So I've been reading Gor...

Not long ago, I found myself getting into the work of Robert Howard, namely the Conan stories. After reading some of those and finding myself enjoying them, John Norman's Gorean saga was suggested to me as being similar stuff. As of this post, I've read the first two books-- Tarnsman of Gor and Outlaw of Gor, to be exact.

How do I describe it? I am both surprised, and yet not surprised at all.

I went into Gor knowing that it contained some... less than egalitarian elements. I knew that, and yet, when I came across them, I found myself astonied by them. Never have I seen such a bold and unashamed exposition of a sexually charged patriarchal society-- and I read fetish fiction. It's just so frank, so unabashedly matter of fact, reinforced all the while by the nagging knowledge that this is not merely the spank fantasy of a dirty old man cut of an older world's coarse cloth-- the proceedings are his philosophy, a way of life in action that he esteems most highly in the face of an equality-seeking world. The only thing I can compare it to is F.A.T.A.L.-- an obnoxious, faltering garage band to John Norman's sweeping philharmonic.

I figure for thoroughness's sake I'll do detailed reviews of the first few books at least (I've already got a few thousand words written up on the two I've read), but it's a daunting task-- there's over thirty of the damn things, with more coming later this year if they haven't already, and let's face it, these raunchy tomes have quite probably been dissected more smartly and to deeper depths than I could ever manage.

Still, it'd probably be more entertaining than reviewing the Ultramarines movie. I'll get to that one soon enough.