The Gor Novels of John Norman

[Perpetual Man]

I didn’t know whether to bring this series of books up or not, but as they reared their heads in another thread I though it might be worth throwing the name out there and see what came back…

Whether they were any good or not the Gor books by John Norman played a substantial part in my early to late teens, and as such have spot in my reading history.

At the time I would have imagined that they were pretty popular, all the bookshops had them and they ran from first being published in 1966 – 2002, amassing 26 novels.

Many of the bits and pieces are from memory so feel free to correct me…

Gor itself, was the counter earth, a planet that was in the exact opposite position to the Earth on the other side of the sun. It was a lot more primitive than our world, almost medieval – or earlier. So far it sounds like a fantasy novel, but it was ruled over by the technically advanced Priest Kings – huge ant-like creatures who were effectively destroyed in book 3 of the saga.

The main character in the series was a red haired man, Tarl Cabot who was transported to the planet, where he soon found he had the makings of a hero and all the usual fantasy trappings. But the real thing that set the Gor books aside was slavery; in particular female slavery (oh and perhaps a bit of sex too). In the earlier books the slavery was not played up too much it was just there as part of the society, but as the books continued it increased and was sexist (at least in my opinion). Women were consistently slaves, who could only come into their true potential by sexual subjugation from their masters, and there were a few stories told from the opposite perspective, where the male was the slave – but they soon turned the table on their mistresses…

All this being said, they were enjoyable, and many of the stories were fun… the later books became a lot more serious, dealing more with warfare and the slavery thing became a background trait… and I remember being really impressed with one of the last books I read in the series.

I was under the impression that the books had long since been withdrawn for sale, but a quick search of Amazon shows that they are still around…

So, who else read the might Gor books? (We won’t mention the appalling films starring Ollie Read)

 

[Pyan]

Yes, I stopped reading just about at the point where the bondage and S&M started taking over the stories to a point where they became uncomfortable (for me) to read.

They sometimes turn up in charity shops, and there are some on-line here - but generally speaking, finding the early ones is easy, the later ones harder.

 

[The Ace]

To be honest, it was a combination of adolescent angst and a one-handed read, I simply became sickened of Cabot's attitude.

I'd give them a wide berth these days.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Well as you know I have already been in the confessional about Gor books. In fairness I have read them all and found most to be readable although page skipping is required in places. Yes the slavery and sex did sometimes take over though the Tarl Cabot editions usually had humour and reasonable plot lines that usually kept you guessing.

 

[Nyomimi]

Oy.

Ok, you can agree or disagree with my general opinion of Gor But, I do chat-based roleplay in an LKH section of a site that houses many different genres. (( LKH = Laurell K Hamilton )) I also own my own, free form, vampire roleplay room. And the thing that annoys me the most are the Gorean roleplayers who can never distinguish real time from online roleplay. IT'S RIDICULOUS!

These ladies prance around in nude avatars with {collars} attached to their names like they are actually living on Gor! The men, oy, don't get me started on the men -- they think they are GODS.

Heh. Until they meet me and realize I don't play that game. I have been told by many of them that I am only a woman and therefore don't matter -- to which I quickly remind them that while I am only a woman -- I see you online for 15 hours plus -- so if you are truly this Earthian version of a Gor man -- why are you sitting on your duff for most of the day? Shouldn't you be out riding your bird like horse -- or raping some woman for pleasure? Hrm? Thought so.

John Norman was a brilliant man with words and pretty imagery -- he was a bit whacked in the mental bits on the sexual races thing -- but I hope he never intended Gor to go this far.

Wanna check out one of the sites?

Google Creativity Chat <-- top section is gor, that's where I r/p.

Or Google Pure Gor and read their ridiculous message boards.

 

[Ian Whates]

There was a case in the UK not so very long ago where police received reports of slavery-related activities being conducted from a big suburban house. They mounted a full scale raid and found women in chains and collars... But soon discovered that the women were wearing them willingly.

Apparently, this was all some 'sect' who called themselves the Goreans and based their activities on a series of books by John Norman.

Made the national papers.

 

[Nyomimi]

:sigh:

I don't know why women would put themselves through that. I mean, I'm all for alternative life styles, but that just seems a little extreme.

 

[Nyomimi]

"It's one thing that everyone's missed out on so far is, even in our organisation, if that's what you want to call it, women can be free and they can be dominant, we don't stop that," he added.
"But the majority of women in our organisation are obviously slaves because women have a submissive streak in them."

