About the Author John Norman, born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1931, is the creator of the Gorean Saga, the longest-running series of adventure novels in science fiction history. Starting in December 1966 with Tarnsman of Gor, the series was put on hold after its twenty-fifth installment, Magicians of Gor, in 1988, when DAW refused to publish its successor, Witness of Gor. After several unsuccessful attempts to find a trade publishing outlet, the series was brought back into print in 2001. Norman has also produced a separate science fiction series, the Telnarian Histories, plus two other fiction works (Ghost Dance and Time Slave), a nonfiction paperback (Imaginative Sex), and a collection of thirty short stories, entitled Norman Invasions. The Totems of Abydos was published in spring 2012.  All of Norman’s work is available both in print and as ebooks. The Internet has proven to be a fertile ground for the imagination of Norman’s ever-growing fan base, and at Gor Chronicles (www.gorchronicles.com), a website specially created for his tremendous fan following, one may read everything there is to know about this unique fictional culture.  Norman is married and has three children. Read more
O**!
This is not a good thing as I explain below
A few years ago I decided to revisit the Gorean Saga. I had read a handful of the early Gor books from the sixties and seventies when I was a teenager, starting with book one and reading them in order. After reading many of the reviews online I purchased ten of the Gorean Saga books. I didn’t read them all back to back so it took me a few years to read them all. I mixed them in with other books I wanted to read. I read a wide variety of stuff each year, everything from nonfiction to westerns. About half of what I read is sci-fi and fantasy, averaging 50-60 books a year.These are the Gor books I read. After each book I’ve included how many stars I gave the story. Notice how the page count increases as the series goes on. This is not a good thing as I explain below.Book 1 – Tarnsman of Gor (1966) p166 – 4 starsBook 2 – Outlaw of Gor (1967) p220 – 2 starsBook 3 – Priest-Kings of Gor (1968) p328 – 4 starsBook 4 – Nomads of Gor (1969) p372 – 3 starsBook 5 – Assassin of Gor (1971) p392 – 5 starsBook 6 – Raiders of Gor (1971) p332 – 4 starsI skipped Book 7 because the POV character changes from Tarl Cabot to Elinor Brinton.Book 8 – Hunters of Gor (1974) p372 – 2 starsBook 9 – Marauders of Gor (1975) p313 – 3 starsBook 10 – Tribesman of Gor (1976) p449 – 1 starsBook 33 – Rebels of Gor (2013) p654 – 2 starsI found some of the stories good. But many of the books are bloated bores, lectures on the wonderments of female slavery instead of adventure stories. I read for adventure, not boring slave lectures. The stories I rated the highest are the ones with a high adventure to lecture ratio. Most of the books could be cut in half without losing any of the story. I’ll use Book 33, Rebels of Gor, as an example. It’s a 200-300 page adventure wrapped up in a long, repetitious, boring, slave lecture. The same information and dialogue are repeated over, and over, and over, and over, and . . . (Get the idea?)If I revisit the Gorean Saga I’ll probably only read a few of the books that I found interesting this time around. In the meantime I’ll be spending more time with some of my favorite sci-fi and fantasy writers, Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Paolo Bacigalupi, Ray Bradbury, Orson Scott Card, Jack Campbell, Arthur C. Clarke, Earnest Cline, Suzanne Collins, Abe Evergreen, Diana Gabaldon, Joe Haldeman, Robert A. Heinlein, Hugh Howey, George Martin, Larry Niven, Andre Norton, George Orwell, Patrick Rothfuss, Brandon Sanderson, John Scalzi, J.R.R. Tolkien and Andy Weir.Starship Troopers (1959) (not like the movie) by Robert A. Heinlein is the book that got me started in sci-fi adventures, and has remained one of my top five favorite military science fiction adventure stories for decades. The Forever War (1974) by Joe Haldeman, Armor (1984) by John Steakley, Ender’s Game (1985) by Orson Scott Card and Old Man’s War (2005) by John Scalzi, round out my top five military sci-fi adventure stories.
A**S
As good as I remember.
First read these when I was a kid, back in the sixties. Needed to find out if they were as good as I remembered. They are. I enjoy them just as much now as I did back then. Tarl Cabot remains a favorite character of mine. I'm not one to usually mix my Science and Sword & Sorcery, but this series of books by Mr. Norman do the job well.
L**N
Of wagons and nomads
Many people criticize the writing style of John Norman. His world is cruel and ruled by men. But his world is interesting and the relationships at times far more honest than those of this world. For I do think woman secretly wish to be conquered, but I also think all men want to find that one woman that they would willingly be a fool for. And men con find brotherhood on a feild of battle.
S**S
A fully Created World
Though not for the faint of heart, this world is so fully created the series is worth reading if nothing else but for the world creation. IN this book He follows the lives of nomads much like the Mongols on Earth. If you are interested in World creation this is the series for you. At times he even is a little pedantic in explaining his world, but it goes to prove that he has thought things all the way out. Although not graphically sexual, be aware that beautiful women are made into slaves in this series - a slavery that they relish. . . oh well, draw your own conclusions on that part of the series.
J**D
Fine Journey with the nomads of Gor
This is the fourth book in the Gorean Saga. Tarl Cabot lives with the wagon people who roam around Gor on wagons driven by animals called Bosks.The book has a fulfilling adventure and you get to learn in depth about the culture of the nomads of Gor. They are similar to the other Goreans in their culture but they are not as civilized. The book has lots of action and the bad guy is really bad. It also has an appropriate monster for a book of this sort to have.
C**N
Good Adventure Yarn
Good John Norman/Tarl Cabot Saga Among the Best of The Gor Books. This one is done with good humor comparatively little chat about female slavery nothing too offensive. There are probably three levels of novels in this series and this one falls into the top group. Frankly the earliest books are among the best. I just reread this after 30 years and it's held up pretty well.
K**Y
I enjoyed this
Nice frivolous read. I kept wanting to know what was going to happen next.
H**E
Good read
Excellent action-adventureA engrossing Tale in an exotic worldOriginal story concepts and great character developmentA truly great story
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