Steve Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 I was browsing the web tonight and came across links to the Chronicles of Gor, which I confess to reading a few books from when I was in high school. Anyone else out there read them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeroGM Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor First two books, then I graduated to Conan and Theive's World. I know this sounds intolorant but I still can't belive people try to live that as a lifestyle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Rose Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor First two books, then I graduated to Conan and Theive's World. I know this sounds intolorant but I still can't belive people try to live that as a lifestyle As much as I try to be tolerant and curious about alternate lifestyles, there's something about that "lifestyle" that smells of "Woo hoo! I got me a couple co-dependent women to treat like crap!" Which is odd, since I certainly don't think that of BDSM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clab4950 Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor If you are talking about John Norman’s Gor series, then I have read 25 of the 26 books. They are not the best-written books but there are some good adventures in them. I admit though I tended to skim over parts of the books. The main character, Tarl Cabot, tended to ramble on about his views on women, the cultures he encountered and the warrior caste’s equipment. Still some of the best fight scenes I have read were in those books. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Care to look at HERO writeups for a Priest-King, a tarn and a sleen? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor What? No write-up for Tarl Cabot, the anti-hero? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Probably not by a woman, anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuckg Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor The first few 'Gor' books actually were viable fantasy yarns, and it was a fairly interesting world. Then the bad porno took over. What a waste. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor I finally broke through my reluctance and read Tarnsman of Gor a few weeks ago. Decent if not spectacular pulp fantasy. I still prefer Barsoom. Could make an OK gameworld if everyones on the same page... heck... I played in a rolemaster campaign once based off Corbins Den of Earth setting, so Gor isn't THAT weird. Lifestyle Goreans still tend to make me either chuckle or wince, and I AM involved in the BDSM scene. The big problem with the Goreans is that a lot of them are really fanatical, and often get a bit whacked when trying to explain or defend their lifetyle. Its not unlike getting trapped for hours at a party while a WW Vampire LARPer tells you about his character. Honestly, for fans of the book, genre and lifestyle, I could see a "Gorean" weekend as a fun, highly adult LARP of sorts itself... but to do as more than a character role you put on for a couple of days wouldn't be my cup of tea. Maybe I only say that because I've been fighting at faire so many years so I could just start whacking other players and collecting their kajirae Might even be worth putting the polish back on my fighting skills Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor It's always better to have your fighting skills polished, regardless. One of the great advantages of combat LARP: possibly the only exercise I don't balk at doing, because it involves wacking people over the skull. The closest I've come to BDSM fantasy lit is the agiel from Goodkind's Wizard's First Rule, possibly one of the worst written, but somehow engrossing books I've ever read. Never rationalized that one properly. ~DEM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 16, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Would you call Gor stories Fantasy genre or Pulp genre? The first book reminded me a lot of John Carter that I can recall, so maybe it is more Pulp than Fantasy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keithcurtis Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Pulp fantasy? I read the first 5-6. and then got tired of them. The only one I read twice was the Priest Kings. Keith "ERB was a far more inspiring read" Curtis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor How about "misogynist pulp fantasy"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor What? No write-up for Tarl Cabot' date=' the anti-hero? [/quote'] I wasn't writing them up, just hosting them! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor I wasn't writing them up' date=' just hosting them![/quote'] A feeble excuse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor How about "misogynist pulp fantasy"? I'd prefer "sick mysogynist sick fantasy (warning: sick)." I read part of one, once. I ritually burned it, to rid my life and home of its sicknesses. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted November 17, 2005 Report Share Posted November 17, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Okay. So I'll take that off of my reading list then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted November 19, 2005 Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor I've never run across Gor before. What's the deal with it, anyway? Can someone explain a little bit of the details? Like for instance, what's the misogyny-BDSM thing all about? Somekind of unique fantasy socio-cultural trait? Are women slaves? And what kind of tech-level does the setting have? Guns? Blasters? Psionics? Robots? I'm curious, because the major HERO project I'm working on, is a 'Sword and Planet' kind of sci-fantasy, and I need source inspiration. I've read a half-dozen Edgar Rice Borroughs books, (Barsoom, Amtor, Pelucidar), but though decent, they lack that element of realism I look for. ~ Mister E Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Posted November 19, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor All I can recall of the stories is that they took place on an Earthlike world called Gor that orbits in Earth's orbit, only on the far side of the sun. The technology of the humans there is maintained at an iron age level due to the