Meet John Carter. Gentleman of Virginia. Civil War veteran. Fighter, adventurer, treasure-seeker. Did I mention he’s also been to Mars? Well he has. He’s rather famous there, too. All things considered, this guy makes Indiana Jones look like a couch-potato with a fedora fetish.
Mr. Carter gets his introduction in A Princess of Mars, the first in an eleven book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs. The author’s name may not ring any bells for you, but you’re probably familiar with his work. He’s the writer behind Tarzan of the Apes, and his Barsoom series – which began with A Princess of Mars – went on to inspire the likes of Bradbury, Heinlein, and Clarke. Whether you realize it or not, E.R.B. has left a giant Tharkian footprint on science fiction. I for one am mighty glad he did.
The story opens with a lengthy narration by Carter, as he explains how he went from hiding in cave in Arizona – he ran afoul of the local Apaches, it seems – to waking up on the fourth planet from the sun. It’s actually a non-explanation (the details of this weird transportation are never fleshed out), but that’s something you’ll have to get used to if you read A Princess of Mars. Sometimes things just happen. Deal with it. Once the story gets going, you won’t care much about how John Carter ended up on Mars; you’ll just be happy things worked out that way.
In no time at all our hero is picked up by the Green Men of Thark and held as prisoner. Carter isn’t exactly suited to captivity, though, and he soon earns a reputation among his “hosts” as someone not to be trifled with (having a body count on your resume will usually help with that). His strength and skill eventually gain him a high position in the tribe, and he becomes the friend and ally of Tars Tarkas, a noble Thark chieftain.
All this is but a prelude to the real story: the one involving Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, captor of John Carter’s heart. Throw in some political intrigue, lots of derring-do, a touch of romance, and a sense of humor, and you’ve got yourself one of the most shamelessly entertaining popcorn novels ever written. Grab your favorite beverage and prepare to watch a plucky little sword-wielding Earth-man wreak havoc on another planet (Barsoom, as the natives call it). It’s good pulpy fun.
Burroughs is a great writer, and his vibrant descriptions of the Martian landscape lend the story a firm sense of place, bringing the planet and those who dwell there to strange but exciting life. The story is about as straightforward as they come; it’s not stupid, and it’s not Heinlein – it’s just entertaining. And frankly, in a literary scene dominated by cynical, world-weary protagonists, there’s something refreshing about a hero as square and unironic as John Carter: loyal friend, fearsome enemy, determined lover, helper of the distressed. I read one review which described him as “egotistical in the extreme,” but I never found this to be true. The man is simply confident in his abilities. Perhaps we’ve forgotten what that looks like in a hero. I’d love to see more of it.
THE INK SLINGER 
Nice review — definitely an important novel in the history of the SF genre. What do you think about the criticisms of the novel related to its treatment of race? If you think about it, everyone is distinguished and JUDGED by their color — the yellow people, the green people, the red people etc. People are good or bad dependent entirely on their race. This is a critique that is leveled at a lot of SF — as you can imagine….
An intriguing criticism, but I’m not sure it holds much water. As I recall, there are two kinds of Martians in the first book – the green men and the red men. John Carter doesn’t side exclusively with either one (and both are said to be good and noble in their own ways). Carter ends up siding with the green men of Thark, but opposes the green Warhoons. He also allies himself with the red Martians of Helium against the red Martians of Zodanga. In all of this, his principle drive seems to be his love for Dejah Thoris, a “red woman”.
So I’d have to disagree with the bald assertion that “everyone is distinguished and judged by their color”. Many of the Martians that Carter interacts with are judged as individuals, by the content of their character, regardless of their skin color or background.
Thanks for dropping by and leaving such a good discussion-starter. :)
I am more referring to later volumes…. when there are extensive wars between factions based on color.
Ah. Well, I haven’t read any of the sequels yet, so I can’t say much… :)
An issue to keep in mind then…