Gor 52495 225792904 2008-07-15T12:44:30Z SoWhy 54890 Reverted edits by [[Special:Contributions/70.105.236.48|70.105.236.48]] (using [[WP:HG|Huggle]]) {{otheruses}} [[Image:Hunters of gor.JPG|thumb|''Hunters of Gor'' (1974), 1980 Star paperback edition. 363 pages]] '''Gor''', the [[Counter-Earth]], is the alternate-world setting for [[John Norman|John Norman's]] ''Chronicles of Gor'', a series of twenty six 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 [[Gorean]]s. ==Summary== ===Setting=== 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 [[classics|classical scholar]] — often delights in [[ethnography]], populating his planet with the equivalents of [[Ancient Rome|Roman]], [[Ancient Greece|Greek]], [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|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 extraterrestrial species of insectoid 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 to 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). ===Plotlines=== Most of the novels in the series are action and sexual 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. ==Criticisms== {{Unreferencedsection|date=October 2007}} An explicit aspect of Gor is that men are the rulers and women are for the most part [[chattel]]; their interactions often feature what some consider the [[machismo|machismic]] stereotypes of Gorean society. This has led [[feminists]] to label the works as blatantly [[misogyny|misogynistic]]. Since John Norman postulates a supposed strong natural drive for men to dominate women and in turn for women a supposed 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. ==Books== [[Image:Kajira-kef.svg|thumb|right|162px|The Gorean [[Kajira]] "kef" symbol.]] # ''Tarnsman of Gor'' (1967) ISBN 0-345-27583-7 # ''Outlaw of Gor'' (1967) ISBN 0-345-27136-X # ''Priest-Kings of Gor'' (1968) ISBN 0-7592-0036-X # ''Nomads of Gor'' (1969) ISBN 0-75925-445-1 # ''Assassin of Gor'' (1970) ISBN 0-75920-091-2 # ''Raiders of Gor'' (1971) ISBN 0-75920-153-6 # ''Captive of Gor'' (1972) ISBN 0-75920-105-6 # ''Hunters of Gor'' (1974) ISBN 0-75920-130-7 # ''Marauders of Gor'' (1975) ISBN 0-75920-141-2 # ''Tribesmen of Gor'' (1976) ISBN 0-75925-446-X # ''Slave Girl of Gor'' (1977) ISBN 0-75920-454-3 # ''Beasts of Gor'' (1978) ISBN 0-75921-125-6 # ''Explorers of Gor'' (1979) ISBN 0-75921-167-1 # ''Fighting Slave of Gor'' (1980) ISBN 0-75921-173-6 # ''Rogue of Gor'' (1981) ISBN 0-75921-179-5 # ''Guardsman of Gor'' (1981) ISBN 0-75921-368-2 # ''Savages of Gor'' (1982) ISBN 0-75921-374-7 # ''Blood Brothers of Gor'' (1982) ISBN 0-75921-380-1 # ''Kajira of Gor'' (1983) ISBN 0-75921-926-5 # ''Players of Gor'' (1984) ISBN 0-75921-932-X # ''Mercenaries of Gor'' (1985) ISBN 0-75921-944-3 # ''Dancer of Gor'' (1986) ISBN 0-75921-950-8 # ''Renegades of Gor'' (1986) ISBN 0-75921-956-7 # ''Vagabonds of Gor'' (1987) ISBN 0-75921-980-X # ''Magicians of Gor'' (1988) ISBN 0-75921-986-9 # ''Witness of Gor'' (2001) ISBN 0-7592-4235-6 Norman has reportedly completed a 27th book, ''Prize of Gor'', which deals with a rejuvenation serum (going beyond the "stabilization serums" or immortality potions of the other books), and is planning a further book set on one of the "Steel Worlds" (artificial space habitats) of the Kurii.[http://gorchronicles.com/modules/smartsection/item.php?itemid=35] ==General notes== [[Image:Bosk-Port-Kar-ship-flag-Norman-Gor.svg|thumb|Personal flag of Bosk of Port Kar (a.k.a. Tarl Cabot of Bristol), the main narrator of the Gor books]] Most of the books are narrated by transplanted British [[professor]] Tarl Cabot, master swordsman and possibly [[John Norman|Norman]]'s alter-ego, as he engages in adventures involving Priest-Kings, Kurii, and humans alike. Books seven, eleven, nineteen, twenty two, and twenty six are narrated by abducted Earth women who are made slaves. Books fourteen, fifteen and sixteen 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-[[rationalism|rationalist]] Priest-Kings who find little joy in existence and the Kurii who simply follow their savage instincts and kill in their lack of [[introspection|reflection]] — are an [[allegory|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. ==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 presented in some fashion on Gor. There are many similarities to real-life 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 in the United States|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 Basin|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. ==See also== *[[Gorean]] *[[Kajira]] *[[Male dominance]] *[[Telnarian Histories]] *[[Time Slave]] *[[Imaginative Sex]] ==External links==<!-- This section is linked from [[Gorean]] --> {{external links|January 2007}} ===Official sites=== * [http://www.worldofgor.com John Norman's World of Gor] (old publisher site) * [http://gorchronicles.com/ John Norman's Chronicles of Gor] (new semi-official site) ===Games=== * [http://www.angelfire.com/ar2/mryeder/games.html Gorean Games] - A collection site of Gorean games from the books. * [http://rpgland.extra.hu/news.php RPG Land] - Roleplayers news site covering the Gorean life in Second Life. ===General information=== * [http://goreanmind.com/Reference/Main.html Gorean Mind] - A reference site containing extensive quotes from the book regarding all imaginable topics. * [http://www.dreamingkajira.com/ DreamingKajira] - Documented reference for free and slave, some multimedia, a bit of everything for online and offline Goreans * [http://www.en-var.com/sites.htm Naia's Compendium of Gorean Sites] * [http://the-Lara-inn.ORG/gluedog.htm '''G'''reater '''L'''aran '''U'''nabridged '''E'''ncyclopedia & '''D'''ictionary '''O'''f '''G'''or] -- major compendium of Gorean terminology referenced to the books * [http://www.counter-urth.com The Central Fire]. Another comprehensively researched Gorean resource. * [http://www.chateauwhisper.com/exploregor/ Explore Gor] - A reference site containing extensive quotes divided by topic and Characters. ===Parody and humor=== * [http://www.rdrop.com/~/wyvern/data/houseplants.html Houseplants of Gor], a classic Gor parody (the first to achieve wide on-line circulation) * [http://books.adultfanfiction.net/story.php?no=544176437 Gay, Bejeweled, Nazi Bikers of Gor] * [http://the-Lara-inn.ORG/Scrolls/humor/whos.htm Who's On Her First] ===Movies=== * Two films have been made (often considered generic grade-B sci-fi flicks only very loosely based on Norman's books), Gor[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095241/] and Outlaw of Gor[http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098048/] (also known as "Outlaw"); the latter appeared on [[Mystery Science Theater 3000]]. While not officially connected to John Norman's work, [[Fencer of Minerva]] is a Japanese animated series containing many of the elements and ideas discused in Gorean Philosophy [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0249509/] ===Media=== * [http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4996410.stm BBC Reports: Officers discover sex-slave cult] [[Category:Fictional planets]] [[Category:Series of books]] [[Category:Science fiction book series]] [[Category:BDSM literature]] [[es:Crónicas de Gor]] [[nl:Gor (wereld)]] [[ru:Гор (фантастика)]]