"You are owned. You are a female... For a man of Earth, you might never be a woman. For a man of Gor, I assure you... you will be." -- Tribesman of Gor

Planet Gor is equal in size and orbit to Earth, conveniently invisible from our side of the sun. Reclusive Priest-Kings limit technology by killing inventors with Flame Death, an ubercool, remote-controlled spontaneous combustion. Men are MEN -- violent, dominating, ever-erect. Women are slaves, either wearing collars or secretly desiring to be owned. They eventually get their wish, for contentment is possible only by filling these biologically dictated roles. That's the Gorean way, redundantly explained by John Norman in 25 textbooks masquerading as novels.

In exploring this subset of BD/SM culture, I realized that most Goreans are roleplayers. They want cybersex with a premise: masturbation using bondage-speak, furs, and swords. They go tavern-hopping and "force their will" upon the local "tavern slave;" she obeys quickly and perfectly or gets punished. Many Masters enjoy punishing as much as being obeyed, and after I'd read the novels I started to wonder if they hadn't missed the point -- not an easy thing to do, as Norman makes the point about every third page.

Still, they have their fun. But not all Goreans merely play; some use the word "lifestyle."

These Goreans really believe that all women are, or secretly desire to be, their abject slaves. To them, Gor is truth: accurate, deep, religiously profound.

"How do you know who'll make a good slave?" I asked.

"Biology. Women are slaves," he replied.

"Real people become your real-life slaves?"

"Eventually. When they're broken."

"How is that accomplished?"

"Read the books. Beatings, hunger, rape."

I waited; he continued.

"It's consensual."

"Consensual rape?"

He left.

I guess "consensual rape" isn't an oxymoron to these Goreans, but in the (25!) books I read, there was nothing consensual on Planet Gor.

Either they, or I have missed... something. I'll not collar any women until I know just what that is.

Alister James is a deviant Southern gentleman who, between adventures, finds the time to edit Sinister Element ezine.