Gor

An interesting branch of the BDSM sub-culture is that of Gor, based on the Chronicles of Gor series of books by author John Norman. There are 27 of these books, 25 of which were written in the years 1967 to 1988 with two stragglers written in the years since 2001. The books combine science-fiction, erotica and philosophy. It is the latter two which have captivated the interest of BDSMers.

Gor is a planet largely inhabited by humans kidnapped from Earth. In this context Norman develops the ideas of "natural order" where males are naturally dominant and that females are naturally submissive, that this is the way things should be, and that things work best when everyone accepts this. As a consequence, in Gor women are often objects or possessions frequently used as sexual slaves.

In regards to terminology, someone or something from or related to Gor is identified as "Gorean".

Ready-to-wear D&s

While the books aren't only about dominance, submission, and sex, there are 27 of them and this gave Norman a lot of paper real estate on which to build and present his ideas of the relationship between males, slave owners and slaves. This has lead to the books providing a sort of ready-to-wear dominance&submission where behaviours, dress, and even language are already prescribed… Just add people! For those inclined in Norman's direction, this makes it easy to enter into a D&s relationship without having to develop all the ideas and behaviours oneself. Norman has already done it for you.

On top of this, because the roles, behaviours, etc., all derive from the one source (i.e., Norman's books) it means that there are lots of other people out there doing similar things. This naturally tends to foster Internet-based and other social groups where Goreans can share ideas and experiences, or just hang out with those of similar interests.

Example Gorean expressions

• "Silks" - the loose-fitting silk clothing worn by slaves. The colour of the silk can indicate level of experience as a slave (e.g., white is not much, red is lots). As slaves are often regarded as property for sexual use the silks may be required to worn such that by simply lifting them up the slave's genitalia are exposed and available
• "Klar" - something akin to coffee
• "Nadu" - the kneeling position frequently adopted by a slave
• "Kajira" - female slave. Also "kajirae" (plural, i.e., female slaves), and "kajirus" (male slave) and "kajiri" (plural, i.e., male slaves).