View source for Gor

{{Short description|Setting of John Norman's novels}}
{{Other uses}}
{{Infobox book series
| name             = Gor
| author           = [[John Norman]]
| image            =  Tarnsman of gor vallejo cover.jpg
| image_caption    = First published in 1966, ''Tarnsman of Gor'' is shown here with 1976 artwork by [[Boris Vallejo]].
| title_orig       =
| translator       =
| illustrator      =
| cover_artist     = 
| country          = United States
| language         = English
| genre            = [[Sword and planet]], [[science fantasy]]
| publisher        = [[Del Rey Books|Del Rey]]
| pub_date         = 1966–1988; 2001–present
| english_pub_date =
| media_type       = Print ([[paperback]])
| number_of_books  = 38
| preceded_by      =
| followed_by      =
}}

'''Gor''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|ɡ|ɔr}}) is the fictional setting for a series of [[sword and planet]] novels written by philosophy professor John Lange, writing as [[John Norman]]. The setting was first described in the 1966 novel ''Tarnsman of Gor''. The series is inspired by [[science fantasy]] [[pulp magazine|pulp fiction]] works by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], such as the ''[[Barsoom]]'' series. It also includes [[erotica]] and [[philosophy|philosophical]] content. The Gor series repeatedly depicts men abducting and physically and sexually brutalizing women, who grow to enjoy their submissive state.  According to ''[[The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction]]'', Norman's "sexual philosophy" is "widely detested",<ref>{{Cite web |title=Norman, John |url=http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/norman_john |access-date=2017-05-09 |website=The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction  |language=en}}</ref> but the books have inspired a [[#Subculture|Gorean subculture]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gracen |first=Julia |title=Chain gang |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/05/18/gor/ |access-date=2017-05-09 |website=Salon|date=18 May 2000 }}</ref>

The series has been variously referred to by publishers with several names, including ''The Chronicles of Counter-Earth'' ([[Ballantine Books]]), ''The Saga of Tarl Cabot'' ([[DAW Books]]), ''Gorean Cycle'' ([[Tandem Books]]), ''Gorean Chronicles'' (Masquerade Books), ''Gorean Saga'' (Open Road Media) and ''The Counter-Earth Saga'' (DAW Books, for novels with a protagonist other than Tarl Cabot).

== Background ==
[[File:Gor-map-simplified.svg|thumb|Simplified map of known Gor]]

In an interview with the [[speculative fiction]] anthology ''[[Polygraff]]'',<ref name="PolygraffInterview">{{Cite news |date=2010 |title=An Exclusive Interview With John Norman, Author of the Gor Series of Novels |volume=1 |pages=47–53 |work=[[Polygraff]] |publisher=Polymancer Studios |issue=2 |location=Montreal |url=https://www.scribd.com/doc/41530641/Polygraff-Magazine |access-date=2010-12-15 |issn=1918-655X}}</ref> John Norman spoke at length about the creation of the Gor universe and his influences.

<blockquote><poem>The [[Counter-Earth]], or ''[[Antichthon (hypothetical planet)|Antichthon]]'', is from Greek cosmology. Speculation on such a world, you see, is ancient. One of the premises of the Gorean series is that a race of aliens, whom we might speak of as the Priest-Kings, have a technology at their disposal compared to which ours would be something like that in the Bronze Age.<ref>{{Cite web |title=John Norman, the philosophy professor who created the barbaric world of Gor |url=https://gizmodo.com/john-norman-the-philosophy-professor-who-created-the-b-5783833 |access-date=2022-01-08 |website=Gizmodo |date=22 March 2011 |language=en-us}}</ref>

I think, pretty clearly, the three major influences on my work are [[Homer]], [[Sigmund Freud|Freud]], and [[Friedrich Nietzsche|Nietzsche]]. Interestingly, however obvious this influence might be, few, if any, critics, commentators, or such, have called attention to it.</poem></blockquote>

In the same interview, he said "one of the pleasures of writing science fiction is the development of, and characterization of, alien life forms".

