Product Description
Widely known as the creator of Tarzan of the Apes, Edgar Rice Burroughs was also one of America's most imaginative writers of science fiction. This tale of the amazing world of Pellucidar is a fine example of that genre. Discovered by two men who travel to the center of the earth in a bizarre mechanical device, Pellucidar is a land of perpetual noon--where time does not exist. It is also home to gallant heroes, lovely maidens, horrifying villains; and savage, prehistoric beasts. How the inhabitants of this strange land survive in a Stone Age level of development is revealed in a gripping adventure that will thrill countless readers partial to exotic locales and heart-pounding excitement. Unabridged republication of the edition published by Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1923.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

never received
Please let me know how I find out where this went as I never received it. I don't really hate it, but since I never received it so I hate that I didn't get what I paid for.

Fun audio book
This review is for the audio book version of this novel that was read by Patrick Lawlor.I had listened to the first book in this series, At the Earth's Core (MP3 CD) (Pellucidar), with my 11-year old son and we liked it and decided to follow up with this book, which is the direct sequel.This had the same reader and he used the same characterizations as in the first book, which made for great continuity for me as a listener.I thought his voice was perfect as David Innes.

This book is vintage Edgar Rice Burroughs, with lots of action and adventure.The hero is always getting into difficult situations yet seems to get out of them under almost miraculous circumstances.There is also romance and many interesting characters and creatures.This is clearly not great literature, but is wonderful entertainment that can keep you on the edge of your seat.

As an engineer, sometimes I have a hard time with some of the physics of Pellucidar, but Burroughs does a good enough job to be consistent in his science.I recommend this book as an entertaining sequel to the first volume.A great listen for a road trip with the younger boys in your family.

Even better than the first book.
This is the sequel to At The Earth's Core.Some of the reviews here say that it isn't quite as good as the first.I happen to think that it's a little bit better.Burroughs seems to avoid some of the continuity errors he made in the first book, and really it's quite a worthy addition to any adventure-reader's library.

Leonaur Ltd. is publishing the definitive Edgar Rice Burroughs 21st century editions.
Leonaur Ltd. is publishing the definitive Edgar Rice Burroughs 21st century editions. These usually contain 2 books of the different ERB major series in order - thus far John Carter, Pellucidar, and Carson of Venus. In the future, possibly Tarzan!
These books are handsome and my rating is mainly based on this - the ERB fan knows best about the rest of it.
This second volume of Pellucidar novels reflects a sharp drop in quality form the first. Nevertheless, for completists, this beautiful edition is a must. And second grade ERB is usually better than most of other fantasy/science fiction/romance writers' first grade.

Lost on Pellucidar
This is the sequel to At the Earth's Core.That book ended with the hero, David Innes, back on the surface world and separated from his mate, Dian the Beautiful.In this book, he returns to Pellucidar to get her back.This is a formula in many Edgar Rice Burroughs books; the hero becomes separated from his lady love, and has a series of adventures until he is reunited with her.It may be a formula, but it's a successful one.Sure, the plots may be similar, but there are always different strange, exotic worlds to encounter.There was a reason ERB was the most popular pulp writer of his time.Fans of pulp fiction will enjoy this book. ... Read more

Product Description
Thuvia, Maid of Mars is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Edgar Rice Burroughs is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Best Woman of the Mars Series
I think this may be the best of the Mars series. Although Thuvia's emotions are discussed like a man's, she is a character in her own right. She is also given the tough choice between her life and embracing another ruler. The romance in this story also seems more enchanting than the rest of the Mars series, but perhaps it's because we see Burrough's attempt at the woman's point of view through her own thoughts instead of the abstractions he uses to describe previous character's desires, like those of Dejah Thoris. Granted, Burroughs isn't perfect in that his women think and react like slightly more feminine versions of his male characters and do what is expected of them, but the attempt makes his women certainly seem more human than before. In short, this novel is one I would recommend to anyone reading Burroughs for the first time, especially a female reader, because it has both the adventure and fighting his novels always have and realistic characters which they often lack.

Burroughs, out of his box
Thuvia, Maid of Mars isn't your typical Burroughs' science fiction novel. Although it shares many of the elements that Burroughs' books usually have, in this novel, Burroughs goes out of his box with some new inventive elements that come to life.

