John Norman, author of the epic series of novels called the Books of Gor, was born John Frederick Lange, Jr. in 1931. A philosophy professor at Queens College in New York, John carries three college degrees, each earned between 1950 and 1963.

But it is not his academic career which brought this man to fame. Instead, it was his novels, which were wildly popular in the 1970s and 80s, which gave his name the popularity it has achieved. Applying his sociology and philosophy background to the creation of a body of work which explores the mental, emotional and economical climes of a parallel Earth, Norman breathed life into a romantic and intense series which carries something of a cult following to this day.

Gor is a planet where, as is emphasized numerous times in each of the books, the society is lead and controlled by men. Women, though adored, loved and cherished, find themselves on their knees in abject and total submission. Throughout the novels, the prevalent theme is action, adventure, and the emphasis of natural order through merit and wit.

Norman presents to his readers a world filled with vigor and life. Gor is a planet inhabited by extraordinary people of all different types, though there emerge two primary classes of people: the Free and the slave.

Simply put, by Norman's psychology, a man is dominant - stronger, more capable, the sower of life's seeds and provider for himself and those around him. A woman, it is explained, is naturally submissive to a man, offering her male counterpart her servitude in supporting him.

So, by nature, a man of Gor is Free. He rules, and within the circle of his steel, he is the authority. Norman reinforces this masculine freedom by writing about characters who are strong both mentally and physically, who display tenderness and wisdom, prowess in fighting and a strong desire to own and Master women.

In contrast, the female characters presented in the novels are beautiful and soft creatures capable of immense love and unshakeable submission. It is in women where the separation of freedom versus slavery is explored in great detail. Only a free woman may birth free children, only a free woman may hold a Caste, etcetera. A slave girl is likened to, and by Gorean structure is, property, like a common farm animal.

There are, of course, exceptions and deviances from the "societal norm" presented by Norman. In the end, and after reinforcement through each of his 26 novels, John Norman has presented us with a world which many "normal" folk may have a great deal of trouble understanding except on the most basic level. Disregarding the vast amounts of philosophy mingled in the books, the world of Gor is described by some as a place where "The Men are Men unswervingly, and the women love them, undyingly."