Explorers of Gor

Gor #13

by John Norman

This enchanting escapade is the most important quest of Tarl Cabot's career. He must retrieve a potent shield ring from a strange explorer. It is imperative that the omnipotent Priest Kings obtain this ring so that the Goreans do not challenge their enormous power. Throughout his expedition, Cabot learns of uncharted territories on Earth's cosmic counterpart. In the dense forests he discovers, Cabot must use his skills to endure the perils that await his arrival. Cabot will encounter Gor's barbarism in full force through enchantingly dangerous beasts, bloodthirsty men, and exotic kingdoms. Coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the first book of the Gorean Saga, TARNSMAN OF GOR, E-Reads is proud to release the very first complete publication of all Gor books by John Norman, in both print and ebook editions, including the long-awaited 26th novel in the saga, WITNESS OF GOR. Many of the original Gor books have been out of print for years, but their popularity has endured. Each book of this release has been specially edited by the author and is a definitive text.

Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Fiction, Erotica, Adventure, Science Fiction Fantasy, Ebooks

464 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.

John Norman, real name John Lange, was born in Chicago, Illinois in 1931. His best known works, the Gor series, currently span 36 books written 1966 (Tarnsman of Gor) to 2021 (Avengers of Gor). Three installments of the Telnarian Histories, plus three other fiction works and a non-fiction paperback. Mr. Norman is married and has three children.

Reviews

[Garden Reads · Rating 2 out of 5]

Novela número trece de la saga Gor y una aventura entretenida que se ve empañada por la misógina filosofía de su autor.

Hace tiempo, y por curiosidad, comercé a leer las novelas de Gor. Por alguna razón esa mala fama que tenían me llamó la atención y quería saber de primera fuente qué tan excentricas podían llegar a ser, por lo que leí los primeros cinco libros encontrándome con dos de ellos derechamente malos y otros tres bastante entretenidos, más la mayoría de seguidores de esta saga llegaban al consenso de qué a partir del libro siete era donde las cosas comenzaban a torcerse. Por lo que tras sentir que con los primeros cinco libros había leído suficiente de Gor decidí saltarme directamente a un libro más avanzado por lo que tomé el que más me llamó la atención, que resultó ser este, Exploradores de Gor.

Acá continúan las aventuras de su protagonista recurrente, Tarl Cabot, quién intentará descubrir los secretos que guarda un anillo de aparente procedencia Kurii, los enemigos de Los Reyes sacerdotes, lo que lo llevará a adentrarse en la peligrosa selva Goreana, un lugar que hasta ese entonces permanece en gran parte inexplorado.

Para calificar esta novela haría una pequeña diferenciación de lo que es la trama, que a mi opinión merece 3 estrellas, y la repetitiva y cansina filosofía sexual (macho dominante-mujer esclava y sumisa), que su autor intenta colarnos cada tres o cuatro párrafos, que a mi opinión merece la calificación mínima. Por lo que por consenso y tratando de ser lo más justo posible término por darle dos estrellas a la novela. Y es que si dejáramos de lado esa repetitiva filosofía sexual del autor la novela sería en verdad muy disfrutable, con partes que me recuerdan a clásicos de Verne y una buena batalla final contra los terribles Kurii que logró infundirme esa pequeña dosis de adrenalina que te hace sentir que la lectura, al menos, valió la pena. Los giros de trama son constantes y la cantidad de embrollos en los que se mete el protagonista logran mantenerte interesado.

No obstante, vuelvo nuevamente a aquello que arruina la novela y que la arrastra a un extenuante pantano del qué a ratos pareciera que no escapará, la filosofía sexual de Norman. En las primeras novelas, exceptuando el libro tres, "Los nómadas de Gor", el autor solía colar su filosofía acorde a los hechos y en sintonía a lo que iba sucediendo, por lo que por lo general se hacía llevadera y se lograba comprender como parte de este mundo ya que tenía su lugar justificado en la trama... pues bien, acá en esta novela no. Sí sacáramos ese 30% de la novela amo-esclava el libro funcionaría igual, e incluso mejor. Es que acá Norman ya raya directamente en la misoginia, con escenas hacia mujeres que en cualquier mundo civilizado se calificarían de maltrato y degradación, con sexo forzado y felaciones nada placenteras de leer... Y sí, sabemos que hoy en día hay novelas eróticas con éxito que llevan las cosas hasta el mismo punto e incluso peor. Más, si entramos en escenas que podríamos calificar derechamente de violación y que tienen como autor del hecho a nuestro supuesto valeroso y noble protagonista, entonces es que hay algo que no va bien...

Pero en fin, tampoco quiero alargarme demasiado. En general una aventura que me pareció entretenida pero que se ve arruinada por la torcida filosofía de su autor, si la sacaramos sería una mucho mejor novela.

A menos que quieras entrar realmente en el mundo de Gor, no la recomiendo.

[David Mann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a relatively good entry in the series, if you dissect out the obligatory, repetitive, formulaic female slavery fetishizing. The plot centers around the ongoing battle between the alien Priest-Kings and the Kurii, in whose hands (paws, appendages?) the fate of both Gor and Earth hang. There is a certain invisibility ring that played an important role a few sagas back, and its theft launches Tarl into another travelogue-like episode, this time exploring the equatorial jungles of Gor. He pursues Shaba, a master geographer/scientist whose grand plan is to map the equatorial rivers and lakes and then create a vast canal opening up these regions to trade with the rest of Gor. Other colorful characters, along with the usual horde of submissive females show up, making for a relatively readable adventure (though the river journey seems to go on forever). I'll make one comment about the female slavery aspect. Buried in the middle of the book there are hints that Tarl's cruelty towards women may have been triggered by his own rejection by one of them. Looking back at the series, the first few books make mention of slavery, but much as an historical novel of Rome might so make mention. Tarl pursues his lost love in much the same manner that John Carter would do so in Burroughs' Mars books. But there is betrayal, and he evolves into the sexist monster which he is today. Probably I'm reading too much into this, but giving Tarl some motivations for his awfulness makes the long stretches of slave talk a little more bearable.