A planetary romance
The novel can be classed as a planetary romance. This genre is a subset of science fiction, similar to sword and sorcery, but including scientific elements. Most of the action in a planetary romance is on the surface of an alien world, usually includes sword fighting, monsters, supernatural elements as telepathy rather than magic, and involves civilizations echoing those on Earth in pre-technological eras, particularly composed of kingdoms or theocratic nations. Spacecraft may appear, but are usually not central to the story. (From Source: Wikipedia).

Some background information
Burroughs began writing Thuvia, Maid of Mars, in April 1914, at the time describing it as a 'Carthoris' story. After a break in California, he had begun a furious writing schedule, including other works as well as what was to become Thuvia, Maid of Mars. A new editor, Robert H. Davis, had replaced Newell Metcalf, the previous editor of All-Story Magazine (which had published Burrough's previous Barsoom novels), at the now amalgamated All-story Cavalier Weekly. Davis wrote to Burroughs on June 12, 1914 after reading previous fiction (including Tarzan), suggesting ideas and suggesting a meeting. (From Source: Wikipedia).

The focus of the novel
In this novel the focus shifts from John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and Dejah Thoris of Helium, protagonists of the first three books in the series, to their son, Carthoris, prince of Helium, and Thuvia, princess of Ptarth. Helium and Ptarth are both prominent Barsoomian city state/empires, and both Carthoris and Thuvia were secondary characters in the previous novel. (From Source: Wikipedia). ... Read more

Product Description
The Monster Men is presented here in a high quality paperback edition. This popular classic work by Edgar Rice Burroughs is in the English language. If you enjoy the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs then we highly recommend this publication for your book collection. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Yes, it is Tarzan meets Frankenstein
As many of the other reviewers noted, the premise of this story is that someone creates a Frakenstein-like man who then goes on a wild Tarzan-like adventure.

It's quite entertaining, though I thought that the main twist at the end was a let down.In any case, it's certainly worth downloading as a free ebook.

Tarzan+Frankenstein=THE MONSTER MEN
Great pulp fun from the master. Picture Frankenstein mixed with Tarzan...that is the bizarre concoction that is THE MONSTER MEN. The best thing about reading this over most of ERB novels is that you only need to read one and not feel committed to a series. Those who know Tarzan and his Mars series and would rather avoid those because they feel they already know the story but want to try ERB would do well to read this. ERB's style is in as good a form as it is in those series, so go ahead and spend four hours reading this to see what a good pulp really is if you have never tried one!

Very collectible Frank Frazetta Cover art
This is the 1963 ACE F-182, first paperback edition of this book. It has a very collectible cover art by Frank Frazetta.
Dr. Von Horn's is attempting to create life from chemicals on a hidden jungle island near Borneo. Number Thirteen is the only name the creature knows, and he knows by looking at the other creatures made before him that he is much more human than these monsters. He discovers that Von horn is holding a girl as a prisoner, and determines to rescue her and gain his own humanity. But the Doctor and his monsters are not going to make it easy. It is a fun read, classic Burroughs adventure, not drawing on any characters from other of his books.

Frankenstein meets Tarzan in Southeast Asia
The title of my review should tell you the basic plot of this crudely told but entirely unique novel. This is one of ERB's earliest tales and shows the fertility of his imagination in its blending of fictional concepts and the lush description of a part of the world he had never visited. Unfortunately ERB gives one of the major characters some rather annoying cliched dialogue, but at least he treats the character sympathetically otherwise and has him prove to be a pivotal figure in the story. Amazingly for a pulp serial, the most interesting characters may be the title creatures, who realize their plight as freaks unaccepted by anyone outside their group and endure many grim trials in the jungle. As with just about any ERB story, there is a love subplot which is interesting in its atypical development by the author. Of course also the flaws of much of ERB's work are too--gratuitous heroic stupidity and mindboggling coincidences being chief among them. Such is the form though, and I rank Burroughs as my favorite author. That being the case, I guess I can't complain too much since he could do far worse and occasionally did. Anyway, this is a novel different from anything else in fiction that should be read by fans of pulp fiction looking for a different take on familiar material.

