In the 1980s Castle Books put together a simple anthology of Edgar Rice Burroughs tales that are set from the deepest core of Earth to the plains and deserts of Mars. I think the purpose of the book is to give an overview of the breadth of Burroughs because these are certainly not his best tales.

Rather than A Princess of Mars which I think is his best work in the Mars series, we are shown Thuvia, Maid of Mars and The Chessmen of Mars. These two tales are pretty good but unless you've been reading the earlier books I don't think they really stand that well on their own.

John Carter returns to Earth and gives his grandson some stories that he writes down for the reader. The people of Lothar, the evil Chessmen (damn that Bobby Fisher, joking), and other harrowing tales.

Typical pulp formula: the hero falls in love with the unavailable woman who doesn't even know he's alive. The girl is kidnapped, the boy rescues her, they go through various dangerous experiences, the end. But Burroughs' writing is such a page-turner, they're awesome (to use an overused word).

The Pellucidar series is interesting as well. Rich with detail of intelligent lizards, ancestors of pirates and cavemen, and David Innes' attempts to civilize them. The stories reflect Burroughs' apparent anti-war sentiment in my mind.

The occasional drawings are harsh pencil sketches which depict certain scenes. They're not bad artistic renditions, but the artist is uncredited, unless you can read the scrawl at the bottom of the sketch. He/she is no Frank Frazetta, however.

The book itself has a small font and is formed in the pulp fiction style of two columns each page. This is just like the old Forties' pulp magazines popular during Burroughs' time.

So if you want a taste of what Burroughs' scifi fiction was like or want something different than the jungle fiction of Tarzan of the Apes, then pick up this book. There are better anthologies however.


( )

In the 1980s Castle Books put together a simple anthology of Edgar Rice Burroughs tales that are set from the deepest core of Earth to the plains and deserts of Mars. I think the purpose of the book is to give an overview of the breadth of Burroughs because these are certainly not his best tales.

Rather than A Princess of Mars which I think is his best work in the Mars series, we are shown Thuvia, Maid of Mars and The Chessmen of Mars. These two tales are pretty good but unless you've been reading the earlier books I don't think they really stand that well on their own.

John Carter returns to Earth and gives his grandson some stories that he writes down for the reader. The people of Lothar, the evil Chessmen (damn that Bobby Fisher, joking), and other harrowing tales.

Typical pulp formula: the hero falls in love with the unavailable woman who doesn't even know he's alive. The girl is kidnapped, the boy rescues her, they go through various dangerous experiences, the end. But Burroughs' writing is such a page-turner, they're awesome (to use an overused word).

The Pellucidar series is interesting as well. Rich with detail of intelligent lizards, ancestors of pirates and cavemen, and David Innes' attempts to civilize them. The stories reflect Burroughs' apparent anti-war sentiment in my mind.

The occasional drawings are harsh pencil sketches which depict certain scenes. They're not bad artistic renditions, but the artist is uncredited, unless you can read the scrawl at the bottom of the sketch. He/she is no Frank Frazetta, however.

The book itself has a small font and is formed in the pulp fiction style of two columns each page. This is just like the old Forties' pulp magazines popular during Burroughs' time.

So if you want a taste of what Burroughs' scifi fiction was like or want something different than the jungle fiction of Tarzan of the Apes, then pick up this book. There are better anthologies however.


( )

Featuring five books in one, this Burroughs omnibus takes you on a journey through both Pellucidar and Barsoom.

The Pellucidar tales chronicle David Innes conquest of the Mahars and his later capture at the hands of his enemies (and the failed attempt of Tanar to rescue him).

The Barsoom tales feature Carthoris, son to John Carter and Dejah Thoris, and his attempts to rescue his true love, Thuvia. Additionally, we meet Tara, the daughter of Carter and Thoris, and her journeys across Barsoom after getting lost while traveling, and the subsequent rescue attempts of the man who has fallen for her, Gahan. Finally, we meet Ulysses Paxton, fellow Earthman to Carter, who apprentices to a mad scientist of Mars known for his body-swapping technology. Paxton strikes a bargain with the Master Mind of Mars: restore his love's mind to her rightful body, and he will perform the body swap on the scientist, who is distrustful of all Martians.

This collection, while meant to give one an overview of these two science fiction worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, does not work well as it starts on Pellucidar's second book, and Barsoom's fourth. This requires a reader new to ERB to go back and read these precursor books to get the best appreciation. You're better off going with all the book individually, though you're on your own when you need to decide the placement of books on your shelf when you get to Tarzan at the Earth's Core. ( )