John Norman

John Norman is the pen name of John Frederick Lange, Jr. (born June 3, 1931), is the author of the Gor series, which was popular in the 1970s (millions of copies sold). He holds a Ph.D. from Princeton and is a professor at the Queens College in New York City.

Career

Norman's career as a philosopher/writer underwent four stages:

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• Early 1950s-early 1960s: Norman begins his academic career. He obtains his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nebraska in 1953, and his Master of Arts degree from the University of Southern California in 1957. While at USC he married Bernice L. Green. Norman became a Doctor of Philosophy in 1963 from the Princeton University.
• Late 1960s-early 1980s: Norman becomes wildly popular. His rise may be attributed to the willingness of rebellious or disaffected Americans during this period to consider his social alternatives.
• Mid 1980s-mid 1990s: Increasing political correctness, especially feminism, prompted consumers and interest groups to take action against the sale of Norman's books, including petitioning retailers. Norman's books were removed from bookstores and libraries, and Norman accused publishers of blacklisting him.
• Late 1990s-present: Acceptance of BDSM and growth of the Internet allowed the resurgence of Norman's ideas without the consent of normal publishing channels. Goreans assembled on the Internet and in real life while smaller publishers attempted, with limited success, to bring Norman back.