== Setting ==

Gor is described as a [[Planetary habitability|habitable planet]] in the [[Solar System]] that shares the same orbit as [[Earth]], but it is [[Counter-Earth|linearly opposed to Earth]] and consequently always hidden by the [[Sun]], making direct observation of it from Earth impossible. The flora, fauna and customs of Gor are intricately detailed. Norman populates his planet with the equivalents of [[Ancient Rome|Roman]], [[Ancient Greece|Greek]], [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]], [[Viking]], [[Inuit]] and other cultures. In the novels, these various population groups are transplants from Earth brought there by spacecraft through the behind-the-scenes rulers of Gor, the Priest-Kings, an extraterrestrial species of [[insect]]oid appearance. The Gorean humans are permitted advanced architectural, agricultural and medical skills (including life extension), but are forced to remain primitive in the fields of transportation, communication and weaponry (at approximately the level of Classical Mediterranean civilization) due to restrictions on technology imposed by the Priest-Kings. The most advanced form of transportation is the riding of large predatory birds called ''tarns'' by masterful men known as ''tarnsmen''. The limitation of technology is imposed to ensure the safety of both the Priest-Kings and the other indigenous and transplanted beings on Gor, who would otherwise possibly come to harm due to the humans' belligerent tendencies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cultures |url=http://www.worldofgor.com/reference.aspx?rpID=9 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080424084718/http://www.worldofgor.com/reference.aspx?rpID=9 |archive-date=2008-04-24 |access-date=2009-03-27 |publisher=World of Gor}}</ref>

The planet Gor has lower gravity than the Earth (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 that 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 "northern civilized cities of known Gor" (which resemble ancient [[Greco-Roman world|Greco-Roman]] [[City-state|city-states]] in many respects), and a widely spoken ''[[lingua franca]]'' in many other areas.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Places |url=http://www.worldofgor.com/reference.aspx?rpID=12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081227220134/http://www.worldofgor.com/reference.aspx?rpID=12 |archive-date=2008-12-27 |access-date=2009-03-27 |publisher=World of Gor}}</ref>

[[File:Kajira-kef.svg|thumb|right|100px|The Gorean [[Kajira]] "kef" symbol]]

== 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, the largest city in known Gor, has resemblances to the ancient city of [[Rome]], and its land empire is opposed by the sea-power of the island of Cos.

The series is an overlapping of [[planetary romance]] and [[sword and planet]]. The first book, ''Tarnsman of Gor'', opens with scenes reminiscent of scenes in the first book of the [[Barsoom]] series by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]; 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 story 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 the non-human Priest-Kings and the Kurii (another alien race) to control Gor and Earth.

[[File:Bosk-Port-Kar-ship-flag-Norman-Gor.svg|200px|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, as he engages in adventures involving Priest-Kings, Kurii, and humans. Books 7, 11, 19, 22, 26, 27, 31, 34 and parts of 32 are narrated by abducted Earth women who are made into slaves. Books 14, 15, and 16 are narrated by male abductee Jason Marshall. Book 28 is narrated by an unknown Kur, but features Tarl Cabot. Book 30 and parts of 32 are narrated by three Gorean men: a mariner, a scribe and a merchant/slaver.

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 spacefarers from foreign star systems. The Priest-Kings rule Gor as 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 both Gor and Earth. The power of the Priest-Kings is diminished after the "Nest War" described in the third book and the Priest-Kings and Kurii struggle against each other via their respective human agents and spies.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Annals of Gor |url=http://www.moonproductions.com/Fantasy/Gor/annalsmain.html |access-date=2009-03-27 |publisher=Moonproductions.com}}</ref>

Early entries in the series were plot-driven [[space opera]] adventures, but later entries grew more philosophical and sexual. Many subplots run the course of several books and tie back to the main plot in later books. Some of these plots begin in the first book, but most are underway in the first 10 books.

== Publication ==

[[DAW Books]], which published the Gor series from the 8th volume (''Hunters of Gor'') through the 25th volume (''Magicians of Gor''), subsequently decided to cease publication of the books, citing low sales;<ref name="kink" /> Norman attributes the decision to [[Feminism|feminist]] influences, saying in 1996:

<blockquote>''Tarnsman of Gor'' was published in late 1966. It has been reprinted 22 times... I have recently signed contracts for fresh French and German sales, and have recently been published for the first time in Czechoslovakia. There have been recent Spanish and Italian sales. There's no evidence that my books no longer sell... After DAW refused to buy any more Gor books, I sold a three-part Telnarian series to Brian Thomsen of Warner Books. The first book, ''The Chieftain'', had a 67 percent [[sell-through]]. The second, ''The Captain'', had a 91 percent sell-through, which is the sort of thing that would make [[Stephen King]] rush over to shake your hand... Brian Thomsen, my Warner editor for the Telnarian series... was replaced by an editor from one of the blacklisting presses, one that ''explicitly'' informed my agent they would not consider anything by John Norman. That new editor canceled the series despite its success and without waiting to see how the third book, ''The King'', would do. That way things are made nicely clear...</blockquote>

