To my new readers, there are some references to a previous article that was published on a website launch that fizzled out. Some of this also appeared in the ERB APA. I promise that you haven’t missed on anything by not seeing the original #1 Retirement plan article.
In Spring 2020 amid Covid 19, I completed collecting 87 published works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I started reading Burroughs with Tarzan of the Apes but was probably introduced to the idea of Tarzan in the works of Philip Jose Farmer. Mind you, I was a diligent fan of the Tarzan movies and the T.V. show growing up so it was only natural as a teen I would pick up some ERB. As much as I loved Tarzan, John Carter and Pellucidar, it was a lesser-known work THE MOON MEN that sold me on ERB.
Off and on over the years I would buy Burroughs books with the thought that I would own a complete set of Tarzan’s one day. A couple of years back at the Sacramento Antique Faire, I walked by a suitcase full of the Tarzan novels. With one fell swoop, I now owned all the novels except for TARZAN OF THE APES. I then hunted down the 11 John Carter of Mars books and pulled the ERB books out of storage that I had bought over the years. After cataloging, I realized I owned 60 ERB books. After checking various list I identified 83 works to collect and started pursuing owning them. As I progressed and I talked to other collectors my list would be expanded to 87 works.
Now that I own them, it seemed prudent to read them. Originally, I thought I would read the Tarzan books first then the John Carter books and proceeded with that plan. A thought occurred to me after the 4th Tarzan book, was that although I’m seeing the progression of Tarzan as a character and some changes in writing by Burroughs, I wasn’t really seeing the progression of ERB as a writer. So, I altered my reading plan instead to read his works in order of writing. I have to be careful since some of his works were printed long after they were written.
In looking at a list of ERB works, I realized that he was his most prolific in his first 5 years which indicate to me a hungry writer trying to make the most of his characters. This makes sense in studying ERB. Once his characters were established, he started to market them in other media and that would take some of his focus away from writing.
“Retirement Plan #1” discussed the earliest works of Philip Jose Farmer, Michael Moorcock and Stephen King. Philip Jose Farmer often cited his love of Burroughs creating such characters as Kickaha the Trickster channeling Tarzan. Farmer would go on to write a fictional biography of Tarzan as well as some very dark pastiches of the character in his Secrets of the Nine books. Moorcock’s earliest works like the WARRIOR OF MARS were direct homages to ERB’s Barsoom series. Stephen King with his latest novel FAIRY TALES admits to going back to his early days of reading and his love of Edgar Rice Burroughs.
So for my second installment of The Retirement Plan, I give you “The Master of Adventure” Edgar Rice Burroughs.
A PRINCESS OF MARS (Under the Moons of Mars)
By Edgar Rice Burroughs 1911
Publish 1912 All Story Magazine
A PRINCESS OF MARS, the start of a legacy and first John Carter of Mars tale. This was Burroughs first sale and showcased his wondrous imagination, heralding the creation of fantastic worlds and fantastic creatures.
Princess begins Burroughs' conceit of placing himself within the tale via the introduction. This concept loosely connects the works of ERB into a shared universe. Stephen King will use a similar idea to connect his works. In 2020 ERB Inc would use this conceit to create a ERB shared Universe making it more than just a passing easter egg in the novels. The introduction gives us the first of ERBs ideas of the ageless hero, something Philip Jose Farmer will expand and exploit in his TARZAN ALIVEandDOC SAVAGE: HIS APOCALYPTIC LIFE works. Carter is an officer of the Confederate army who does not age. He relates his story to Normal Bean who is a relative and an author. Little side note- originally ERB authored the book as Normal Being but an editor of All Story Magazine changed it to Norman Bean.
The first two chapters mines Burrough’s experience in the old west as a member of the cavalry. It is with the next chapter that ERB opens up his imagination and transports us to Barsoom (Mars). John Carter first meets the Tharks, giant green martians with two sets of arms. Carter is only able to compete with the Tharks due to the lower gravity of Mars gaining him added strength, agility and stamina.. As he lives among Tharks, Carter is exposed to some of the creatures of Barsoom including the White Apes (ferocious predators), Banths (six legged lion like creatures) and Thoats (a Barsoomian equivalent of the horse).
Also introduced while Carter is a captive of the Tharks is the beautiful Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium. A Red Martian who’s physiology is similar to the human race except that they lay eggs. Burroughs puts our hero through his paces with him ultimately saving the Dejah Thoris but we are left with a cliffhanger. Another device that will appear in some of ERB’s earlier works.
Burroughs is a product of his times and John Carter is a prime example of the Burrough’s hero. They have an internal set of honor, defend women at all cost, and although seemingly selfish always act with chivalry and justice. In today’s world, the tendency is to go more into the psyche and motivations of characters so it is refreshing to return to a time when heroes were motivated to do the right thing because well, it was the right thing. Being his first published work there are some flaws in pacing at times but Princess of Mars is well worth the read, setting the scene for subsequent Barsoom novels and the beginning of the career of one of the great authors of the 20 century.
For those wishing to read A PRINCESS OF MARS, there are many versions out there since the story is in the public domain. One of my favorites is IDW’s version illustrated by Michael W. Kaluta.
