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Barton
03-17-2010, 09:18 PM
Edgar Rice Burroughs

If there's one Sci-Fi author I could refer to, it's him. His John of Mars series captivated me in Middle School and I enjoyed each book just as much as the last. The mix of action, Science Fiction, and Romance in his books inspired me to write as I do now. The books blend all three so different genres so seemlessly a person would think that they were reading a biography rather than a narration.

The adventures are so colorful and vivid, you can almost see the planet of Mars and its inhabitants when you close your eyes; the books are so detailed they entrap the reader and make them want more, while being short enough not to bore he who reads it. As the stories progress, it is not as episodes in your favorite TV series (random and not pertaining to any solid plot) rather, they all connect by furthering the stories of past characters and introducing new ones.

Burroughs is an author ahead of his time: His first book, having been copyrighted in 1912, is about a Southern United States man who takes refuge within a cave in the middle of Arizona. The cave, having some mysterious power, transports the main character "John Carter" to the surface of Mars, where his new life unfolds around him. Mars has amazing ships and crafts that float in the air gracefully, though being heavy metal; the science included in this Sci-Fi work makes every last detail as believable as if it were in the morning News.

Though I only mention his "John of Mars" series, Burroughs is also the man behind such characters as Tarzan. This link has only a handful of his works, but perhaps it may convince those who've never read something by him to decide to pick up the next Burroughs book they find.

http://www.literature.org/authors/burroughs-edgar-rice/


That's my two-cents worth; Adios, y buenos noche!

margaine
03-18-2010, 05:42 PM
Interesting. I've read Tarzan of the Apes, but I didn't really realize that Burroughs wasa sci-fi author. Though Tarzan extends beyond reality, I wouldn't immediately characterize the first book (which is the only one I've read) as sci-fi.

Barton
03-18-2010, 08:35 PM
Interesting. I've read Tarzan of the Apes, but I didn't really realize that Burroughs wasa sci-fi author. Though Tarzan extends beyond reality, I wouldn't immediately characterize the first book (which is the only one I've read) as sci-fi.

Then you definitely need to read his "John of Mars" series. The first book of the series being A Princess of Mars and the official name for the series being "The Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs". You'll have a different outlook on him, for sure!

Jez
03-18-2010, 10:20 PM
Barnes and Noble sells a nice omnibus edition for relatively cheap: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/John-Carter-of-Mars/Edgar-Rice-Burroughs/e/9781435115569/?itm=2&USRI=edgar+rice+burroughs

Moony
03-19-2010, 02:39 AM
I have read the first book in the Tarzan series, but I still need to get my hands on the others. I can't read at Literature.org so I shall see what I can find at the library when the mood strikes me. I've been spoiled on the Disney movie, so reading the book of Tarzan was quite a surprise.