History Literature / Gor

** Inverted by the Priest Kings, an alien race worshiped as gods who have artificially cultivated and vigilantly constrain Gorean culture and technology. The clearer this becomes, the more arguments about 'the natural order' and the Masters' role in Gor go out the window, but because none of them know the true nature of the Priest Kings they're never exposed to the FridgeLogic. The Free of Gor are themselves pawns in a [[TheMasquerade secret war]].

* StayInTheKitchen: Women are subjugated in Gorean society. Free Women typically live in seclusion and must wear veils and robes of concealment if they go outside. They aren't permitted to fight, even those of the Warrior Caste.

* CaliforniaDoubling: ''Gor'' is quite obviously Iowa in some scenes.

[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/rogue_of_gor.png]]''The Chronicles of Gor'' is a ScienceFantasy novel series (one of those that blur the lines between the ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}), written by John Norman (real name Dr. John Frederick Lange, Jr., a professor of philosophy). The Chronicles of Gor starts out as a PlanetaryRomance before moving on to a [[FetishFuelFuture sex-slave culture]] where [[AuthorAppeal most of the female main characters are legally property]]. The planet Gor is a Counter-Earth, a hypothetical planet in Earth's orbit on the other side of the sun, always blocked from view [[note]]An impossible situation, and thus fantastic, given the gravitational influences observed upon every comet passing into the inner solar system, even before the advent of interplanetary exploration in the 1960s; then again, if the alien species in question is capable of moving entire ''planets'' into orbit around stars, erasing traces of gravitational influence would likely not be such a problem[[/note]]. On Gor, some {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s decided to take humans from [[AnachronismStew various eras in human history]] and dump them together and see what happens, after [[FantasyGunControl removing any type of firearm]] and [[BurnTheWitch burning anyone who tries to violate said ban]].

Two films based on the ''Gor'' series were adapted into sword & sorcery films in the late Eighties, ''Gor'' (1987) and ''Outlaw of Gor'' (1989). Loosely adapted from the first two books, the films depict professor Tarl Cabot's adventures after being magically transported to Gor. For better or worse, the films [[AdaptationalModesty toned down the sex-slavery aspect]]. This is by no means the only instance of a movie bearing no resemblance (save a few names) to the book that supposedly inspired it, but it is a particularly egregious example from the word "sorcery" onwards.

For the ''Series/MysteryScienceTheater3000'' episode ''Outlaw'' featuring the film ''Outlaw of Gor'', please go to the [[Recap/MysteryScienceTheater3000S05E19Outlaw episode recap page]].

* AbusivelySexy: Most civilizations on the world of Gor seem to be built with this as one of their basic premises.

** Inverted by the Priest Kings, an alien race worshiped as gods who have artificially cultivated and vigilantly constrain Gorean culture and technology. The clearer this becomes, the more arguments about 'the natural order' and the Masters' role in Gor go out the window, but because none of them know the true nature of the Priest Kings they're never exposed to the contradiction. The Free of Gor are themselves pawns in a [[TheMasquerade secret war]].

* AmputativeSentencing: Slaves who break the law by running away from their owners can be punished by cutting off their feet.

* BurnTheWitch: More of "burn the gunslingers and demolitions experts", but it gets the same effect.

* ClipItsWings: In one of the books Tarl is riding on his tarn (a giant bird used in the military as a HorseOfADifferentColor) when he's attacked by a wild Ul, a fearsome flying creature somewhat akin to a pterodactyl. In the fight Tarl slashes the membrane of the Ul's wing and it retreats, flying down towards land in a spiral so as to favor the uninjured wing.
* CommediaDellArte: In book 20, ''Players of Gor'', Cabot hooks up with a touring Commedia troupe. The leader Boots Tarsk-Bit appears in book 25, ''Magicians of Gor''. (Gor has no real magicians, but it does have stage illusionists.) Characters in the troupe are named Bina (from Columbina - on Gor, "Bina" means "Slave Beads"), Brigella, Chino, Lecchio (cf Lecchino) and other less obvious correspondences.

* DrawAggro: In ''Priest-Kings of Gor'' Parp, Vika (his daughter) and Tarl are trying to escape the CollapsingLair of the Priest-Kings, only to be met by two larls (basically, tigers the size of a small elephant). Parp flames one with his pipe-lighter, using up all its energy in one go, then asks Tarl to confirm that he can kill a larl with his sword if he is given a free shot at it. Tarl agrees that it's possible - and Parp gives him that free shot by [[PapaBear flinging himself into the monster's jaws.]]
* EndlessDaytime: ''Beasts of Gor'' takes place in the far northern region of the planet, which has long times of sun and no sun respectively.

