Carthoris tried to support Thuvia, but himself commenced to slide and slip toward the ever-enlarging aperture. Better to cling to the smooth stone he kicked off his sandals of zitidar hide and with his bare feet braced himself against the sickening tilt, at the same time throwing his arms supportingly about the girl. In her terror her own hands clasped about the man's neck. Her cheek was close to his. Death, unseen and of unknown form, seemed close upon them, and because unseen and unknowable infinitely more terrifying. "Courage, my princess," he whispered cheeringly.
Description
The Warlord of Mars begins after the previous installment in the Martian series abruptly ends: John Carter’s beloved princess Dejah Thoris has been imprisoned in the Temple of the Sun, whose rooms only revolve back to the entrance once every Barsoomian year. Now, Carter must mount a rescue to save the princess from certain doom.
The novel, a fast-paced and straightforward tale of swashbuckling adventure, is another solid entry in Burroughs’ “swords-and-planets” corpus. It was originally serialized in four parts in All-Story Magazine before being published as a novel in 1919.
Description
Thuvia, Maid of Mars moves the focus of Burroughs’ Martian series to Carthoris, the son of the human John Carter and Martian Dejah Thoris and the prince of Helium.
Princess Thuvia of Ptarth and Prince Carthoris of Helium are in love. Fate, however, is against them: the princess is promised to another, the Jeddak of Kaol, Kulan Tith. So when the princess is kidnapped, suspicion falls on Carthoris, who sets out as his father would have to rescue the damsel and clear his name. As the great airborn navies of Mars’ military powers charge inexorably towards a needless war, Carthoris pursues the imperiled princess across borders and battlefields, making new enemies and allies along the way on a journey which traverses far and forgotten corners of Barsoom.
Thuvia, Maid of Mars presents many familiar themes from Burroughs’ books, such as damsels in distress, fantastical adventures, chivalry, and derring-do, set against a backdrop of looming war and political intrigue. But it also introduces new elements, such as psychic armies and new flight technologies, as well as bringing entirely new races and settings to the series. It was originally published in 1916 as three serialized parts in All-Story Weekly, and published as a novel in 1920.
Description
At the Earth’s Core, published in 1914, is the first of a series of science fiction novels written by Edgar Rice Burroughs set inside a hollow earth with a central “sun,” a land called Pellucidar. However unlikely this scenario, it allowed Burroughs free play to create heroic adventures in yet another alien environment in addition to his fantastic version of Mars in his Martian series.
The story’s hero, David Innes, is recruited by an old man, Perry, to help fund his invention, a “mechanical subterranean prospector,” and then to test it out. Unfortunately once the powerful burrowing machine is set going, it cannot be steered, and the pair find themselves burrowing deeper and deeper into the Earth’s crust. To their astonishment, rather than dying from suffocation or increasing heat, they emerge inside a hollow shell inside the Earth. This world is populated by prehistoric creatures as well as primitive humans, intelligent gorillas, and supremely intelligent pterosaurs, the masters of this land. David and Perry are captured by these creatures and many adventures ensue.
Description
The Beasts of Tarzan, the third book in the Tarzan series, was first published in All-Story Cavalier magazine in 1914. It was later published as a novel in 1916.
Tarzan’s old enemy, Nikolas Rokoff, escapes prison and plans his revenge by kidnapping the Tarzan’s son, the heir of Greystoke. He also captures Tarzan and Jane, and takes them all back to Africa, where he strands the Ape-man on an island before continuing on with his dastardly plan. On the island prison Tarzan befriends a troop of apes led by Akut and tames Sheeta the panther before escaping and setting off to rescue his wife and child.
Description
Pellucidar, the sequel to At the Earth’s Core, was published in 1915. It continues the adventures of David Innes as he returns to the hollow interior of the Earth in search of his friend Perry and his lost love Dian the Beautiful. He takes with him many tools and weapons, intent on bringing civilization to the savage world within, which is populated with dinosaurs and neolithic creatures. He has many perilous adventures as he battles to survive.
Description
The Gods of Mars is Burroughs’ sequel to A Princess of Mars. After ten long years, John Carter is again transported to Mars to try and determine the fate of his wife Dejah Thoris, but finds himself in the forbidden Valley Dor, from which no man may return. Published serially in five parts between January and May 1913, this sequel appeared a year after the initial serialization of its predecessor. It was eventually published in its full novel form in 1918.
Although the Martian series contains ten books in total, the first three—of which The Gods of Mars is the second—are often considered a stand-alone trilogy. Throughout the series, Burroughs’ imagination and sense of adventure shine through, and his extravagant prose and innovative vocabulary raise the works up above run-of-the-mill pulp fiction.
Description
In A Princess of Mars, John Carter is transported to a Mars inhabited by strange civilizations and embarks on various adventures on his quest home. Often held up as a seminal example of pulp science fiction, A Princess of Mars is the first entry in Burroughs’ epic Martian series, and the first to feature the character of John Carter.
Though often categorized as just a pulp adventure tale, A Princess of Mars was hugely influential on many budding science fiction writers, professional scientists, and explorers of the day. The novel remains a light, fast-paced, and enjoyable read, and continues to inspire adaptations nearly a hundred years after its publication.
Description
The baby of an English aristocratic family becomes orphaned in the equatorial African jungle, and is raised by apes. As he grows up he discovers he is human, and very different from his anthropoid companions. He learns and develops human traits, yet retains his primitive skills and physical prowess. As he comes into contact with other humans, conflict, adventure, wonder, and triumph result. To those he encounters, Tarzan becomes a symbol of the natural man, contrasting with the shortcomings and perfidies of human society.
Description
The Chessmen of Mars, the fifth installment in the Martian series, was originally serialized in six parts in Argosy All-Story Weekly before being published as a novel in 1922. It introduces Tara, Princess of Helium, the headstrong daughter of John Carter, the Warlord of Mars. Just like the rest of the novels in the series, this one is packed with imaginative characters and locations. In true Barsoomian fashion, Burroughs regales us with an action-packed adventure: planet-shaking storms, daring swordfights, horrific dungeons, complex alien cultures, and wild escapes. While the story may be considered a standard pulp adventure, it also introduces a bit of philosophy by exploring the connection between the mind and the body.
Of special note is Jetan, or Martian chess, which holds a central place in the storyline. Burroughs includes an appendix so that interested readers may play the game themselves.