I added something to this blog which lists what the most-read posts are. Apparently you're most interested in me criticising John Norman, author of the Gor books. I am nothing if not populist.
OK, so the thing with John Norman is that he insists - in real life, not just in the his books - that male ownership of women is the natural order of things. He also heavily implies that criticism of his books is a conspiracy to suppress this truth.
The Gor books are about someone who can only dominate women once they go to another planet. It's not about someone who convinces modern women that they're wrong. In fact it's not even about someone who convinces the women of Gor. Once the main character gets to Gor male dominance has already been established, in the distant past.
And even then (from memory) you get women rebelling against it.
So the books don't give the impression that John Norman thinks male dominance is natural. They give the impression that he wishes it was natural, but thinks that it isn't. So much so that his character has to literally leave the planet to find it, and even then finds it constantly under threat.
"Nonfiction" posts are probably easier to google and to talk about (they refer to things people alread know about), but the gameworld stuff is the reason this blog is unique and excellent.
ReplyDeleteI think the Gor books probably do describe a philosophy, it's just a shitty philosophy. But philosophy is one of those things that I thought I would like when I knew absolutely nothing about it. I thought that philosophy meant thinking about the meanings behind things, and that sounded interesting to me. Then I went to college and met a bunch of philosophy students. Maybe I was just unlucky, but the few philosophy students I got to know were all big pricks.
ReplyDelete"...philosophy was one of those things that I thought I would like when I knew absolutely nothing about it."
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. (felt?)
Having read and studied and discussed with philosophy people made me realize the same thing as you. I don't think your experience with phil is unique (sadly).