Tarl seems to have explored most of Gor by now. Where will he go next?

[5 pound poi · Rating 2 out of 5]

She Is Waiting To Kiss My Hand
But She Will Wait For My Command
My Chains And Collar Brought Her To Her Knees
She Now Is Free To Please
Woman Be My Slave
That's Your Reason To Live
Woman Be My Slave
The Greatest Gift I Can Give
Woman Be My Slave
Before Her Surrender She Had No Life
Now She's A Slave Not A Wife
Her Only Sorrow Is For Women Who Live With Lies
She's Taken Off Her Disguise
Woman Be My Slave
Chained Unto My Bed
Woman Be My Slave
Begging To Be Fed
Your Body Belongs To Me
Woman Come Here
Remove Your Garments
Kneel Before Me
Please Me
Woman Be My Slave
Chained Unto My Bed
Woman Be My Slave
Begging To Be Fed
I Want You Now
Woman Be My Slave

[Katrina Courtright · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could Have Been Better

This one was boring. There were too many pages repeating how slavery makes a woman find herself. The author seems to love repeating himself book after book. The story finds Tarl Cabot in the rainforest searching for the Tahari ring. He makes friends along the way and acquires virgin earth girls as slaves. I am so surprised at how many virgins he happens to find. He remains a jerk. He sucks the fun out of the adventure. I miss fun Tarl. I hope the next book is better.

[Almustafa Couch · Rating 2 out of 5]

An okay read something that provided some tools (though not many) to grow an appreciation of Gor. If you ignored the sexual is ought dilemma it contains many fine fantasy elements and as such is worth reading if only as part of the collection. His assertion that all males are the dominant factor in a sexual relationship and the female is genetically submissive is demonstrably false.

[Jeff J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

13th novel in the Gor series. I think Norman would get more respect for the remarkable world-building he accomplishes with this series if not for the galloping misogyny. Given the title I anticipated learning more about Gor, instead the focus is on female subservience and slavery. Proceed with caution.

[Squire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarl Cabot/Bosk of Port Kar journeys to the uncharted southern regions of Gor in search a ring of invisibility that can tip the balance of power on Gor.

Another instalment of the Gor series with a pretty good story that is mixed up with some silly segments of Norman espousing his ideas of female being natural slaves and men being natural masters. He never wastes an opportunity to talk about training a woman in the art of being a slave and it does get repetitive (I didn't mind this the first few times, but it's rare that he has anything new to add on the subject so it can become a slog. He had some new things to say in Beasts of Gor, that's why I gave it 4 stars.)

With 100 pages to go, the story becomes episodic, but the pace is spot-on as the story reaches its denouement.

Norman starts a new story arc with books 14, 15, and 16; so, this is a good place to leave the saga of Tarl Cabot/Bosk of Port Kar for a spell. But I will return to Gor at some point.

EDIT: An interesting sidenote (at least to me) is that Norman places the action of this novel in 10,126 Conastra Ar (the year the city of Ar was founded). Seven years have past since Tarl came to Gor, setting the first Gor novel in 10,119. This is a transposition of the year Dune take place in: 10,191. (Dune was published in 1965, Tarnsman of Gor in 1966).

[Darth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Take 4 stars with a grain of salt - this has its problems.
I am grading on a curve, so it is 4 stars for a GOR book.
The story is great - when it stops repeating itself, and preaching the lore of the female bondage.
Dont get me wrong, I am all in favor of female bondage, this guy just like to drive it into the ground - in between a rolling good adventure story.

I find that these books would often be best at around 2/3 the length, and just trim back the Dogma. I enjoy a sumissive female as much as the next guy, actually MORE than the next guy, as long as the next guy isnt John Norman ;-)

The Kur are playing games with a ring of invisibility, and a duplicate with explosive potential, so it is up to Tarl Cabot / Bosk of Port Kar to keep the ladies in line, and the Kur at the business end of a weapon. This instalmennt set in the jungle - NEAT !

[AmbushPredator · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Up The Congo' (or Ua) with Tarl Cabot, as our intrepid swordsman takes a trip to Gor's 'Dark Continent' (a truly odd mash up of Africa and the Amazonian rainforest) to try to stop the Kurii from wreaking havoc in the Sardar by means of a booby-trapped invisibility ring. On the way, he gets involved in tribal disputes and - of course! - enslaves a few women.

And after this, we leave Cabot to his own devices and the storyline takes a breather. Instead, the next three books feature a new character - another Earthman brought to Gor to be....a male slave!

Will he soon free himself and begin a quest to enslave all the women Tarl hasn't got around to yet? Well, that would be telling, wouldn't it?

[Christopher Walls · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this whole series in a marathon session, while stationed in England. The depth and volume of the stories is humbling for any writer and I consider this series very influential in my own approach to writing and world building in general; generic post for all the books in this series as I am finally getting around to recording my reading list in Goodreads.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tarl Cabot goes to a counter-Earth Amazon. This book actually combined the sex with adventure. It had the most graphic sex of any of the previous books. At least, I thought so. The adventure was OK, but nothing to write home about. I was about to abandon the series.

Sexist.

[Keith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I remember there being a river flowing through a jungle. That is all, I did not finish the book. Way too much philosophy and way too little story. I wasn't planning on reading anymore of the Gor novels.

[Steve]

GOR