Ok that makes me mad.


There is not a submissive bone in my whole body.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

:sigh:

I don't know why women would put themselves through that. I mean, I'm all for alternative life styles, but that just seems a little extreme.

Be fair Nyomini it must be tough on the men too. It's not easy for men acting all strong and full of bravado you know. It's not all beer and skittles in the dominant male arena, always having to be watching your back, especially given our reduced mental capacities. When comes down to it we are only men after all. We deserve your sympathy not a diatribe of abuse and ridicule.

 

[Nyomimi]

Be fair Nyomini it must be tough on the men too. It's not easy for men acting all strong and full of bravado you know. It's not all beer and skittles in the dominant male arena, always having to be watching your back, especially given our reduced mental capacities. When comes down to it we are only men after all. We deserve your sympathy not a diatribe of abuse and ridicule.

The men can do what they want -- just not to me.

And I believe my diatribe of abuse and ridicule is to the women that put themselves to that level.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Oh... Ok fair enough. I thought you were picking on us men. On reflection I see you weren't and I apologise.

Please don't hit me again.

oops sorry...

And let that be an end to it.

 

[Nyomimi]

No worries!

 

[Perpetual Man]

Well as you know I have already been in the confessional about Gor books. In fairness I have read them all and found most to be readable although page skipping is required in places. Yes the slavery and sex did sometimes take over though the Tarl Cabot editions usually had humour and reasonable plot lines that usually kept you guessing.

I think this is my attitude to them. They were something I read many years ago and found them to be enjoyable at the time - perfect male teen reading - well some of them anyway. Although looking back now I find some of what was written about slightly disturbing. Strange how attitudes change when you get older. But the slavery aside the stories were usually fun.

To be honest, it was a combination of adolescent angst and a one-handed read, I simply became sickened of Cabot's attitude.

I'd give them a wide berth these days.

Yes, I stopped reading just about at the point where the bondage and S&M started taking over the stories to a point where they became uncomfortable (for me) to read.

I'd sort of agree with Ace & Pyan's comments. If I remember the first few books were very much action adventure, with slavery just in the background, but as the series progressed it became more prevailant, especially sexual domination.

But it is the later books that I'm struggling with - my addled memory getting in the way here. Did they push the slavery etc. to the background again, and become more about war, combat and the tactics used? I can remember being really surprised by some of them and one actually blew me away. (It was a loooong time ago)

 

[Taltos]

At some point I read the translations of first three Gor books. The first one wasn't bad - basic heroic fantasy where hero has to save the day - something Burroughs would have written - with a bit better descriptions. The second and third books were all downhill - less point and more fleshy adventures - after the third book I didn't bother to buy or read any other of his books. I think this kind of writing belongs to the past and should stay there.

 

[nixie]

Have to admit I read a number of the Gor books as a teenager, read more than I wanted to because my mother went through the roof when she flicked through to see what they were about, I was banned from reading them, my brother was told to get rid, thus they became a guilty secret and I used to steal them from my brothers bedroom after finding his hiding place

 

[Dave]

I've never read a Gor book. In my youth I knew that they were very, very popular. Maybe I would have if I had known what they contained

Well, the cover art did give a clue!

If you are not from the UK, you may not understand the references made to 2006 news reports:
Gor blimey! Subservient cult is unleashed on Darlington | UK news | The Guardian
BBC NEWS | UK | Officers discover sex-slave cult
Newsvine - Sex slaves in Darlington: The Land of Gor in Northern England | UPDATED

BTW I think they called themselves 'Kaotians' not 'Goreans'. And nothing so interesting had ever happened in Darlington before

John Norman was a brilliant man with words and pretty imagery -- he was a bit whacked in the mental bits on the sexual races thing -- but I hope he never intended Gor to go this far.

From the comments I've just read here, I would say that it was more likely he was simply giving his readers what they wanted - purely market forces - if more people read the books containing sex and bondage, and he made more money from them, then surely he would write even more in that style.

Is that cynical? I don't think so, clearly a lot of people really like these books.

 

[JoanDrake]

S.M. Stirling, at a convention, once found a John Norman sentence that was 500 words long. Mercifully, he didn't quote it.

I've always found it terribly ironic that these guys escape into a world where technology does not exist to weaken men using a worldwide network of computers.

Along about book 23 he has this one invention which is sort of a doggie travel cage for women. It only allows the occupant to assume the 'ready' position and has appropriate openings built in.