spies. Some critics have commented that these antipoles — the dispassionate, ultra-rationalist Priest-Kings who find little joy in existence and the Kurii who simply follow their savage instincts and kill in their lack of reflection — are an allegorical appeal to moderate human behavior.

Early entries in the series were mostly plot-driven space opera adventures, with later entries growing more heavily philosophical and sexual. There are many sub-plots that run the course of several books and tie back to the main plotline in later books. Some of these plots start in the first book, but most are underway in the first ten books.

[edit] Influences

Many historical cultures of Earth are reflected in the novels of Gor. Although the Greco-Roman is the most often noted of these, this is not the only society tweaked and presented on Gor by John Norman. If you are familiar with Earth's history, you will notice many similarities to some historical civilizations in various regions of Gor (explained in the books by early "voyages of acquisition" which the Priest-Kings undertook in order to populate Gor with humans taken from different parts of earth).

The majority of "known Gor", as the Vosk river region in the temperate north of the continent is often referred to, is reminiscent of ancient Greco-Roman city-states in many respects (aside from the delta city of Port Kar, which is a more anarchic and piratical version of Venice). The most common dating system is Contasta Ar, or years since the founding of Ar (similar to ab urbe condita), and the Viktel Aria road leading to Ar is analogous to the Appian way. In Gor's Torvaldsland, you might think you'd encountered Earth's Vikings. The "Red Savage" peoples of the Barrens are populated with a culture based upon Native Americans, especially the Sioux Nations. The "Wagon Peoples" are a blend of the Mongols and the Gauchos of South America. The Alars appear based on the Alans, barbarians who were later conquered by the Huns. The peoples of the Tahari desert correlate to the nomads of Arabia, the Gorean regions around Schendi to Amazon or Congo River valley populations. The peoples of far north Gor, or the "Red Hunters" as Norman sometimes referred to them, are clearly Inuit — in this case to the point of referring to them as such.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] Official publisher site

[edit] General information

[edit] Forums

[edit] Goreans

[edit] Online Gorean Gaming Sites

  • Second Life The unstructured 3D computer environment Second Life features a thriving Gorean community in which 3D characters (moved and manipulated by people in the manner of Online gaming) interact in accord with Gorean philosophy ("The Woods" place). Note that Second Life isn't just Gorean. There are other communities as well.

[edit] Parody/humor

[edit] Movies

[edit] Media

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