<blockquote>Unfortunately for me, only about seven or eight publishing houses maintain a mass-market paperback line in science fiction and fantasy; this small, {{sic|hide=y|closely|-}}knit group effectively controls the market. With such a group, a blacklist need not be an explicit, formal written or oral agreement subscribed to by a gathered cabal pledged to secrecy. It is an understanding that a certain individual is to be ostracized, excluded, methodologically overlooked or such.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Smith |first=David Alexander |date=April 1996 |title=No More Gor: A Conversation with John Norman |work=The New York Review of Science Fiction |issue=92}}</ref></blockquote>

Starting in 2001, John Norman's books were published by E-Reads as [[ebooks]] and print copies. According to their website, "they are among E-Reads' biggest sellers".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Are John Norman's Gors 'Boy-Books'? |url=http://ereads.com/2007/10/are-john-normans-gors-boy-books-2.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121031111019/http://ereads.com/2007/10/are-john-normans-gors-boy-books-2.html |archive-date=2012-10-31 |access-date=2013-01-26 |publisher=E-Reads}}</ref> [[Open Road Integrated Media]] acquired E-Reads in 2014.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milliot |first=Jim |title=Open Road Acquires E-Reads |url=https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/industry-deals/article/60992-open-road-acquires-e-reads.html |website=Publishers Weekly}}</ref>

=== Bibliography ===

{| class="wikitable sortable"
!#
!Title
!Year
!Narrator(s)
!Publisher
!ISBN
|-
|1
|''Tarnsman of Gor''
|1966
| rowspan="6" |Tarl Cabot
| rowspan="6" |[[Ballantine Books]]
|{{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|0-7592-5445-1}}
|-
|5
|''Assassin of Gor''
|1970
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0091-2}}
|-
|6
|''Raiders of Gor''
|1971
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0153-6}}
|-
|7
|''Captive of Gor''
|1972
|Elinor Brinton
| rowspan="19" |[[DAW Books]]
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0105-6}}
|-
|8
|''Hunters of Gor''
|1974
| rowspan="3" |Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0130-7}}
|-
|9
|''Marauders of Gor''
|1975
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0141-2}}
|-
|10
|''Tribesmen of Gor''
|1976
|{{ISBN|0-7592-5446-X}}
|-
|11
|''Slave Girl of Gor''
|1977
|Judy Thornton
|{{ISBN|0-7592-0454-3}}
|-
|12
|''Beasts of Gor''
|1978
| rowspan="2" |Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1125-6}}
|-
|13
|''Explorers of Gor''
|1979
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1167-1}}
|-
|14
|''Fighting Slave of Gor''
|1980
| rowspan="3" |Jason Marshall
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1173-6}}
|-
|15
|''Rogue of Gor''
| rowspan="2" |1981
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1179-5}}
|-
|16
|''Guardsman of Gor''
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1368-2}}
|-
|17
|''Savages of Gor''
| rowspan="2" |1982
| rowspan="2" |Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1374-7}}
|-
|18
|''Blood Brothers of Gor''
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1380-1}}
|-
|19
|''Kajira of Gor''
|1983
|Tiffany Collins
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1926-5}}
|-
|20
|''Players of Gor''
|1984
| rowspan="2" |Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1932-X}}
|-
|21
|''Mercenaries of Gor''
| rowspan="2" |1985
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1944-3}}
|-
|22
|''Dancer of Gor''
|Doreen Williamson
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1950-8}}
|-
|23
|''Renegades of Gor''
|1986
| rowspan="3" |Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1956-7}}
|-
|24
|''Vagabonds of Gor''
|1987
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1980-X}}
|-
|25
|''Magicians of Gor''
|1988
|{{ISBN|0-7592-1986-9}}
|-
|26
|''Witness of Gor''
|2001
|Janice
| rowspan="8" |E-Reads
|{{ISBN|0-7592-4235-6}}
|-
|27
|''Prize of Gor''
|2008
|Ellen
|{{ISBN|0-7592-4580-0}}
|-
|28
|''Kur of Gor''
|2009
|An unnamed Kur
|{{ISBN|0-7592-9782-7}}
|-
|29
|''Swordsmen of Gor''
|2010
|Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|1-6175-6040-5}}
|-
|30
|''Mariners of Gor''
|2011
|A mariner
|{{ISBN|0-7592-9989-7}}
|-
|31
|''Conspirators of Gor''
| rowspan="2" |2012
|Allison Ashton-Baker
|{{ISBN|1-6175-6731-0}}
|-
|32
|''Smugglers of Gor''
|Margaret Alyssa Cameron, <br>a scribe, and a merchant/slaver
|{{ISBN|1-6175-6865-1}}
|-
|33
|''Rebels of Gor''
|2013
|Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN|1-6175-6123-1}}
|-
|34
|''Plunder of Gor''
|2016
|Phyllis
| rowspan="5" |[[Open Road Integrated Media|Open Road]]
|{{ISBN|1-5040-3406-6}}
|-
|35
|''Quarry of Gor''
|2019
|Margaret Henderson
|{{ISBN|1-5040-5831-3}}
|-
|36
|''Avengers of Gor''
|2021
| rowspan="2" | Tarl Cabot
|{{ISBN| 1-5040-6714-2}}
|-
|37
|''Warriors of Gor''
|2022
|{{ISBN| 1-5040-7672-9}}
|-
|38
|''Treasure of Gor''
|2024
|Agnes Morrison Atherton
|{{ISBN| 1-5040-8949-9}}
|}

