In this bi-weekly series reviewing classic science fiction and fantasy books, Alan Brown looks at the front lines and frontiers of the field; books about soldiers and spacers, scientists and engineers, explorers and adventurers. Stories full of what Shakespeare used to refer to as “alarums and excursions”: battles, chases, clashes, and the stuff of excitement.
Edgar Rice Burroughs is one of the pioneers of science fiction, and the exploits of Earth-born adventurer John Carter on the planet Mars are among his best works. A few years ago, I looked at the first book in the Barsoom series, A Princess of Mars. Since the summer is the perfect time to read books full of pulpy action and adventure, today I’m diving into the second and third adventures in that series, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars.
I have these three books in two forms in my library. The first is a pair of books from the Science Fiction Book Club, which published the first volume alone, and the next two in an omnibus edition. But the volume I used for this review is Under the Moons of Mars (which takes its name from the very first tale of the planet the natives call Barsoom), a collection that contains the first three Barsoom books, published in hardback in 2003 by University of Nebraska Press, as part of their Bison Frontiers of Imagination series. The book is nicely bound, although the typeface is kind of an odd one, with extra-tall capital letters, and in which the letter “f” shows up in different sizes depending on where it appears in a word. The dust jacket features a wonderful painting by Michael Whelan that originally appeared on a Del Rey paperback, and has some nice interior illustrations created for this edition by Scott Beachler.
When I revisited Burroughs’ Venus and Pellucidar series in this column, despite thinking I had read them all in my youth, I discovered that I had actually only read about half the books. And that was the case with the books I’m looking at today. I had read the first Barsoom book, and remembered the second, but the third book was new to me. In this day and age, when computers make purchases and inter-library loans effortless and books can even be sent directly to your phone, it is hard to imagine missing books in a series. But in the ancient times of my youth, when books were paper artifacts, scattered among a variety of stores or libraries, you read whatever you came across, regardless of whether you’d read the book that came before it, and sometimes would not find the book that followed.
About the Author
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) was one of the most popular authors of the early 20th century, making an indelible mark on both science fiction and adventure fiction. I’ve looked at his work in this column before, including A Princess of Mars, the book Pirates of Venus and the rest of the Venus series, and also Tarzan at the Earth’s Core and the other Pellucidar books. All those columns contain more biographical information on the author. And that review of the first Barsoom book also includes a discussion of John Carter’s adventures in other media, including movies and comic books. You can find much of Burroughs’ work available to read for free at Project Gutenberg, including most of the Barsoom series.
A Princess of Mars
For those who might not remember the details, I’ll provide a short summary of the book that started the series. In it, John Carter, a cavalryman who fought for Virginia in the Civil War, is trapped in a cave full of strange carvings. And when the planet Mars catches his eye, he finds himself suddenly whisked away to that world. His strength aided by the lesser gravity of Mars, he runs afoul of the Tharks, a fierce race of Green Martians with tusks and four arms apiece. His martial prowess wins him an honored place in their ranks, and the friendship of one of their great chiefs, Tars Tarkas. Then Carter meets a Red Martian prisoner, the incomparably lovely Dejah Thoris, the eponymous princess of the title. The two fall in love, although they must overcome the inevitable misunderstandings that make romance difficult in books such as this. Eventually they are married, and she lays an egg that will become their child (despite this difference between Earth and Martian people, they are cross-fertile). But during a struggle to save an atmosphere plant that keeps the Martian air breathable, Carter finds himself transported back to Earth, where he spends years pining away and wondering what happened to his lost love.
The Gods of Mars
The next book, originally serialized in 1913, opens with John Carter’s wishes being granted as he finds himself on Mars again. Unfortunately, he is immediately attacked by fierce plant men. He encounters a Green Martian who is also fighting to survive, and realizes it is his old friend Tars Tarkas. This might seem like an improbable coincidence, but those who read Burroughs quickly become used to such coincidences. If a magical force can transport you from one world to the next, why wouldn’t it bring you to the side of an old friend in their hour of need? It turns out they are near the South Pole of Mars, in the Valley Dor, where the River Iss supposedly carries Martians to paradise at the end of their lives. But this religious belief turns out to be a horrible lie, as those who are not devoured by the fierce inhabitants of the valley are either devoured or taken as prisoners by the Therns, a race of White Martians who consider themselves the gods of Mars. Carter and Tarkas are captured and meet the beautiful Thuvia, a Red Martian maiden who is smitten with Carter (who immediately tells her he is married and not available for romance).
There is an attack by the Black Pirates of Barsoom, and Carter steals an airship, accidentally rescuing a captured Thern princess, Phaidor, who is also immediately smitten with Carter (who, true to form, rebuffs her romantic interest, infuriating the spoiled princess). Tarkas and Thuvia, on another airship, are able to escape. The Black Martians refer to themselves as the “First Born,” and consider themselves gods even higher than the Therns. The Black Pirates recapture Carter and take him to Issus, their queen, an ugly and evil woman who not only rules the Black Pirates, but as the unseen goddess of the Therns, rules them as well. The religious traditions of Mars turn out to be a confidence racket, with each level of “gods” being manipulated by the next—a nice little parable about the dangers of blind faith in fundamentalist teachings.
