Princess of Mars
By Edgar Rice Burroughs
Because of the expiration of their copyrights many excellent books are available in various formats for a very low fee, or even free from amazon, as it does for this book. Amazon also offers the entire set of all Edgar Rice Burroughs’ seven Jack Carter books about his experiences on Mars for only ninety-nine cents. Burroughs is famous for writing the Tarzan books. This book is totally unlike the movie that was made about it in virtually every way, as I show in my review of the film on amazon. The following is some highlights about the book, but I am careful not to include a host of details that make the book interesting, clever, and suspenseful.
Jack Carter of Virginia was a captain in the Confederate Army. He had served previously in various countries as a soldier of fortune and was well-adapt in military affairs and was very strong. After the Civil War, he and a fellow officer went west prospecting for gold. They found a large vein of gold, but while attempting to lay claim to the strike, his partner was killed by Indians and Carter lay wounded in a cave.
He awoke naked and discovered that somehow he had been transferred to Mars. Because of the low gravity on the planet he found he could jump extremely high. Later he realized he had also developed some telepathic powers.
Mars had many nations but they were of two types. There were the fifteen feet tall somewhat primitive green people who did not look human. There were also people who looked like humans and were of human size, but were red.
Carter establishes relations with both groups even though the two groups are fighting each other. Several people and a creature stand out. There is the princess who is the granddaughter of one of the human-like people. Carter falls deeply in love with her and occasionally has problems because he fails to act with her according to Martian customs. There is a green leader of his people who strongly dislikes the supreme leader because of something that man did to him. There is a female green person who likes Carter; she has a secret that can change the green society. She teaches Carter the Martian language. There is another green female who dislikes Carter and causes him many problems. And there is a ferocious looking beast that falls in love with Carter, like a faithful dog. Carter remains in Mars for ten years and has many adventures until something significant happens.
This is an enjoyable book that contains many unusual clever ideas that readers will find interesting, such as the children of both the green and red people being hatched from eggs that must remain in an incubator for five years.
