The Gorean Sagas by John Norman

[RedCeltic]

I was curious if anyone has ever read The Gorean Sagas by John Norman There are about 31 or so books in the series all being published from the sixties up until this year and have titles such as Tarnsman of Gor or Outlaw of gor and so forth.

While it is rather trashy, poorly written science fiction / fantasy type stuff, it is deeply rooted in anti feminist and what I tend to think of as rather borderline fascist philosophy. The author explains it away as a tongue in cheek response to feminism of the sixties.

The series is based on a world called "gor" that is also called "counter earth" in which is in the same orbit as earth but on the opposite side of the sun. On this world, technology has been banned by an alien race called Priest Kings, who live unseen under a mountain while humans inhabit the world in a medieval type culture. Women, are mainly enslaved, as the natural state of women is considered to be submissive and the male dominant.

In fact, Norman goes into great detail throughout his novels about how all throughout nature males are the dominant species and females the submissive... and that it is only in humans that the female has been granted "equality" which hence has made both sexes unhappy because the female longs to be slave and the male Master.

The really weird thing, is that not only are these a set of books, but it is a lifestyle that some readers have taken upon themselves to follow... a sort of bdsm type of way of life. I have found it interesting to debate with adherents of this "lifestyle" on the true nature of human sexuality and the natural world.

[Os Cangaceiros]

In fact, Norman goes into great detail throughout his novels about how all throughout nature males are the dominant species and females the submissive... and that it is only in humans that the female has been granted "equality" which hence has made both sexes unhappy because the female longs to be slave and the male Master.

Not true! Female hyenas are just as vicious and domineering as male hyenas!

I've never actually read one of these books in it's entirety, but my great aunt had one of these books (for some reason) in her bookcase. I read some of it when I was 12 or 13 or so because I was intrigued by the cover (which featured some nubile female slave or something). There was another book there about sexual positions that had pictures of nekkid people in it, though, so I was more interested in that one and didn't read much of the Gor one. It was only later that I learned that those books are some kind of weird version of Dungeons&Dragons for people who are into S&M.

Having a girlfriend who can't even feed herself without meekly asking for your permission sounds like hell, though. Don't see the appeal.

[RedCeltic]

Not true! Female hyenas are just as vicious and domineering as male hyenas!
.

Bonobos are also a female domineering primate, unlike the chimp, and humans are just as related to them as the chimps.

In addition, since I majored in anthropology in college I could speak at length on how the more primitive a culture tends to be, the more egalitarian it is. As Engels pointed out in Origin of family , private property, and the state, it is only when we develop the concept of private property, is the work of caring for a family and household not considered valued in the collective economy. This would suggest that the more "Natural" state is for an egalitarian relationship as opposed to a male dominant one.

I had a mission to read all his books, god only knows why as they are rather dumb and he goes over the same crap over and over again. The stories are all written in first person as if it's a personal journal from gor that somehow found it's way to Earth.

I read about 19 of the books... and stopped about halfway through the 20th book (Player of gor) I admit that as an anthropologist (well just someone who has a BA in it ) I found the culture of it rather interesting... yes it is all rather like Dungeons and Dragons as far as the roleplaying. The women who found this interesting... all tended to be the type seeking strong dominant men.. while the men... lol... just seemed to be guys who thought it was an easy way to get women. Therefore the females were always on a never ending quest to find that one true MASTER and were constantly disappointed.