What is Gor?
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A basic discussion as to what constitutes "Gor" and "Gorean"!
The answer to these questions have been endlessly debated online and still there is confusion and disagreement. There are many answers to these questions, some simple and some complex. The answers will also vary based on your own perceptions and viewpoints. In different context, your definition may also vary. The answers are important to anyone who truly desires to understand Gor, live according to the Gorean philosophies, or even role play by the books. I'm not going to try to provide definitive answers in this essay. I'm only going to provide an overview and some guidance to the relevant issues surrounding the answers to these questions.
The simple answer is that Gor, also known as the Counter-Earth, is a fictitious planet that is supposed to be in the same orbit as Earth, but on the opposite side of the Sun. Thus, a Gorean is simply a person born on the world of Gor. Gor is a barbaric world, ruled by steel and concerned with honor. It is primarily a male dominated world where slavery is an ancient and universally accepted institution. The overseers of Gor, the Priest- Kings, are technologically advanced aliens who monitor and protect Gor. The Priest-Kings have transported numerous people from Earth to Gor over a period of thousands of years. They have also restricted Goreans from using many forms of technology but have allowed them to excel in a few limited areas where their technology even surpasses that of Earth. For example, Gorean Physicians have created the Stabilization Serums, a cure for aging. Such a cure would be priceless on Earth. But when someone online says that they are Gorean, or are acting Gorean, they do not mean that they were actually born on Gor. They are basically stating that they are acting as a person would act who was born on Gor, that they are acting within the customs and conventions of Gorean culture and society. Some of these Goreans may only engage in role-play. Some may introduce elements of Gor into their lifestyle. And some may even do both. And their definitions of what it means to be Gorean will differ, sometimes drastically. The world of Gor is detailed in a series of best-selling books written by John Norman. Norman is a pseudonym for John Lange, a university philosophy professor. The more complex answers concerned with defining Gor involve an examination and analysis of the entire series and distilling what is and is not Gorean. No small task indeed. This then raises even more questions. Many people claim to know Gor well yet how many of them actually do? What does it take to know Gor well? How does a newcomer learn about Gor? If you wish to role-play and wish to remain true to the novels, what is and is not permitted? How do you make decisions on the ambiguity within Gor? What aspects of Gor can be used in one's life? What are the tenets of Gorean philosophy?