* ExtraParentConception: The Kurii have four genders for reproduction.

* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Semi-[[JustifiedTrope Justified]], as these are the real Earth cultures transported to another planet.
* FantasyGunControl: The Priest-Kings make ''damn'' sure there is no type of explosive weapon on Gor.
* {{Flanderization}}: Chiefly of its own subject matter. Norman clearly packs the fictional universe with a heavy amount of detail. Anthropological detail regarding all the various cultures, etc. etc. But over time, the focus gets progressively more and more concentrated upon the AuthorAppeal / {{Fanservice}}.

* GiantSpider: The Spider People do not hurt other sapients, so apparently they're a lot more civilized than the humans. Even the Priest-Kings consider the Spider People unduly pacifistic.

** In ''Blood Brothers of Gor'' a war between two tribes uses this. The "good" tribe sets up a series of battlements, each taller than the last but none of them too terribly impregnable. The "bad" tribe jumps over them on their [[CallASmeerpARabbit horses]], only to fall into a pit of sharpened sticks where they're impaled.

* LongRunningBookSeries: The first Gor book, ''Tarnsman of Gor'', was published in 1966, the most recent one (''Rebels of Gor'') in 2013. As of October 2015, there are 33 novels, 3 omnibus editions, and 3 short works (a short story, a novella, and a novelette).
* LongevityTreatment: The Caste of Physicians developed a treatment called the Stabilization Serums, which allowed the recipient to live for hundreds of years. The Priest-Kings, the PhysicalGods of the setting, have a similar treatment, the oldest being about 5,000,000 years old.

* NativeGuide: Starting with the fourth book, the novels include several instances of Tarl going to a new and different culture on Gor where he meets up with and befriends a local, who then serves as a tour guide and cultural (if not verbal) translator. Examples include Kamchak the Tuchuk of the nomadic Wagon Peoples in ''Nomads of Gor'', Torvaldslandean pirate captain [[CaptainColorbeard Ivar Forkbeard]] in ''Marauders of Gor'', desert bandit Hassan in ''Tribesmen of Gor'', and Imnak, a Red Hunter (aka Eskimo), in ''Beasts of Gor''.

* NoChallengeEqualsNoSatisfaction: In ''Assassins of Gor'' a young [[CallASmeerpARabbit chess]] prodigy is forced by the ruler to play a game of chess against a foolish simpleton. The prodigy at first refuses, saying it would be [[SeriousBusiness an insult to the Game]], until he's threatened with death.

* OutscareTheEnemy: In ''Marauders of Gor'', the alien Kurii have commandeered the [[BeautifulSlaveGirl Beautiful Slave Girls]] of the Torvalslanders along with other livestock. The slave girls are terrified of the Kurii, but are given orders by their masters, which they obey.

* PapaBear: Towards the end of ''Priest-Kings of Gor'', Tarl is escaping from the ruined Nest with his girl of the moment, Vika of Treve, and her silly little father, Parp the fake Priest-King. Their way is barred by two fierce larls - lion-like creatures about half the size of an elephant. Parp flames one with his pipe-lighter, using up all its energy in one go, then asks Tarl to confirm that he can kill a larl with his sword if he is given a free shot at it. Tarl agrees that it's possible - and Parp gives him that free shot by ''[[DrawAggro flinging himself into the monster's jaws]]''.
* PlanetOfHats: In all the different cultures on Gor, from the equatorial jungles and deserts to the ice-cap itself, worshipers of Priest-Kings or Aesir or animal spirits alike all agree on the enslavement of women. Where exceptions briefly appear, they are blatantly unstable minority views even if not attended by actual barking madness.

** The planet Gor itself can be considered an example, since the Priest-Kings (the PhysicalGods of the planet) moved it to its current location 5 million years ago.

* SpareAMessenger: In ''Blood Brothers of Gor'' after a war between fantasy counterpart American Indians and cowboys, three "cowboy" privates chosen by drawing lots are allowed to go back home to bring word of the defeat while the others are reduced to slavery.

* StayInTheKitchen: And naked and on your knees. Except for the Panther women. And the >97% of Gorean women who are not slaves.

