Gorean

science fiction novels by John Norman

In the most general use of the word, Gorean means anything characteristic of the Gor science fiction novels by John Norman. In these novels, the word “Gorean” is used to refer to the fictional counter-earth, to its inhabitants and social customs, and to the particular language which is the most widely-spoken lingua franca in the known inhabited regions of Gor (though other languages are also spoken on the planet). As applied to non-fictional individuals, the word Gorean means an adherent of the philosophies espoused in Norman’s writings, especially someone who lives a lifestyle based on this philosophy. While the most conspicuous Gorean departure from mainstream modern norms is that Goreans allow sexual master/slave relationships, many who take the Gorean worldview seriously would insist that being Gorean is not actually mainly about either sex or slavery, but about the general Gorean philosophy (so that one would not have to participate in a master/slave lifestyle or relationship in order to be Gorean). Some of this philosophy is concerned with “natural order” and the relations between men and women, which may or may not take the form of a master-and-slave dynamic. Where there is a master/slave relationship, the level at which adherents follow the books varies.

There is commonality between BDSM and the Gorean lifestyle in a number of respects ( 24/7, Domination & submission, Servitude (BDSM), Slave (BDSM), Total Power Exchange etc.), but there are also overall differences in approach.

Some in BDSM consider the Gorean lifestyle to be a subset of BDSM practices, and find it lacking in that regard. So the mainstream of BDSM practitioners often disdain Goreans because Goreans allegedly reject the ideas of “Safe, Sane and Consensual”/“Risk Aware Consensual Kink”, because of the frequent lack of a safe word between Gorean maledom master and slave, or because the almost exclusive male dominant/female submissive dynamic seems to imply that “your kink is not OK” regarding other practices.

Serious Goreans, on the other hand, generally deny that they are engaging in “games” or “role-playing”, and do not consider the extreme pain or extreme physical or sexual play sometimes practiced in BDSM as part of being Gorean, so that BDSM precautions and BDSM distinctions between “in scene” and “out of scene” are largely unnecessary and irrelevant (though there is still a need for honest communication within a Gorean relationship, as in any other sustained intimate relationship).

Some Goreans do practice BDSM (even though BDSM is not Gorean in itself). These Goreans may or may not use a safeword when involved in BDSM scene play; however, if they do not, then some sort of communication is usually practiced.

Note that Norman’s non-fictional sex manual Imaginative Sex presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out (rather than advocating for a real-world “24/7” lifestyle), and recommends that symbolic substitutes (such as the sound of claps) should be used instead of actual physical chastisements (such as whippings). Most of the scenarios are maledom / femsub, but a few portray men as the slaves of women, and anticipate the eroticised first-person male slave narratives of some of the Gorean novels.

Distinctive Gorean symbols include various artistic renditions of the “kef” symbol (Kef being the initial letter of kajira in the Gorean language), the floral “dina” mark, and to a lesser extent other brands mentioned in Norman’s Gor books.

Goreans on the Internet

For years there has been an active fan base on the net, particularly on IRC channels. Many of the virtual Goreans have only online knowledge and have not actually read the books For this and other reasons, various idiosyncrasies have crept into the Gorean role-player subculture that are not supported in the original text.

There are many Gorean email lists (mostly through Yahoo groups) and other online discussion forums whose contents range from pure role-player to Gor Lite to serious discussion between people living a Goreans lifestyle.There is also a Gorean community in the online www.metaverse.com www.Secondlifecom,a dn www.IMVU.com with their own land and groups, and chatrooms.

Goreans in the novels

In the original novels, Goreans are simply those humans who live on the planet Gor. The back-story of the setting holds that various humans were transported from Earth to Gor, a process which continues at a low volume in the present mostly in the form of Earth women taken as slaves.

In the books, although most slaves on Gor are female, most females are actually free women. The ratio has been presented as approximately 40 free women to one slave girl (though the various hints about Gorean demographics given in different Gor novels are not entirely consistent). Female slaves are called kajirae (singular: kajira) and male slaves are called kajiri (singular: kajirus) in the Gorean tongue.

This is not an extensive history of Gorean ways it is only meant to highlight the Gor lifestyle

Article MissBonnie © CollarNcuffs.com