THE BOOKS OF JOHN NORMAN'S GOR SERIES The Gor books were written by Professor John Lange under the non de plume of John Norman, and were published in the United States between 1967 and 1988. They sold something like a million copies, making him a certified bestseller. They have been printed in at least four countries outside of the US, though not in their entirety (France, for instance, only published the first three, to my knowledge). Dr.Lange is still very much alive as of this writing, and I am told that he is busily working on the 26th book of the series to be published within the next year or so. This is reputedly due in part to a sudden influx of fan interest generated on the internet through our channels and websites. Professor Lange, I am told, studied both Ancient Earth Cultures and Psychology in college, specifically psychology as it relates to human sexuality. In addition to the Gor books he also wrote some other non-Gorean fiction, the books Time Slave and Ghost Dance, as well as a trilogy known as the Telnarian Histories. He also authored a nonfiction work entitled Imaginative Sex. There are some interesting rumors floating around out there regarding he and his work; one is that he was a Headmaster or instructor at an all-girl school at one time, another that not all of the Gor books (particularly the Jason Marshall books, books 14-16) were actually authored by him. He denies these rumors and dismisses them as rubbish. The Gor books, in their entirety, presently consist of 25 novels which are made up of roughly 9,300 single spaced pages of printed text. Averaging approximately 300 words per page, this stacks up to about 2.8 million words. In comparison, the standard King James edition of the Holy Bible contains roughly 1400 pages, and averages 500 words per page for a total of around 700,000 words, making the Gor books roughly four times the length of the Bible. My usage of the Bible as a reference here in relation to the 2.8 million words of the Gor books makes a certain amount of sense, because, GOD HELP ME, I've read'em all. Several times, in point of fact. When one considers the sheer amount of work published, John Norman is one of the most prolific authors of the decades in which he was published. Not as prolific or as widely read, or accepted, as, say, Stephen King; but right up there with Tom Clancy, Scott Turow, David Eddings, and Terry Brooks, all authors of lengthy fiction series. As of this writing, the first seven Gor books have been reprinted by Masquerade Books, and can be found in the social sciences or erotic fiction section of such bookstores as Borders Books and MediaPlay (which is rather strange, when one considers that the first seven Gor books are more science fiction/fantasy than erotic anything). The rest of the series remains out of print, though Vision Entertainment, the guys who are planning to market graphical renditions of them in Gor Magazine, eventually plan to republish at least the last six, plus Norman's new installment, Witness of Gor. One can find old copies of the series rather easily in used bookstores or through Amazon.com on the internet, though books 21-25 were not given as long a print run as the earlier ones, and are more difficult to locate. The first seven books were originally published by Ballantine, and were reprinted in new editions in the early 1980's. DAW books took over after book 7 and faithfully published each successive volume right up until the publishing field put the squeeze on Norman's politically-incorrect subject matter in 1988 and shut him down. With any luck, Vision will have the 26th novel out in bookstores sometime in 1999, eleven years after his last Gor book was published and thirty-three years after the first one saw print. 1. Tarnsman of Gor This is the book which first introduces us to Tarl Cabot, the primary protagonist of the series, and explains the nature of the Counter-Earth Gor. A real good old fashioned action novel, it jumps from situation to situation so fast the reader barely has time to catch his breath before Tarl is plunged into yet another deadly confrontation. Tarl winds up in a duel to the death to save the life of Talena, his love interest and the daughter of his deadliest enemy. Norman's plot devices plainly reveal shades of Edgar Rice Burroughs. All in all, a great beginning to the series. It seems ironic to me that, in the back cover of the first Ballantine edition print of Tarnsman I own, that Norman's name is listed quite prominently with the other writers of Ballantine's 1966 fantasy stable such as Ray Bradbury, Fritz Leiber, Larry Niven, and Arthur C. Clarke. The back of the book jacket even says, in the words of his Ballantine editors: "We predict that the name of John Norman will one day be known among the best." Thirty-two years later Norman's work is widely scoffed at by the traditional SF/Fantasy crowd because of the sexuality and delicate subject matter of his work, and he has been blacklisted by the publishing industry since the last book went to print in 1988. Even now, when he is so close to seeing the 26th book finally appear in print, there are forces in the publishing world working to block him from doing so. Meanwhile, Harold Robbins and Jackie Collins have topped the bestseller lists for years. I suppose sex is okay in a novel, provided the dreaded word "slavery" isn't used. Too weird. 