influence of these alien overseers called priest-kings. The main character, Tarl Cabot, is an earthman who gets transported/kidnapped to Gor. Women are basically slaves there. That's all I recall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor I've never run across Gor before. What's the deal with it, anyway? Can someone explain a little bit of the details? Like for instance, what's the misogyny-BDSM thing all about? Somekind of unique fantasy socio-cultural trait? Are women slaves? And what kind of tech-level does the setting have? Guns? Blasters? Psionics? Robots? I'm curious, because the major HERO project I'm working on, is a 'Sword and Planet' kind of sci-fantasy, and I need source inspiration. I've read a half-dozen Edgar Rice Borroughs books, (Barsoom, Amtor, Pelucidar), but though decent, they lack that element of realism I look for. ~ Mister E If you are looking for more realisim than ERB, don't go looking at Gor. It's pretty much on par with the Barsoom books tech wise. The essential idea behind Gor lies in two philisophical points... "Might makes Right", and "Women are only truly happy when Submitting to the Dominance of Men (Strong men, specfically)". As an example from the first book... Our Hero, while on a mission, takes a highborn free woman (the daughter of a rival city's Lord) captive. She repeatedly belittles and betrays him, tries to kill him, etc... until he finally strips her naked. dresses her in slaves rags, makes her service him, and drags her around in chains. Then she falls in love with him. After that, he tries to give her back some of her freedom and dignity.. so she betrays him again. He finally wins her heart for good by going through the "proper" motions by stripping her naked and parading her around in front of the citizens of her fathers former city, after helping overthrow it, thus proving to her that he is her master. having only read one of the books, I can't say for certain how they progress, but if you want to read more aboput the philosophy, google Gor, Gorean, or kajira and you'll get more stuff to read than you could possibly want. Most of it pretty... ahem... fringe. Largely because I've spent so much time in the BDSM community, I can see the appeal to the fantasy, as a form of roleplaying, but I honestly cannot comprehend how anyone could try and actually structure their lives around this particular philosophy. Its similar to the philospohy of the Holnists (may they burn in hell) from The Postman, and might make an interesting setting for an evil culture... but trying to portray it as "the right way" is where the Gor books gain such ridicule from. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Thanks for the info, guys. Largely because I've spent so much time in the BDSM community, I can see the appeal to the fantasy, as a form of roleplaying, but I honestly cannot comprehend how anyone could try and actually structure their lives around this particular philosophy. Its similar to the philospohy of the Holnists (may they burn in hell) from The Postman, and might make an interesting setting for an evil culture... but trying to portray it as "the right way" is where the Gor books gain such ridicule from. Am I to gather that people are doing this Gorean stuff for real? Like, in the real world? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Thanks for the info, guys. Am I to gather that people are doing this Gorean stuff for real? Like, in the real world? Yeah. In the "mainstream" BDSM scene (how's that for an oxymoron ) they are usually veiwed with about the same amount of respect as furverts and plushies. That is to say, better than pedophiles or any other criminal scum, but it's a kink that even other open minded kinksters have a heard time really seeing as anything other than dysfunctional. I got into studing it a bit 'cause I was hoping to tap into the market (as I do cool fantasy fetish stuff, and the Gorean community is sufficiently fringe that they don't have a lot of vendors who cater to them) but I wasn't really able to come up with much... Among other things "proper" Kajirae don't wear leather. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lucius Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Chronicles of Gor For what it's worth, the "online Gorean" world is not necessarily that bound (pardon the expression) to the books. Many of them have never SEEN the books. Much online Gor is, if anything, probably even more disconnected from reality than the Gor books - and they start off as Edgar Rice Burroughs ripoffs. And some of it is so badly written.....so badly written I'm at a loss for a metaphor to say how bad it is. As an example: several characters are trekking through a jungle, including two slaves referred to only as "the blond girl" and "the other blond girl." Eventually, only the blond girl is mentioned. It's never said what happens to the other blond girl. Maybe she was eaten by a panther but that wasn't important enough to mention. I won't say there's nothing to be said for them, but for most people it's probably not worth it to read them. How did we get on this topic anyway? Lucius Alexander The palindromedary points out that if you rearrange the letters of his name it spells "I cure sexual land." Say what? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister E Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Okay, after hanging around the HERO Boards, I've figured out what a furvert is... but what's a plushie? And "Kajirae"... is that what they call the specific slave class of women? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 20, 2005 Report Share Posted November 20, 2005 Re: Chronicles of Gor Okay' date=' after hanging around the HERO Boards, I've figured out what a furvert is... but what's a plushie? And "Kajirae"... is that what they call the specific slave class of women?[/quote'] Right.. Furverts are the kind of furries who do things in their fursuits. (as you guessed) Plushies really LOVE their stuffed animals *ugh* And yep, kajirae are the slave class of women on Gor (kajira singular). Which are most of them. They have differences between various versions, like servants, pleasure slaves etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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