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| |  Welcome to
our home page for Edgar Rice Burroughs'
"A Princess of Mars." Together we will take a journey to the Planet
Mars and the incredible adventures of Captain John Carter and his wife, Dejah
Thoris, Princess of Helium. From the rear jacket panel of the first edition book
"The Princess of Mars" the following:
| Think,
of battling for a woman, beautiful as a houri, with Green Men of Mars,
creatures fifteen feet high, limbs which will function either as legs or
arms, of horses like dragons, and watchdogs like enormous frogs with,
with ten legs. These are some of the extraordinary creatures of Mars.
Only the man who created Tarzan, the Ape Man, could write so bold a
story. - From the Dust Jacket of the First Edition of The
Princess of Mars |
The purpose of this web site is to honour and create awareness of a literary
genius' creation and character which has found its place in the permanent mythos
of the American annals of fantastic literature. They are the creation of one
man, Edgar Rice Burroughs and they are Barsoom (Mars) and John Carter of Mars,
hero. The Mars of Edgar Rice Burroughs and the creation of its characters have
laid the foundation from mulitudes of science fiction and fantasy authors that
followed. They all owe homage to this man.
From the rear jacket panel of the first edition book
A Princess of
Mars (see dust jacket cover above) the following, and thus
starting the saga of Captain John Carter, Warlord of Mars, Prince of Helium:
| Think,
of battling for a woman, beautiful as a houri, with Green Men of Mars,
creatures fifteen feet high, limbs which will function either as legs or
arms, of horses like dragons, and watchdogs like enormous frogs with,
with ten legs. These are some of the extraordinary creatures of Mars.
Only the man who created Tarzan, the Ape Man, could write so bold a
story. |
 |
| First
edition dust jacket, courtesy of Phantom Bookshop collection |
From the dust jacket panel of the first edition of the second "Mars
Book,"
The Gods of Mars:
| In
this book, continuing the stirring adventures narrated in A Princess
of Mars, sturdy John Carter of Virginia finds himself once more upon
the strange planet forty-three million miles from earth. How he recovers
his wife and son; how he fights the great white apes and the "plant
men," ferocious creatures with sucking mouths in the palms of their
hands, and whose mighty tales swish their victims to instant death: and
how he defies even Issus herself, terrible Goddess of Deah, whom all
Mars worships and reveres, are among the gripping episodes described in
this second daring narrative of adventures on the dying planet of
Barsoom.
The author, pastmaster creator of tales extraordinary, has here given
a new story written with all the inimitable vigor and marvellous
imagination which have made his famous "Tarzan" stories the
delight of countless admirers.
|
 |
| First
edition dust jacket, courtesy of Phantom Bookshop collection |
From the dust jacket panel of the first edition of the third "Mars
Book,"
The Warlord of Mars:
|
A continuation of the wonderful adventures of John Carter of Virginia on
the mysterious red planet. The story is full of thrilling situations and
the reader is taken breathlessly from one exciting adventure to another.
There are desperate encounters with ferocious banths and other horrible
creatures. Old acquaintances reappear, Tars Tarkas, Tardos Mors and
others of the Jeddaks and we meet again the faithful Woola, ever ready
in defense of John Carter. There is a happy ending to the story in the
union of the Warlord, and title conferred upon John Carter because of
his desparate valor, with Dejah Thoris. |
 |
The debate over just how John Carter did get to the planet Mars was never
resolved. Was it a dream or an "out-of-body" experience?
Dejah Thoris of Mars
 | Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, is the wife of John Carter. |
Who is John Carter of Mars?
| Captain John Carter is the chief hero of the Mars books of Edgar Rice
Burroughs. In the first book "The Princess of Mars," Edgar Rice
Burroughs states that he personally knew him as "Uncle Jack" and
that he frequently visited his father's home in Virginia, just prior to the
beginning of the American Civil War. J He seemed to have a good sense of
humor and was always laughing, and engaged in sports with young and old with
the same enthusiasm. He also was a world traveler and liked to tell stories
of his adventures. He was well loved, even by the slaves in Edgar Rice
Burroughs' father's fictional home in Virginia.
|
| John Carter was athletic, tall, dark and smooth-faced.He was a fine
example of manhood and stood six feet two inches tall, and had the carriage
of trained fighting man. He had broad shoulders and narrow hips. He had an
interesting face with regular and clear cut features and closely cropped
black hair. His eyes were steel gray and showed a strong and loyal character
with fire and resolve. John Carter had perfect manners and the courtliness
of a southern gentleman highly refined. He was also an excellent horseman
and was a "reckless" master of the equine.
|
| John Carter apparently never aged and appeared suddenly to Edgar Rice
Burroughs 16 years later, with a somewhat preoccupied vision of life. When
the Civil War broke out he disappeared and went to Arizona to prospect and
was very successful and eventually lived in New York. Captain Carter
left his entire estate and writings (of his strange life) to Edgar Rice
Burroughs. He was often seen standing in the moonlight with his arms
outstretched to the heavens in some kind of "appeal."
|
| On the morning of March 4, 1886, Captain Carter was found dead by the
local watchman and the police chief and several other locals assembled in
his study. The body was found, still warm, with his arms outstretched
in the snow at full length, and the llocation was the one that John Carter
was seen previously with his outstretched arms in supplication to the
heavens. The cause of death was determined to be heart failure, according to
the coroner.
|
| According to the instructions left to Edgar Rice Burroughs by Captain
Carter, his body was to be removed to Virginia without embalming, and was to
be laid in an open coffin within a tomb which was previously constructed by
John Carter. Further instructions were that Mr. Burroughs was to receive the
entire income from his property for 25 years. Additional instructions were
that the manuscipt (of "The Princess of Mars") was to remain
sealed and unread for 11 years, and that the contents were not to be
devulged until 21 years after his death. The body laid in the tomb for many
years, but its massive door was equipped with a single, hugd gold-plated
spring lock which could only be opened from the inside... |
|
