AsenRG
#FuckWotC #PlayNonDnDGames
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2018
- Messages
- 17,509
- Reaction score
- 22,930
OK, I decided that doing a Where I Read would take too long. The "skimming" option, recently introduced on this forum, fits my time much better.
Preface: Tales of Gor is the ruleset for the setting of Gor. The "setting enciclopedia" is named World of Gor...and I might continue with it, if there was any interest.
We start by the cover.
The coverobviously (to me) depicts a Northerner (Torvaldslander) fighting a Kur. It's also obviously a ship-based Kur, since it's using an axe and shield as well, and not fighting like an animal. For that matter, the Torvaldslander is armed similarly and has a helmet, but the Kur's weapons are bigger, because he's got way more muscle.
In the background: an woman in a chain. It seems the Kur actually wants to get to her (the Kurii are noted in the books as preferring the meat of women, as it's more tender). She'd better hope the left-handed human warrior would prevail!
Second page:
Tales of Gor
GOREAN ROLEPLAYING
Fantastical Adventures on the Counter-Earth
Authorised and based on the Gorean books of John Norman
It also has a nice snippet, probably from some Gor book, which kinda sums up one of the lessons of the series: Life is to be lived, and theorizing on the "how" is missing the point.
Third page: contents. Nothing unexpected.
Next page: Introduction
It states clearly that "this book is intended as a companion to the World of Gor and as a role- playing game to play in the world described in that volume and in the Gorean cycle of fantasy novels. Both books are intended to be a fan resource for those who love the world of John Norman’s books and who wish to draw upon itin their own games, stories and when re-reading the novels again, as a companion".
In a word, familiarity with the books is expected. I don't think that's actually a precedent for licensed games, though.
It continues with "My Gor", where James Desbourough (a.k.a. Grim on this forum) tells us how he got the Gor books and how they impacted him and many others (including being "thier first exposure to the aesthetic of BDSM and D/S, their first hint that this was something normal, or that it was a kink shared by others. The importance of that, to so many, along with his book Imaginative Sex cannot be underestimated".
There's also the part with a history of the series...which sounds like it might have been provided by John Norman himself, or his publishing agent. Judge for yourselves.
"Despite the great success of the Gorean cycle, selling between six and twelve million copies and Tarnsman of Gor being reprinted twenty-two times, the Gorean series was interrupted in 1988 when it was dropped by its publisher, allegedly for political reasons. There were, as a result, thirteen years between Magicians of Gor
in 1988 and Witness of Gor in 2001 and another seven years after that until Prize of Gor in 2008. 'Political correctness' in the late eighties and through the nineties made such sexually explicit and controversial fantasy difficult to know what to do with and the 'Social Justice Warrior' mindset of today causes similar problems.
Fortunately the Internet rose during the same period..." etc).
This is not without interest, but that's not what I'm reading this book for!
OK, next it starts to get interesting: we get an intro from the Scribe of Gor, the one who allegedly penned this manuscript. Actually, that's an Earthling...but he really liked Gor, as one can surmise from the very intro paragraph.
Role-Playing Games:
Well, it boils down to "make-believe with rules", and explains the concept of PC/GM separation. Of course, even if the book didn't state it explicitly, that would be a dead give-away that Grim is not only expecting people to buy this book because they're fans of the Gor series (and it wouldn't make much sense to license the setting otherwise), he's also expecting that some of them might have never heard about RPGs before!
I'm curious whether he's right, but have no way to know.
Either way, the book confirms my suspicions: "It’s our hope that Tales of Gor will provide a common language and basis for the existing Gorean community and will provide an introduction to tabletop role-playing for those who love the novels.
For those who are already role-players it may introduce them to a classic series of science-fantasy fiction of a very different sort."
What different sort? Well...the next header is called "Race and Sex".
But that's enough for a first post. More on this next time!
Preface: Tales of Gor is the ruleset for the setting of Gor. The "setting enciclopedia" is named World of Gor...and I might continue with it, if there was any interest.
We start by the cover.
The coverobviously (to me) depicts a Northerner (Torvaldslander) fighting a Kur. It's also obviously a ship-based Kur, since it's using an axe and shield as well, and not fighting like an animal. For that matter, the Torvaldslander is armed similarly and has a helmet, but the Kur's weapons are bigger, because he's got way more muscle.
In the background: an woman in a chain. It seems the Kur actually wants to get to her (the Kurii are noted in the books as preferring the meat of women, as it's more tender). She'd better hope the left-handed human warrior would prevail!
Second page:
Tales of Gor
GOREAN ROLEPLAYING
Fantastical Adventures on the Counter-Earth
Authorised and based on the Gorean books of John Norman
It also has a nice snippet, probably from some Gor book, which kinda sums up one of the lessons of the series: Life is to be lived, and theorizing on the "how" is missing the point.
Third page: contents. Nothing unexpected.
Next page: Introduction
It states clearly that "this book is intended as a companion to the World of Gor and as a role- playing game to play in the world described in that volume and in the Gorean cycle of fantasy novels. Both books are intended to be a fan resource for those who love the world of John Norman’s books and who wish to draw upon itin their own games, stories and when re-reading the novels again, as a companion".
In a word, familiarity with the books is expected. I don't think that's actually a precedent for licensed games, though.
It continues with "My Gor", where James Desbourough (a.k.a. Grim on this forum) tells us how he got the Gor books and how they impacted him and many others (including being "thier first exposure to the aesthetic of BDSM and D/S, their first hint that this was something normal, or that it was a kink shared by others. The importance of that, to so many, along with his book Imaginative Sex cannot be underestimated".
There's also the part with a history of the series...which sounds like it might have been provided by John Norman himself, or his publishing agent. Judge for yourselves.
"Despite the great success of the Gorean cycle, selling between six and twelve million copies and Tarnsman of Gor being reprinted twenty-two times, the Gorean series was interrupted in 1988 when it was dropped by its publisher, allegedly for political reasons. There were, as a result, thirteen years between Magicians of Gor
in 1988 and Witness of Gor in 2001 and another seven years after that until Prize of Gor in 2008. 'Political correctness' in the late eighties and through the nineties made such sexually explicit and controversial fantasy difficult to know what to do with and the 'Social Justice Warrior' mindset of today causes similar problems.
Fortunately the Internet rose during the same period..." etc).
This is not without interest, but that's not what I'm reading this book for!
OK, next it starts to get interesting: we get an intro from the Scribe of Gor, the one who allegedly penned this manuscript. Actually, that's an Earthling...but he really liked Gor, as one can surmise from the very intro paragraph.
Role-Playing Games:
Well, it boils down to "make-believe with rules", and explains the concept of PC/GM separation. Of course, even if the book didn't state it explicitly, that would be a dead give-away that Grim is not only expecting people to buy this book because they're fans of the Gor series (and it wouldn't make much sense to license the setting otherwise), he's also expecting that some of them might have never heard about RPGs before!
I'm curious whether he's right, but have no way to know.
Either way, the book confirms my suspicions: "It’s our hope that Tales of Gor will provide a common language and basis for the existing Gorean community and will provide an introduction to tabletop role-playing for those who love the novels.
For those who are already role-players it may introduce them to a classic series of science-fantasy fiction of a very different sort."
What different sort? Well...the next header is called "Race and Sex".
But that's enough for a first post. More on this next time!