Biology and Genetics Reign Supreme
In the heroic world of Edgar Rice Burroughs, there never is any question of the superiority of genetics over environment.No matter how one is raised, how that person turns out must be a function of that person's DNA.In Tarzan, the reader sees this at every step.In Burroughs' other novels, he often sets up the hero whose fortune is melded in some way by a manipulation of science.In THE MONSTER MEN, Burroughs borrows liberally from the Frankenstein motife to set in motion a plot that involves creating artificial beings (much as he did in his Barsoom series) whose existence as near humans serves only to set off by contrast the inner nobility of a higher order of man who often became his heroic protagonists. In this case, the Mad Scientist is Professor Maxon, who creates a series of misshapen monster men from a vat of noxious chemicals. His first twelve candidates are but gruesome simulacra of human beings.But his number thirteen is a smashing success.He is handsome, muscular, and with a mind that is a tabula rasa, a blank slate. The plot, of course, is deliberately melodramatic.Number thirteen slowly evolves speech (much like Frankenstein's monster) and a human consciousness.He falls in love with Maxon's lovely daughter.Naturally, she is the target of numerous and lecherous thugs.What marks THE MONSTER MEN as noteworthy is the strong characterization that allows Burroughs' readers to overlook consistently what must have even then been slipshod science and convenient coincidence, both of which strain credulity.The ending is typical, but to those who come to THE MONSTER MEN from any of the Tarzan canon, the closure is expected and satisfying. Burroughs must have had little faith in how his heroes interact with society and culture.Today, such an unswerving belief in the power of DNA to determine destiny seems quaint, but in the world of Edgar Rice Burroughs, such a fixed subtext makes it easy for the reader to connect with the hero in a manner that is now denied to modern day heroes who wax philosophically about how nurture creates nature. To Burroughs, it is often the other way around.
... Read more

Product Description
Edgar Rice Burroughs' tales of Tarzan are collected here in one giant book. This edition includes an active table of contents. Included in this book:

Tarzan of the Apes
The Return of Tarzan
The Beast of Tarzan
The Son of Tarzan
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
Tarzan the Untamed
Tarzan the Terrible ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Tarzan Collection
This is a great way for a novice Tarzan fan to actually read the original story written by Burroughs.Even though the collection is not a complete set (i.e., does not include all of the Tarzan books), it definitely givesthe reader the complete view of Tarzan's world as Burroughs created it(which is nothing like the Disney version of it).I truly enjoyed thesebooks as much as any of the others that Burroughs produced. ... Read more

Product Description
For six long Martian months I had haunted the vicinity of the hateful Temple of the Sun, within whose slow-revolving shaft, far beneath the surface of Mars, my princess lay entombed-- but whether alive or dead I knew not. Had Phaidor's slim blade found that beloved heart? Time only would reveal the truth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

More swashbuckling and edge of your seat chases
I'm a fan of Burroughs and the Mars series, but I can't give this book five stars. One of Burroughs great strengths is his sense of drama, and his ability to make fantastic heroes believable.

But in Warlord of Mars, he goes just a bit overboard. Coincidence as a major plot device was always one of ERB's weaknesses. In Warlord nary an event goes by that isn't influenced in a major way by unlikely coincidence. Because his books are so much fun, we forgive him for this. But it just happens too often in Warlord, and it detracts from the book.

Still, this is a fun read, and a must read after the first two books, because you are going to have to follow through to see when and how John Carter and Dejah Thoris finally are reunited. We meet a new Barsoomian race, and have a final confrontation with villains we first met in "The Gods of Mars". Its nonstop action from start to finish, and introduces what was undoubtedly one of the first, if not the first, "dungeon crawls" in fantasy literature.

Warlord concludes the opening trilogy of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. Warlord is in the public domain, so make sure to get the free Kindle edition, or download it for free also from Operation Gutenberg's web site.

Book three is more ferocious than the first two.
Sometimes the first three books are referred to as a trilogy as the first two books have cliff hangers.Of course we know this is not the end due to the number of book written.

In this part of the story we left John waiting at the Temple of the Sun. Everyone knows that he as not long to wait until his old nemeses' devise a plot of revenge. Soon John, while in the process of chasing the capturers of Dejah Thoris, will come up against untold and unfathomed barriers to the end of the world. Luckily he has old Woola at his side.

Reading this make you want to get out you sward and join in.

Still as with all places ruled by law, John will have to meet with the Judges of the Temple of Reward ad face the consequences of returning from the Valley of Dor and the Lost Sea of Korus. As no one can escape judgment.

