#john norman

[manyworldspress]

Boris Vallejo, original cover artwork for Captive of Gor, by John Norman (Ballantine Books, 1976). Oil on board, 17 x 17.25 inches. __________________________________________________ Our shop: https://bookshop.org/shop/manyworldspress

[unspeakablearchives]

Just learned that author John Norman is still alive and appears to still be self-publishing sci-fi slave bondage smut in the Gorean Saga, even though he's in his 90s now.

The series is celebrating it's 60th anniversary this year.

Fukin legend tbh

[transistoradio]

Art by Boris Vallejo for John Norman, “Nomads of Gor” (Ballantine, 1976).

[le-tas-d-art]

Gor series artwork by Boris Vallejo

[gothpetgirl]

[victusinveritas]

The bit of Gor where they decide "No, fuck BDSM lite and all that garbage, let's see where this river goes (it goes to more BDSM lite garbage, Gorbage even). "

[vavuska]

The basic canvas used by John Norman to write the very deep dialogues between Tarl and his random female partner

"I'm your slave, Tarl Cabot!"

"Ehm, no. Thank you. Slavery is bad"

"No, I belong to you. You are my master"

"No, you are a free woman. Slavery is immoral"

...

"Ok, you are my slave"

Few pages after

"How dare you? I'm a free woman!"

"No, you are a Slave Girl! I'm your Master!"

"I love you, Tarl!"

I don't find the Gor novels controversial or antifeminist, because the main female partners are usually depicted as strong willed and smart. It's not even that disrespectful about women's autonomy, because the author gave to his male protagonist (Tarl Cabot, a human from modern-day Earth) a liberal and modern sensibility about slavery: Tarl is deeply against slavery and in every book I red so far, he frees slaves (in Outlaw of Gor he organizes a slave revolution against the oppressive matriarchal monarchy and also helped Lara, the former Queen, to develop a social consciousness and admitting the unfair parts of her city) and help oppressed women to become indipendent, self aware and express their true self. It's just a little paternalistic, but not misogynist. It's not even full of annoying sex scene as a person could think and sex is never described directly, at least in books I red so far. I think that Laurell K. Hamilton's sagas are more controversial and with more sex than actual plot. In the Gor novel there is a huge world-building and I love the way in which fantasy meets sci-fi novels.

[barbarosgirl]