== Adaptations ==

Two films have been made, [[Gor (film)|''Gor'']] in 1987<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q5584335|title=Gor (1987)}}</ref> and ''[[Outlaw of Gor]]'' in 1989<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q3145200|title=Outlaw of Gor (1989)}}</ref> (also known as ''Outlaw'').

While not officially connected to John Norman's work, ''[[Fencer of Minerva]]'' is a Japanese animated series containing many of the elements and ideas discussed in Gorean philosophy.<ref>{{IMDb title|qid=Q5442997|title=Minerva no kenshi (1994) (V)}}</ref>

During the mid-1990s, an attempt was made to publish an authorized [[graphic novel]] adaptation of the Gor series under [[Vision Entertainment]]. The project collapsed under a combination of financial issues and the nature of the imagery, which violated [[Censorship in Canada|Canadian law]], where the printer was located.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Marrus |title=Lightsurfing: Living Life in the Front of My Mouth 1992–2003 |date=2009 |publisher=Kissena Park Press |isbn=978-0-9768508-2-3 |pages=51–55, 67–70}}</ref>

A Gor region was established in the virtual world of ''[[Second Life]]'' in 2005, where users roleplay as characters based on the novels. In it, characters interact in standard Middle Age scenarios, combat, and sexual situations. By mid-2024, many more regions had been added, and there is a body of fans who continue to roleplay in the Gorean settings.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gorean-forums.com/|title=The Voice of Gor|access-date=2024-08-09}}</ref>

The Gor novels have inspired short fan fiction parodies freely available online{{Where?|date=August 2024}}, including "Houseplants of Gor"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Houseplants of Gor |url=https://mindstalk.net/houseplants.html |access-date=2025-03-07 |website=mindstalk.net}}</ref> and "Gay, Bejeweled, Nazi Bikers of Gor".<ref>{{Cite web |date=30 March 2006 |title=Gay, Bejeweled, Nazi Bikers of Gor. |url=https://threnodym.livejournal.com/229911.html |access-date=2025-10-20 |website=threnodym.livejournal.com |language=en-us}}</ref>

