John Carter of Mars

John Carter of Mars This final installment in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Barsoom series combines two distinct stories about the warrior John Carter's adventures on Mars. The book represents a unique collaboration, as the first tale was written by Burroughs' son John Coleman Burroughs, while the second comes from Burroughs himself. The first story, "John Carter and the Giant of Mars," began as a children's book in 1940 before expanding into a full adventure tale. The second story, "Skeleton Men of Jupiter," takes Carter beyond Mars to face new challenges on Jupiter, though this planned series of connected stories was never completed. These tales continue the series' focus on exploration, heroism, and interplanetary adventure that defined the earlier Barsoom books. The contrast between father and son's writing styles offers readers insight into how two generations interpreted the same fictional universe.

Readers praise the imaginative world-building and fast-paced adventure elements, with many noting how the book influenced later science fiction works. The romance between John Carter and Dejah Thoris resonates with fans who appreciate the straightforward storytelling style. Common praise points: - Vivid descriptions of Martian culture and creatures - Action sequences maintain excitement - Simple but engaging prose style Common criticisms: - Dated attitudes toward gender and race - Basic character development - Repetitive plot devices - Scientific inaccuracies Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (32,187 ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (1,246 ratings) Sample reader comments: "Pure escapist fun without pretension" - Goodreads reviewer "The science is nonsense but the adventure never stops" - Amazon reviewer "Shows its age in treatment of women but remains entertaining" - LibraryThing reviewer Many readers recommend approaching it as a pulp adventure story rather than serious science fiction.

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🚀 The Barsoom series began in 1912 with "A Princess of Mars," serialized in All-Story magazine, and would eventually span 11 novels. 🌌 Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote most of the series while living in Southern California, where he also founded the town of Tarzana, named after his other famous creation, Tarzan. ⚔️ The character of John Carter influenced numerous science fiction works, including Star Wars, with George Lucas citing the series as a direct inspiration. 🎨 The distinctive art style associated with the series was largely established by Frank E. Schoonover's cover illustration for the first book's hardcover edition in 1917. 🔭 Burroughs' Mars was inspired by astronomer Percival Lowell's theories about canals on Mars, which were widely believed to be real at the time of writing.