* StrawFeminist: In ''Assassin of Gor'', one of these is brought over and put through slave training. Of course her silly ideas about equality are [[RapeAsComedy played for laughs]], as only a foolish woman could ever believe it. And also of course, she is deliberately put up against an expert in debating who has argued the same points a thousand times before, and the narrator himself opines that the truth lies somewhere in between. Nearly every free woman comes across as having aspects of this, especially the ones with power. Until Tarl Cabot comes by and [[SexSlave puts them in their place]], [[HappinessInSlavery much to their pleasure once they submit.]]
* ThankYourPrey: Red Hunters (Inuit) routinely ask a sea sleen's permission to kill it for its much-needed meat and fur.
* ThievesGuild: But only in Port Kar. Elsewhere, thieves get very short shrift indeed.

* TranslationByVolume: In ''Savages of Gor'', where a Red Savage (FantasyCounterpartCulture to Native American) of the Dust Leg tribe talks slowly and loudly in his native language to a BeautifulSlaveGirl who only speaks [[CommonTongue Gorean]].

!! ''Outlaw (of Gor)'' and the Gor movie series contain examples of:

* AdaptationSpeciesChange: In ''Tarnsman of Gor'' Cabot rides a tarn, which is a [[GiantFlyer giant bird]]; in other books of the series people also ride [[HorseOfADifferentColor tharlarion and kailla]], which are land animals. In the films ''Gor'' and ''Outlaw of Gor'', people ride horses.
* AdvertisedExtra: [[invoked]]While Jack Palance's character is a major villain in ''Outlaw'', in the first film he only had a cameo at the end to set up the sequel. Nevertheless, Palance was [[BillingDisplacement third billed]] on the first movie.

* PantyShot: [[FanDisservice Oh-so-inverted]]. "[[FullyAutomaticClipShow Buffalo shots]]." "Think about it, won't you?" "Thank you."

! This work is [[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/posts.php?discussion=17149174210.39452500 under review]] at the Content Violation Discussions subforum.

* CaliforniaDoubling: ''Gor'' is quite obviously Iowa in some scenes.

* AdvertisedExtra: While Jack Palance's character is a major villain in ''Outlaw'', in the first film he only had a cameo at the end to set up the sequel. Nevertheless, Palance was [[BillingDisplacement third billed]] on the first movie.

** Inverted by the Priest Kings, an alien race worshiped as gods who have artificially cultivated and vigilantly constrain Gorean culture and technology. The clearer this becomes, the more arguments about 'the natural order' and the Masters' role in Gor go out the window, but because none of them know the true nature of the Priest Kings they're never exposed to the FridgeLogic. The Free of Gor are themselves pawns in a [[TheMasquerade secret war]].

* ContemptibleCover: The cover of the latest edition may be ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, but still, [[http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tarnsman-Gor-John-Norman/dp/0759283834/ look at it.]] [[{{NSFW}} Preferably at home.]] If anything, it may be ''less'' suggestive than [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Tarnsman_of_gor_vallejo_cover.jpg the original cover.]] Vallejo's cover art does (fancifully) depict a scene from the book. Standing: Tarl Cabot (somewhat less dressed than the story would have had it). Kneeling: Talena (technically Tarl's slave, in practice an honourably-treated captive, pretending to be more thoroughly subjugated to impress). In the howdah: Mintar the Merchant, a slave-trader. Astride, in the background: Kazrak of Port Kar, one of Mintar's caravan guards. The more recent art, though, suggests that female bondage is the major focus of ''Tarnsman'', which is not at all the case.

''The Chronicles of Gor'' is a ScienceFantasy novel series (one of those that blur the lines between the ScienceFiction and {{Fantasy}}), written by John Norman (real name Dr. John Frederick Lange, Jr., a professor of philosophy). The Chronicles of Gor starts out as a PlanetaryRomance before moving on to a [[FetishFuelFuture sex-slave culture]] where [[AuthorAppeal most of the female main characters are legally property]]. The planet Gor is a Counter-Earth, a hypothetical planet in Earth's orbit on the other side of the sun, always blocked from view [[note]]An impossible situation, and thus fantastic, given the gravitational influences observed upon every comet passing into the inner solar system, even before the advent of interplanetary exploration in the 1960s; then again, if the alien species in question is capable of moving entire ''planets'' into orbit around stars, erasing traces of gravitational influence would likely not be such a problem[[/note]]. On Gor, some {{Sufficiently Advanced Alien}}s decided to take humans from [[AnachronismStew various eras in human history]] and dump them together and see what happens, after [[FantasyGunControl removing any type of firearm]] and [[BurnTheWitch burning anyone who tries to violate said ban]].