What is Gor

Gor is a continent in science fiction. Many may wish it did not exist, but it is there.

It is not hard to find, really. Just look for a world that lies a thousand degrees north of monothink, a thousand degrees east of orthodoxy, a thousand degrees west of ideological conformity, a continent far from the placid waters of predictable mediocrity, a different world, one real, one like no other, one beyond the familiar world’s horizon, one emergent from far, tumultuous, untamed seas, a world alert to deep currents, which listens to secret whispers, which wears stars in her hair.

The maps of ideologically servile cartographers may choose not to show the Gorean world, but it is there, a wonderful, forbidden continent. Some of you know her, and have been there.
---John. Norman, Dec. 2000

The customs, terminology and imagery depicted in these books has inspired a related subculture. On- and off-line followers of this lifestyle are called Goreans.

GOR IS... a series of science-fiction novels written by John Norman.
GOR IS... a word that means "Home Stone."
GOR IS... a Counter-Earth, hidden on the other side of our Sun.
GOR IS... a primitive world in many respects but possessing certain technologies even more advanced than Earth.
GOR IS... a world ruled by the mysterious Priest-Kings, the gods of Gor.
GOR IS... a world that tries to live in accordance with nature.
GOR IS... a world of honor and savagery, of Castes and slaves, of Warriors and Peasants.
GOR IS... isn't all about sex or demeaning someone nor is it a hate filled philosophy for "the fun of it" there are many underlying themes that are rarely seen or spoken of.
GOR IS... a lifestyle that is highly misunderstood by most and thought of badly by many.
GOR IS... so many different things.

The world of Gor is delineated in a series of twenty-seven novels written by John Norman. The long awaited 27th novel of Gor, Prize of Gor, was published in November 2008 and at least one other new volume, Kur of Gor, will eventually see publication. Most of the books aren't easy to find. They can all be downloaded at times for a fee or at certain places for free. Many if not all can be found online at sites auction sites and other places that may sell older used books. Prices for those will very depending on the seller and/or the condition of the books.

Due to the scarcity of many of the novels, people who would like to learn about Gor have some obstacles to overcome. If they cannot obtain the books, they must seek elsewhere for information about Gor. A number of these interested individuals seek to learn through the various Gorean web sites online. Sadly, many of those sites are rife with inaccuracies, distortions and myths. I hope with having read them that I can give some truth about Gor and being Gorean. As well as those that just wish to learn about it and perhaps just those that wish to know about it for the purposes of role play.

I'll admit here and now that I am not any final or total authority on the subject. However I will do my very best to address any and all things that the books address as well as answer any and all questions I'm able to to the best of my ability and knowledge. It's my hope to have some that don't know about Gor come to understand it and those that may have been misinformed come to have a much better and truer understanding of what Gor actually is.

While all the I base everything I plan to write from the actual readings of the novels. Some of it will be my interpretations and perhaps some speculation. All of which is still based on reading the books that were written by John Norman the author of the books of Gor.

The information in these discussion comes primarily from Norman's novels. Some of is the my own thoughts of my own opinions but it is always based on information from the books. You should be able to easily recognize when I am speculating on an issue. If you feel I've made an error, I would be pleased to hear about it. Either publicly or privately.

I don't use a lot of book and page references. That would be more of a distraction then a help. I hope to put a lot of time into this as I feel it's important to give as true a view of what Gor and the Gorean philosophies are. I wish to make these as easy to read and understand as possible as that will certainly go a long way in having more understanding the things that are part of Gor. The discussions here are meant to give insight and help teach about Gor and the Gorean lifestyle. They aren't in any real way a substitute for reading the actual books. Though hopefully they will give enough accurate information to help those that wish to learn and put into some sort of practice what they need to know to do so.

If there are any questions or things you would like to see written about specifically please feel free to leave a comment on my main page or a private message to me and I'll be more then pleased to do so. The more information all of us have that we wish to actually know the better off everyone will be for having had access to it.

Please try to remember there is no substitute for reading the books themselves. They are the original source and I cannot be recommended reading them if possible for yourself enough.