Outlaw of Torn
by Edgar Rice Burroughs 1911
Published 1914 New Story Magazine
THE OUTLAW OF TORN was the second novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs although there were at least 6 other novels published in the magazines before Outlaw. It is set in the time of Henry III and loosely follows the historical tribulations of King Henry III. In many ways it is a take on the Prince and Pauper with a kidnapping and subsequent raising of Prince Richard away from his lineage. Similar to his soon to be more famous literary ancestor, Prince Richard is raised away from home without knowledge of his family. There is a dual influence as he grows into manhood of the great but malevolent swordsman De Vac and the virtuous, knowledgeable Father Claude. Richard senses something wrong with De Vac and so leans more and more towards the influence of Father Claude.
As adventure stories go, it flows well and you can see Burroughs is feeling his way. Some of the themes and tropes that will appear often in his works first make their appearance here. The orphan raised by other influences without knowledge of heritage. The seemingly scorned suitor recognizing the nobility of the hero so instead of fighting for the hand of the fair maiden, he acquiesces to his rival. The chivalrous idea the spurned suitor wants for his love to be happy and secure.
Since I’m not a historical fiction fan, if this hadn’t been Burroughs I would never have tackled it. For me the excitement is seeing the career of ERB as a writer unfold. Seeing the ideas that will be fleshed out and put to excellent use in his next novel- Tarzan of the Apes.
Tarzan of the Apes
By Edgar Rice Burroughs 1911
Published October1912 The All-Story Magazine
Edgar Rice Burroughs' third novel would introduce his most enduring character. While Princess of Mars opened the publishing doors for Burroughs, Tarzan of the Apes would solidify his place as the creator of one of the most iconic characters of the 20th century. It would also be his breakthrough novel giving him some prestige and leverage moving forward in the publishing world. In some ways it is hard to reflect on the novel without looking at it through the lens of what is being created and how Tarzan has changed in multiple other venues.
Burroughs surreal Africa would surely have been influenced by the historical meeting and written account of Henry Morton Stanley searching out and meeting David Livingstone (1871) as well as the works of H.Rider Haggard such as KING SOLOMON MINES and SHE published in the 1880s. One can assume that Tarzan being raised by the apes was also influenced by such works as Rudyard KiplingsTHE JUNGLE BOOK and the tales of Mowgli. Influenced does not mean copied both characters commune with the animals of the jungle but where Mowgli is one with animals, Tarzan grows to become master of the animals. Tarzan’s existence is a much more violent existence of learning to hunt and kill.TARZAN OF THE APES unlike THE JUNGLE BOOKS was written explicitly for an adult audience. The modern thought that Tarzan is a character for juveniles has more to do with media interpretations and the changes in literary content in the last century.
Because Africa is considered the “dark” continent, meaning that much of it was unexplored by Europeans, Burrough’s will be able to create a fantastical Africa of immense jungle and lost cities but that is getting ahead of the story. In TARZAN OF THE APES his creativity gives us a boy raised by apes, pirates, a strong female character in Jane Porter and the rich milieu of equatorial Africa.
The story is an action adventure at its best, a far cry from the Johnny Weissmuller / Maureen O’Sullivan encounter of “Me, Tarzan- You, Jane”. The reader can tell that Burroughs considered the puzzle of how a boy raised by apes learns to speak English. Tarzan learns to write before he speaks and he learns French before he learns English. As Burroughs adds more stories to the mythos, Tarzan will become quite the linguist.
The story is also a romantic tragedy with Burroughs revisiting the theme from OUTLAW OF TORN where Tarzan vying for the affection of Jane gives up his claim thinking that she is better off with his rival.
It isn’t a flawless book but it is raw imagination and the forging of a modern myth. It has the exuberance of a new author playing with ideas that had marginally been explored before. It is also Burroughs finding his rhythm, his style setting the tone for things to come.
Like A PRINCESS OF MARS, TARZAN OF THE APES has many versions out there. In my opinion the best modern version is the “authorized’ publication from Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. This version includes exclusive artwork by Joe Jusko and auxiliary material concerning Burroughs and his works.
Minidoka
By Edgar Rice Burroughs 1903
Published Dark Horse 1998
For completion's sake, I'm including the novelette MINIDOKA, a work reprinted more for its historical importance than true literary merit.
Minidoka is the first written work by ERB but wasn’t published until the 1998 by Dark Horse Comics. It was written by ERB for his children and seems to be influenced strongly by L. Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz published in 1900. The story is whimsical, playing with words and popular culture of the time. If it wasn’t the first work known by Edgar Rice Burroughs it probably would have never seen the light of day but hey it’s ERB. I confess that a lot of what we know ERB for is not evident in this tale except for the glimpse into his imagination. The saving grace of Dark Horse’s publication is the interior illustrations by Michael W. Kaluta and a sweet cover painting by J. Allen St. John.
Hopefully I’ve whetted your appetite for reading one of the influential writers of the early 20th century. If all goes well, the next Retirement Plan will delve into some 21st century works.