John Norman?

MorganM · 12-31-2011, 07:52 PM

Anyone read the Gor books by John Norman?

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 03:16 AM

The first three are actually OK, but after that the series descends into soft porn and bondage. I'd give it a miss if I were you - there are far better things to read.

Dr. Drib · 01-01-2012, 06:09 AM

If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs or Otis Adelbert Kline, then the first 3 (maybe 4) are wonderful reads.

The rest deal with bondage and torture and should be avoided, unless you like that sort of thing.

Don

MorganM · 01-01-2012, 06:20 AM

Thanks for the replies. Yeah the bondage and all that doesn't really interest me but I might give the first book a go.

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 06:24 AM

Oh well - you've been warned!

The first three books are basically a bad pastiche of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Far better to read the original, than the bad copy.

Dr. Drib · 01-01-2012, 11:54 AM

If you encounter them as a teenager, (as I did) and you've already experienced everything you can get your hands on by Burroughs, then in my opinion the first 3 (or 4) are wonderful reads.

I would categorize the rest as trash.

Don

ATDrake · 01-01-2012, 03:51 PM

If you're planning to buy-and-try, the best place to do so is probably Fictionwise, where you can take the price down considerably with a good coupon.

Also, obligatory linkage to the "Houseplants of Gor" parody, which according to people who've actually read the books is a fairly good representation of them.

Fun fact: There's an entire subculture devoted to recreating the Gorean principles for role-play/real-life relationships (link mostly safe-for-work as long as you don't auto-load videos, from an article posted to Norman's e-publisher's blog), which I am told is looked down upon by mainstream BDSM practitioners because of its lack of safe words.

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 04:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ATDrake

Also, obligatory linkage to the "Houseplants of Gor" parody, which according to people who've actually read the books is a fairly good representation of them.

I hadn't seen that before. Yes - that is an absolutely brilliant parody of the later Gor books, in which every woman's highest ambition is to be a sex slave.

MorganM · 01-01-2012, 04:55 PM

Quote:

Fun fact: There's an entire subculture devoted to recreating the Gorean principles for role-play/real-life relationships

There is a whole role play like the above on second life. Totally bizarre!

Lemurion · 01-01-2012, 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dr. Drib

If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs or Otis Adelbert Kline, then the first 3 (maybe 4) are wonderful reads.

The rest deal with bondage and torture and should be avoided, unless you like that sort of thing.

Don

I'd agree with this - I read the first few when I was in my mid-teens and enjoyed them at the time. (I'd read all the Burroughs and Kline I could find - and even Arnold's Gulliver of Mars.) It didn't take long for the series to grow stale, though.

Phogg · 01-01-2012, 05:34 PM

As said by nearly everyone, just pretend he only wrote three.

I was hoping for great tactical stories involving cavalry on flying birds and such, but the porn crap overshadowed the military adventure more and more as it went along.

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 06:00 PM

Exactly; I've read them all. Just for research, you understand. No other reason. Goodness me, no. They don't get any better.

ATDrake · 01-01-2012, 06:04 PM

So with only 3 decent books out of the 30 published thus far, it's a single-series example of Sturgeon's Law* in action? That seems rather sad.

* "90% of everything is crap." More or less.

HarryT · 01-01-2012, 06:13 PM

Are there 30 now? I seem to have missed a few.

ATDrake · 01-01-2012, 06:18 PM

When I went to do the links earlier, the e-publisher's blog was celebrating the release of the 30th with some interviews with Mr. Norman on the ideas and influences in the books.

If interested, you can find them by going to the 3rd link I posted upthread and clicking on the appropriate tag category at the end of the article.

12-31-2011, 07:52 PM	#1
MorganM Fanatic Posts: 563 Karma: 1089963 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra H2o	John Norman? Anyone read the Gor books by John Norman?

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01-01-2012, 03:16 AM	#2
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	The first three are actually OK, but after that the series descends into soft porn and bondage. I'd give it a miss if I were you - there are far better things to read.

01-01-2012, 06:09 AM	#3
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,437 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs or Otis Adelbert Kline, then the first 3 (maybe 4) are wonderful reads. The rest deal with bondage and torture and should be avoided, unless you like that sort of thing. Don

01-01-2012, 06:20 AM	#4
MorganM Fanatic Posts: 563 Karma: 1089963 Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Australia Device: Kobo Libra H2o	Thanks for the replies. Yeah the bondage and all that doesn't really interest me but I might give the first book a go.

01-01-2012, 06:24 AM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Oh well - you've been warned! The first three books are basically a bad pastiche of Edgar Rice Burroughs. Far better to read the original, than the bad copy.

01-01-2012, 11:54 AM	#6
Dr. Drib Grand Sorcerer Posts: 45,437 Karma: 59592133 Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Peru Device: KINDLE: Oasis 3, Scribe (1st), Matcha; KOBO: Libra 2, Libra Colour	If you encounter them as a teenager, (as I did) and you've already experienced everything you can get your hands on by Burroughs, then in my opinion the first 3 (or 4) are wonderful reads. I would categorize the rest as trash. Don

01-01-2012, 03:51 PM	#7
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	If you're planning to buy-and-try, the best place to do so is probably Fictionwise, where you can take the price down considerably with a good coupon. Also, obligatory linkage to the "Houseplants of Gor" parody, which according to people who've actually read the books is a fairly good representation of them. Fun fact: There's an entire subculture devoted to recreating the Gorean principles for role-play/real-life relationships (link mostly safe-for-work as long as you don't auto-load videos, from an article posted to Norman's e-publisher's blog), which I am told is looked down upon by mainstream BDSM practitioners because of its lack of safe words.

01-01-2012, 05:34 PM	#11
Phogg PHD in Horribleness Posts: 2,320 Karma: 23599604 Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: In the ironbound section, near avenue L Device: Just a whole bunch. I guess I am a collector now.	As said by nearly everyone, just pretend he only wrote three. I was hoping for great tactical stories involving cavalry on flying birds and such, but the porn crap overshadowed the military adventure more and more as it went along.

01-01-2012, 06:00 PM	#12
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Exactly; I've read them all. Just for research, you understand. No other reason. Goodness me, no. They don't get any better.

01-01-2012, 06:04 PM	#13
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	So with only 3 decent books out of the 30 published thus far, it's a single-series example of Sturgeon's Law* in action? That seems rather sad. * "90% of everything is crap." More or less.

01-01-2012, 06:13 PM	#14
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Are there 30 now? I seem to have missed a few.

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01-01-2012, 06:18 PM	#15
ATDrake Wizzard Posts: 11,517 Karma: 33048258 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Roundworld Device: Kindle 2 International, Sony PRS-T1, BlackBerry PlayBook, Acer Iconia	When I went to do the links earlier, the e-publisher's blog was celebrating the release of the 30th with some interviews with Mr. Norman on the ideas and influences in the books. If interested, you can find them by going to the 3rd link I posted upthread and clicking on the appropriate tag category at the end of the article.