Carter is forced to fight in gladiatorial games, and befriends the Black Pirate Xodar, who he defeats in combat, as well as befriending a noble young Red Martain. The three of them escape, and find Thuvia, who tells them Tarkas is in the hands of a rival tribe of Green Martians. Carter discovers the young Red Martian he befriended is his own son, Carthoris (yet another of those improbable Burroughs coincidences). They rescue Tarkas and return to civilization, where Carter is condemned as a heretic, but given a year before his execution. He finds that his wife, Dejah Thoris, thinking him dead, had taken the trip down the River Iss, and Carter pledges to save her.
Having gained many friends among the Red Martians during his previous time on Mars, Carter is able to build a fleet of a thousand airships (in secret, a notion that boggles the imagination), with a million crew members, and supported by a quarter of a million Green Martian cavalrymen. They set out to defeat the self-styled gods of Mars, and are aided by the fact that the Therns and Black Pirates, in addition to fighting the Red Martians, fight viciously among themselves. There are fierce battles in the air and through the holy cities, but just as Carter is about to rescue Dejah Thoris, she is imprisoned in a rotating stone tower in a cell whose door is only accessible once a year. Moreover, she is trapped inside with Thuvia and the insanely jealous Phaidor, who tries to murder Dejah Thoris just as they pass out of sight.
The Warlord of Mars
The next book, first serialized in 1914, picks up right where the last tale ended. While allies of John Carter assume leadership of the Therns and the Black Pirates, he himself is impatient to rescue his beloved from her stone prison at the end of the year. There is a rather feeble running gag about Carter thinking the year will consist of 365 days until he is reminded the Martian year is longer. Carter follows Thurid, deposed leader of the Black Pirates, to a secret meeting with Matai Shang, deposed head of the Therns and father of Phaidor. The two discuss a secret way into the cell where Dejah Thoris, Thuvia, and Phaidor are trapped, a way that does not require waiting for the full year to elapse. Carter tries to follow them, desperate enough to make a harrowing free climb up the outside wall of a fortress, with only cracks between the stones for purchase. But the villains free the women and flee on an airship to the north. With only his faithful Martian hound Woola to aid him, Carter steals an aircraft and heads out in pursuit.
They reach the equatorial land of Kaol, where people still respect the old religions and their leaders, but Thuvia’s father shows up and demands she be freed. Instead, Thurid and Matai Shang take their prisoners and flee even further north, to the land of the reclusive Yellow Martians, who dwell in a valley protected by a magnetic tower that destroys any incoming airships. With the aid of warrior Thuvan Dihn, Carter disguises himself as a Yellow Martian, and the two fight their way through fierce beasts in the Caves of Carrion. Carter’s disguise fails and he is captured, finding that the head of the Yellow Martians has decided to marry Dejah Thoris.
Carter is imprisoned in the torture chamber ironically named the Pit of Plenty, but escapes and leads an uprising of enslaved Red Martians. He sees a Red Martain airship fleet flying to his aid, but realizes he must neutralize the magnetic tower—otherwise his friends will be destroyed. After a fierce fight with a mad scientist, this is accomplished, and the battle for the Yellow Martian city is underway. I’ll end the recap here so as not to spoil the ending. Some of you might be wondering about the identity of the Warlord of Mars mentioned in the title, and why Carter has not met him yet, but those questions are answered before the tale ends.
The work of Burroughs has sometimes been criticized for reflecting the prevalent racism of the times when it was written, and one could certainly argue that John Carter fits the tired “White Savior” trope. At the same time, one of the overarching themes of the first three Barsoom books is how people from different races can overcome their differences and become allies. Wherever John Carter goes he makes friends, first with Green Martian Tars Tarkas, and then with people from every other race of Mars. And he shows them how to work together toward common goals. Burroughs can sometimes be heavy-handed with his social commentary, but this message is presented effectively by being shown through Carter’s actions, not relayed through exposition or a lecture.
Final Thoughts
Together with A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars and The Warlord of Mars offer the reader a rousing tale of planetary romance. While the Mars series continued on from this point, these three books make a single, cohesive story that concludes with a solid and satisfying ending. These books present Burroughs at his best, with a larger-than-life protagonist who is strong, principled, brave, and true. Not someone we would expect to meet in real life, but someone we might aspire to be. The writing from this early part of Burroughs’ career feels fresh and energetic. I’m glad I gave these books a try, because they were perfect reading for a summer day. In fact, I’m going to do some digging around to track down the rest of the series, because I obviously missed more than a few books, and these were a lot of fun.
And now I’d like to hear from you, either about these books in particular or the Barsoom series in general.
