OK, I shall start out my tenure as A-Z BDSM with a topic that I am looking into myself.
Perhaps we shall all learn and grow with the input of posted information.

Many places I have read on the net have mentioned Gorean Life or Gorean BDSM.
I became very interested to learn more.
Sadly, I found that many of the sites I found while seeking information were of the more opinionated individuals.
I wished to learn some of the life without the Game aspects of it that I learned really took away from it some.

I think that there is a need within BDSM to understand the whole slave concept.
I am of the opinion that it is a matter of unteaching our societies view of the idea of slave and covert it something entirely different...
I think the Gorean lifestyle is useful in teaching that.

So I introduce this thread.. I shall start it slow and keep in putting information and links

So a General information kickstarter.

Please hop in and add what you can....


Gor, the Counter-Earth, is the alternate-world setting for John Norman's "Chronicles of Gor," a series of 26 novels that combine philosophy, erotica and science fiction.

The customs, terminology and imagery depicted in these books has inspired a related BDSM-influenced subculture. On- and off-line followers of this lifestyle are called Goreans.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gorean

Gorean From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the most general use of the word, Gorean means anything characteristic of the Gor science fiction novels by John Norman. In these novels, the word "Gorean" is used to refer to the fictional counter-earth, to its inhabitants and social customs, and to the particular language which is the most widely-spoken lingua franca in the known inhabited regions of Gor (though other languages are also spoken on the planet).
As applied to non-fictional individuals, the word Gorean means an adherent of the philosophies espoused in Norman's writings, especially someone who lives a lifestyle based on this philosophy. While the most conspicuous Gorean departure from mainstream modern norms is that Goreans allow and indeed promote sexual master/slave relationships, many who take the Gorean worldview seriously would insist that being Gorean is not necessarily about either sex or slavery, but about the general Gorean philosophy (so that one would not have to participate in a master/slave lifestyle or relationship in order to be Gorean). Some of this philosophy is concerned with "natural order" and the relations between men and women, which may or may not take the form of a master-and-slave dynamic. Where there is a master/slave relationship, the level at which adherents follow the books varies.
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Some in BDSM consider the Gorean lifestyle to be a subset of BDSM practices, and find it lacking in that regard. So the mainstream of BDSM practitioners often disdain Goreans because Goreans allegedly reject the ideas of "safe, sane and consensual"/"risk-aware consensual kink", because of the frequent lack of a safe word between Gorean master and slave, or because the almost exclusive male dominant/female submissive dynamic seems to imply that "your kink is not OK" regarding other practices. A reading of the Gorean novels indicates that the author regards other practices, such as female dominance/male submission or homosexuality, as "perversions" of the "natural order".
Serious Goreans, on the other hand, generally deny that they are engaging in "games" or "role-playing", and do not consider the extreme pain or extreme physical or sexual play sometimes practiced in BDSM as part of being Gorean, so that BDSM precautions and BDSM distinctions between "in scene" and "out of scene" are largely unnecessary and irrelevant (though there is still a need for honest communication within a Gorean relationship, as in any other sustained intimate relationship). They do not consider most of what they do to be BDSM, and do not judge themselves according to BDSM standards.

A person living the Gorean lifestyle states that "...BDSM and it's practitioners do as they do in order to fulfill a sexual need or 'kink' in themselves. They are different from Goreans and the lifestyle in that to be Gorean does not just encompass the sexual side of a person but everything else as well. Goreans live by and enforce 'codes of honour' and live by these codes.
Some Goreans do practice BDSM (even though BDSM is not Gorean in itself). These Goreans may or may not use a safeword when involved in BDSM scene play; however, if they do not, then some sort of communication is usually practiced.
Note that Norman's non-fictional sex manual Imaginative Sex presents a series of elaborate fantasy scenarios to be acted out (rather than advocating for a real-world "24/7" lifestyle), and recommends that symbolic substitutes (such as the sound of claps) should be used instead of actual physical chastisements (such as whippings). Most of the scenarios are maledom / femsub, but a few portray men as the slaves of women, and anticipate the eroticised first-person male slave narratives of some of the Gorean novels.
The Gorean identity is founded on home, job, and social order. The 'Three Pillars' of Gorean society are described as 'Homestone, Caste System, and Slavery', but they deserve a wider explanation.

The home is prime of importance to the Gorean, and this applies as much to the city-state of origin to the current residence or camp. 'A man's home in his castle' is translated in Gor to 'Every man is an Ubar within the circle of his sword.' (The Ubar is a war-leader, a General who takes power at a time of crisis, and whose rule is tantamount to tyrant until the crisis is resolved.) The Homestone is held sacred by every city and settlement, and is displayed under guard. Any praise or insult to a Homestone is taken personally by those who live in the city it symbolizes. The theft of a Homestone is the gravest crime, and paradoxically the most honorable enterprise, that any Warrior could undertake.

The Gorean's occupation is formed and informed by their caste. The Caste system establishes the Gorean identity as strongly as homeland. Because of the Gorean's work ethic and pride in caste, all castes are essentially equal. There is little social mobility because of this caste pride and identity; even the Peasant caste uphold their caste codes and firmly believe in their superiority to all other castes. But in actuality a few castes are more equal than the others. Those of High Caste, including Scribes, Warriors, Physicians, Builders and Initiates (holy men) have access to priviledged education and opportunities to leadership. The social order is further consolidated by social edict: "A man who refuses to practice his livelihood or strives to alter status without consent of the Council of High Castes is by definition an outlaw." A Gorean regards the welfare of their caste higher than their own, but in return, the caste provides welfare and charity when a caste member is in need.

The third pillar, 'Slavery'........