== Reception ==

The ''Gor'' novels have been criticized for their focus on relationships between [[Male dominance (BDSM)|dominant men]] and [[Female submission|submissive women]], the latter often in positions of slavery. ''[[The Encyclopedia of Fantasy]]'' has stated that the first several books are "passable exercises" of [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]]-style fiction while "later volumes degenerate into extremely sexist, sadomasochistic pornography involving the [[ritual humiliation]] of women, and as a result have caused widespread offence".<ref name="kink">{{Cite journal |last=Langford |first=David |date=1998 |title=The Kink in Space |url=http://ansible.co.uk/sfx/sfx039.html |journal=[[SFX (magazine)|SFX]] |publisher=[[Future Publishing]] |issue=39 |access-date=January 17, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Clute |first1=John |title=The Encyclopedia of Fantasy |title-link=The Encyclopedia of Fantasy |last2=Grant |first2=John |date=1999 |publisher=[[St. Martin's Griffin]] |isbn=0-312-19869-8 |location=[[New York City|New York]] |pages=692–693 |author-link=John Clute |author-link2=John Grant (science fiction writer)}}</ref> Science fiction/fantasy author [[Michael Moorcock]] has suggested that the ''Gor'' novels should be placed on the top shelves of bookstores, saying, "I'm not for censorship but I am for strategies which marginalize stuff that works to objectify women and suggests women enjoy being beaten."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Killjoy |first=Margaret |year=2009 |title=Mythmakers & Lawbreakers |url=http://www.tangledwilderness.org/pdfs/mmlb10-michael-web.pdf |publisher=AK Press |access-date=2011-01-18 |archive-date=2017-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170425055349/http://www.tangledwilderness.org/pdfs/mmlb10-michael-web.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Subculture ==
A [[fandom]] has developed based on the series.<ref name="BBC">{{Cite news |date=May 19, 2006 |title=Officers discover sex-slave cult |work=BBC News |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4996410.stm |access-date=August 18, 2010}}</ref><ref name="Guar">{{Cite news |last=Lewis |first=Paul |date=May 19, 2006 |title=Gor blimey! Subservient cult is unleashed on Darlington |work=The Guardian |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2006/may/19/britishidentity.uknews2 |access-date=August 18, 2010}}</ref> Gorean subculture developed independently of Norman's involvement, particularly starting as a fan network after the [[publishing house]]s ceased printing new paperback editions of the novels.  Fans allege that due to the controversy and pressure from [[feminist]] circles, the Gor books went [[Out-of-print book|out of print]] in the late 1980s<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 3, 2012 |title=John Norman - Libertarian |url=http://server.theadvocates.org/celebrities/john-norman.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120203163326/http://server.theadvocates.org/celebrities/john-norman.html |archive-date=February 3, 2012 }}</ref> (trade paperback and e-book sequel novels were subsequently published from 2001 to 2016). It does not have a uniform following but encompasses different groups of varying views and practices.

The Gorean subculture particularly focuses on the master-and-slave dynamic in sexual relationships and associated forms of [[female submission]] as portrayed in the novels. Therefore, although they are estimated to comprise less than 5% of the total female population on Gor,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Writings & Interview by Turians |url=https://turia.weebly.com/writings--interview-by-turians.html |website=Turia}}</ref> training and keeping a female slave (often known as a ''[[kajira]]'') is central to Gorean subculture. Formal slave training, slave positions, and commands, as well as slave attire and beautification, are practices central to the Gorean subculture.

Literalists, otherwise known as lifestylers, incorporate elements from the Gorean culture and gender roles in their daily lives<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Gorean "Lifestyle" ~ Gorean Living |url=http://www.goreanliving.com/lifestyle.php |website=www.goreanliving.com}}</ref> and some followers of an unofficial splinter group known as Kaotians who adhered to this approach were prosecuted for leading coercive sex cults.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2014 |title=The BSDM legacy of Gorean slaves |url=https://www.dailydot.com/irl/gor-gorean-slaves-history/ |website=The Daily Dot}}</ref> As opposed to literalists, the role players, divided into real-life [[sexual roleplay]]ers (engaged or not engaged in [[BDSM]] practices) and online [[role-playing game]]rs (present particularly in ''[[Second Life]]'')<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Bardzell |first1=Shaowen |author1-link=Shaowen Bardzell|last2=Odom |first2=William |date=August 2008 |title=The Experience of Embodied Space in Virtual Worlds: An Ethnography of a Second Life Community |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240696933 |journal=[[Space and Culture]] |publisher=[[SAGE Journals]] |volume=11 |issue=3 |pages=239–259 |doi=10.1177/1206331208319148 |s2cid=146711299 |issn=1206-3312 |lccn=99301909 |oclc=535496255 |via=[[ResearchGate]]|citeseerx=10.1.1.472.686 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Takeda |first1=Caroline |title=Gorean roleplay in ''Second Life'' |date=May 2013 |url=http://www.second-life-adventures.com/gorean-roleplay-in-second-life/}}</ref> are not necessarily committed to Gorean philosophy and ideals. 

