Civil War veteran John Carter is transported to a dying planet, where he must elude capture by giant green barbarians to rescue a Martian princess from certain doom. In this landmark of science fiction, the myths and mystery of the red planet supply a vibrant backdrop for a swashbuckling epic.
Published in 1911, A Princess of Mars introduced a popular series of novels recounting John Carter's Martian exploits. Author Edgar Rice Burroughs, best known as the creator of Tarzan, employed a new style of writing that combined the genres of fantasy, adventure, and science fiction. His imaginative setting — an advanced but decaying civilization, where Olympian heroics play out against malevolent forces and ever-changing fortunes — endures as a timeless world, in which love, honor, and loyalty form the basis for fast-paced romantic adventures.
Generations of readers have thrilled to Burroughs' Martian tales, including writers of science fiction and fact, such as Ray Bradbury and Carl Sagan. "I stood on the lawns of summer, raised my hands, and cried for Mars, like John Carter, to take me home," remembered Ray Bradbury, "I flew to the red planet and never returned."