Just as a pedantic note, I do have to note that when talking about Burroughs proper, the princesses were red, not green; the green martians were the big, savage four-armed types.Originally Posted by Simlasa
Just as a pedantic note, I do have to note that when talking about Burroughs proper, the princesses were red, not green; the green martians were the big, savage four-armed types.
I managed the first couple of Gor books without to much trouble...but then they went downhill fast. Every book beyond that seemed to dwell at great length on why women could only find fulfillment in life by being whipped to within half an inch of their lives, humiliated over and over again and then spending the rest of their lives as sexual playthings for men.
You couldn't help but feel that Mr Norman had, ah...issues
I read some appallingly bad fantasy fiction when I was in junior high and high school, and even then I recognized that Norman had some serious issues that dwarfed the fantasy setting entirely.You couldn't help but feel that Mr Norman had, ah...issues
Yes, the first three I read in high school and enjoyed, although I remember getting a little disturbed with Priest-Kings. Then I bought the next two on leave from the Navy to read and could not get into them...I guess I had passed some sort of threshold where I could no longer get past the nasty background attitudes. I have never read the first ones again, so I really don't have a good handle to what extent they are 'infected' with the slave/S&M side of the stories. It does seem that the first one at least might have something to offer a setting of 'interplanetary' romance.
The only good thing about the Gor series was the cover art. :thumb:
There was a certain amount of, um, pulchtritude on display wasn't there ? The thing that gets me about the Gor books is they went on for, what, 30, 35 books ?. Mind boggling enough to write that much sadistic, wish fullfillment drivel, but people must of bought them. However, we drift and so.......
:focus:
Creeping Shadows of Mars
I haven't seen C. L. Moore mentioned yet. Her "Northwest of Earth" stories offer all the requisite sword-and-planet elements, but also add broad crimson swathes of horror. Every time Northwest turns around, he stumbles into another temple to a Hideous Abnormality from Beyond Time and Space. . .or else stumbles across a dimensional threshhold to an Abnormal Realm that is Hideously Beyond Time and Space.
A few of Clark Ashton Smith's "scienti-fiction" tales hit this theme, too, notably "Vulthoom," "The Dweller in the Gulf," and "The Vaults of Yoh-Vombis."
So, I hope there will be some options for extra doses of horror along with all the flashing steel and swooning princesses!
Both authors are on my list of sources.
Maybe my RQ sould has been contaminated, but the more I read about BRP Interplanetary the more I think, "Gee, this would be a great sorucebook for Spirirt of the Century."
Smiley when you say that.
It originally was an concept for a Michael Kane book for Stormbringer.
I'd been hoping to do it a while ago, but relations between Moorcock and Chaosium soured and then the EC license went to Mongoose.
I contemplated it as a sourcebook for SotC, and even contacted the Evil Hat guys, but the notion of finishing BRP and going to go work on another unrelated project when BRP needs support the most... I couldn't do that in all conscience.
Also, BRP is now, and has always been, my favorite system. I'd like to see the BRP line flourish, and contributing to it is the best thing I can do to help that along.
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