Starting from the 1990s, the Gorean subculture has become attractive to a number of male teenagers through role-playing in chat rooms. The teenage role-playing Goreans who concealed many of their personal aspects such as age or lack of experience, thanks to anonymity, managed to appeal to a considerable number of married and middle-aged women as kajirae in role-playing contexts.<ref name=" makai" /> Such notoriety caused by this profile and related practices in the virtual Gorean community succeeded in creating disdain among both [[feminist]]s and the BDSM community.<ref name="makai">{{Cite book |last=Makai |first=Michael |title=Domination & Submission: The BDSM Relationship Handbook |date=2013}}</ref> Nevertheless, scholars have discussed the way that Gorean subculture groups on media such as Second Life and [[Internet Relay Chat]] have influenced the development of online role-playing and even the [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] genre.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last=Jøn |first=A. Asbjørn |date=2010 |title=The Development of MMORPG Culture and The Guild |url=https://journals.kvasirpublishing.com/af/article/view/270 |journal=Australian Folklore |volume=25 |issue= |pages=97–112 |access-date=November 13, 2015}}</ref>

Norman's non-fictional sex manual ''[[Imaginative Sex]]'' presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out in isolated scenes. He also recommends the use of symbolic substitutes, such as the sound of claps as a substitute for whippings and other physical punishments. [[Patrick Califia]] asserts that Norman was critical of the psychological and physical harm that non-stop BDSM slavery and corporal punishment might inflict.<ref>"No Fantasy, Please, We're Americans: A Foreword by a Feminist", introduction by [[Pat Califia]] to the 1997 edition of ''Imaginative Sex''</ref> However, such views of Norman are not part of the Gorean canon and debate on Gorean practices' relationship to BDSM, focusing on aspects such as [[Master/slave (BDSM)|Total Power Exchange]] and further complicated by the community's diverse nature, continue.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Scroll 83: Gor vs. BDSM |url=http://www.gor-now.net/delphius2002/id150.htm |website=www.gor-now.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Gor - a Subset of BDSM? No! but ~ Gorean Living |url=http://www.goreanliving.com/bdsm.html |website=www.goreanliving.com |access-date=2023-11-27 |archive-date=2021-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211207110720/http://www.goreanliving.com/bdsm.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> BDSM writer Michael Makai nevertheless asserts that Gorean fiction may be found responsible for shaping or otherwise popularizing many of today's established BDSM protocols and tenets.<ref name="makai" />

<gallery widths="200px" heights="200px">
File:The Gor Project 1 by mjranum stock.jpg|Model dressed as a ''[[kajira]]'' in a camisk with a simulated ''kef'' brand
File:Woman topless on leash at Folsom Street Fair 2012.jpg|[[Sexual roleplay]]er in a ''kajira'' pose at [[Folsom Street Fair]]. The woman is posing in an approximation to ''nadu'', the typical position of a "[[Kajira#Employment|pleasure slave]]".
File:Panthers Thentis.jpg|Gorean role-playing in ''[[Second Life]]''. Panther Girls (Gorean quasi-[[Amazons]]) from the Northern Forest, attending a meeting at the town hall of the city Thentis.
</gallery>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Novels}}
* {{Annotated link|BDSM in culture and media}}
* {{Annotated link|Dominance and submission}}
* {{Annotated link|Imaginative Sex|''Imaginative Sex''}}
* {{Annotated link|Master/slave (BDSM)}}
* {{Annotated link|Sex slave}}
* {{Annotated link|Story of O|''Story of O''}}
* {{Annotated link|Telnarian Histories|''Telnarian Histories''}}
* {{Annotated link|Time Slave|''Time Slave''}}

== References ==
{{refs}}

== External links ==
{{commonscat|Gor (novels)}}
* {{isfdb series|id=2570|title=Gor}}
* [http://gorchronicles.com/ John Norman's Chronicles of Gor], current semi-official site
* [http://www.gor-now.net/delphius2002/id47.htm List of Gorean animals]
* [https://vimeo.com/13389820 'The Last Days of Salernum' Second Life Gorean machinima.]
* [https://groups.google.com/group/alt.books.gor/msg/0966d352414b2ba2 "Kajira Hill"'s account of living a Gorean lifestyle]
* {{Cite web |last=Gracen |first=Julia |date=May 18, 2000 |title=Chain gang |url=http://www.salon.com/2000/05/18/gor/ |website=[[Salon (website)|Salon]]}}
* {{Cite web |title=Enzyklopädie von GOR |url=https://www.gorwiki.de/wiki/index.php?title=GorWiki:Über_GorWiki|access-date=2023-11-18}}

{{BDSM}}
{{Authority control}}

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