2. Outlaw of Gor This book brings us once again to Gor, this time for good. Tarl returns from Earth at the start of this one, and stays there for the rest of the series. In it we learn what has occurred on Gor during the past seven years, and catch up on what we've missed. Upon arriving back on the Counter-Earth, our hero discovers that his home city has run into a bit of trouble, courtesy of the godlike Priest-Kings of Gor. Setting out to confront the Priest-Kings, Tarl wanders into the city of Tharna, which, he discovers, is female-owned and operated. Not only that, but they have the nasty habit of enslaving everyone who visits them and forcing them to toil away in their silver mines. Tarl gamely does this, makes some new friends, busts them all out of the pokey and begins a revolution in the city. At the end of the book, the men are back in charge (and rightly so! grunt grunt) and Tarl says goodbye to his latest girlfriend, Lara, and sets out toward the forboding Sardar mountains, home of the fabled Priest-Kings, to kick a little alien butt. 3. Priest-Kings of Gor Tarl goes after the dreaded Priest-Kings of Gor to get even with them for what they did to his home city, Ko-ro-ba. This one is a bit heavier on the hard science fiction elements, and a bit less action-packed, at least until the end. The love interest, Vika of Treve, is pretty much an unrepentant bitch for much of the book. The Priest-Kings, however, are fascinating creatures, and Tarl befriends one and helps him wage a war against "those who would bring ruin down upon the nest." Gravity gets a bit out of whack on the planet for awhile, but Tarl and his compadres soon fix that. 4. Nomads of Gor Tarl goes to work in the service of Priest-Kings, becoming a "secret agent," and visits the grasslands of the distant southern hemisphere. Widely regarded as one of the best books of the series, this one introduces us to the nomadic Wagon Peoples of Gor. Lots of action, with a new addition: humor. Norman reveals himself in this one to have a rather wry wit, and he applies it to good effect. You can't read this one without wanting to be a Tuchuk, or, if you are a female reader, wondering what it would be like to live in the collar of one. Also, this book introduces a new love interest for Tarl: Elizabeth Cardwell, or, as she comes to be called, Vella of Gor. 5. Assassin of Gor Tarl goes to the big city! This book brings us back to glorious Ar, center of Gorean civilization, for the first time since Tarnsman. We learn quite a bit about the doings of professional slavers, also, and how slave-training houses are run. Lots of action, some gladitorial combats and tarn races, and the requisite big finish. Plus we learn a lot more about Kaissa, or Gorean chess. This book also introduces the Kurii, an alien race out to swipe Gor from the Priest-Kings. 6. Raiders of Gor Secret agent Tarl plunges into the marshlands of the Vosk Delta, and winds up with egg on his face. We meet the Rencers, the inhabitants of the great marsh, and so does he, to his dismay. This is the first time that we see Tarl less as a classic, chiseled fantasy hero and more as a human being with faults and foibles. Norman shows us the darker side of Gorean slavery which Tarl experiences, much to his chagrin. He winds up leaving the service of Priest-Kings and running off to become a pirate on Thassa, choosing decadent, squalid Port Kar as his new home. Everything you ever wanted to know about Gorean ships, sailing, and ocean battles is in this one. Plus, Tarl gets a new love interest: out Vella, in Telima. And Tarl acquires some new companions. One of my personal favorite books, it's Gor at its most savage and unpredictable. Tarl wins, of course. 7. Captive of Gor The first of the infamous "slave books," which gives us a firsthand view of Gorean slavery through the eyes of its protagonist, the incredibly snotty and bitchy Elinor Brinton. This one introduces us to the Panther Girls, tribes of wild free women who hole up in the unexplored forests and pounce on any unsuspecting males who happen along, and the leader of one tribe, Verna. We also learn what has become of Talena, Tarl's true love from the first book, who makes a brief cameo appearance. Meanwhile, Elinor is a gener...
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