From the South pole of Mars to the North
John Carter starts out mourning the loss of his beloved Dejah Thoris, trapped by some bad guy at the end of the last book with an evil tempered competitor for John Carter's affections.Our hero chases his beloved from one pole of Barsoom to another, encounters another race of Mars, the yellow men, and kills, cliff-hangs, occasionally stumbles, and eventually rescues his princess.

On the one hand, only one new race was introduced in this book, the yellow men, to compliment the green, red, white, and black men (and I'm limiting it to sentients).This is a little disappointing, as his average is down, but some of the monsterous creatures introduced, like the sith (lower case to distinguish them from the Sith of Star Wars Prequel Trilogy), are very impressive and add to the story.

Like all of the Barsoom stories, "Warlord of Mars" has the values of a different era.These are not self-rescuing princesses, everyone recognizes John Carter's Earthly superiority, combat is recognized as a viable approach to problem solving, and so forth.But the series is free of the sarcasm, irony, and self-righteousness that are hallmarks of contemporary fiction.These books have an authenticity that has been lost in an era of over-sensitivity and pessimism.

Leave critical thought and excessive sensitivity on the porch, go on to Barsoom and enjoy.

E. M. Van Court

A must read after Princess & Gods.Great father-son activity.
This is one of the best of the entire series of 11 books.I read the entire series myself as a boy of 15.I decided to read it to my 11-year-old son as a father-son bedtime story activity.We just finished Llana of Gathol. This book had the drama, action, and adventure that my son and I will remember together for a lifetime.You certainly would want to read the first books in the series ('Princess of Mars' and 'Gods of Mars') prior to this one.Warlord gives you the continuity of the first two books in the full ERB style.By the time you get to Warlord you're ready for a conclusion to John Carters adventurous rescue of his prized desire, Dejah Thoris.This is the culmination of what feels like unending high (and sometimes over the top) adventure resulting in John Carters ultimate recognition as Warlord.Highly recommended!

Triumphant Trilogy
I loved this book.I loved the first three books.Yeah you wonder why they don't just shoot each other instead of swordfights to the death and the whole backdrop of how he gets to mars is odd today but the sense of wonder and the audacity of the ideas he keeps throwing at you page to page is just fantastic.The tech is odd but must have seemed astounding at the time.Kept in context this book is truly amazing.Compared to today the descriptive tech and the swordfights are odd but the rush of ideas, cliffhangers and all make this the King of cliffhangers.
I AM SURPRISED HOW MUCH I REALLY RECCOMMEND THIS BOOK TO OTHERS. THANKS TO DAD FOR RECOMMENDING IT TO ME. ... Read more

Product Description
And consequent to this thought there enveloped him a blind frenzy of hatred for these creatures who dared thwart his purpose and menace the welfare of his wife. With a savage growl he threw himself upon the warrior before him twisting the heavy club from the creature's hand as if he had been a little child, and with his left fist backed by the weight and sinew of his giant frame, he crashed a shattering blow to the center of the Waz-don's face--. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

excellent till the end
This book is clearly more experimental for Burroughs in that there are traps the Ape-man can't escape from. Also, the depth of the Ho-don and Waz-don civilizations in Pal-ul-don is well fleshed out and because of this is somewhat reminiscent of the way Burroughs constructed his Martian countries. Too, Korak's last appearance as a major character in a Tarzan novel is well placed if too short. The ultimate failing of the book lies in something Burroughs did all too frequently with his characters be they Tarzan, John Carter, or David Innes: Tarzan doesn't get to exact personal revenge on the men who kidnaped and tried to rape his wife. Had Burroughs not chickened out at the end and given the just reprisal to another character, this would have been the quintessential Tarzan novel. Still, though, it is worth the read.

Tarzan tracks Jane to the strange land of Pal-ul-don
The original novel "Tarzan of the Apes" is clearly the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs novel and the one you have to read if you read only one ERB pulp fiction adventure, but all things considered "Tarzan the Terrible" is a better example of what would be the typical Burroughs yarn. The eighth book in the Tarzan series, "Tarzan the Terrible" continues the adventure begun in "Tarzan the Untamed" when the Lord of the Jungle discovered the burnt corpse of his wife, Jane after German soldiers visit his African home. ERB never really did like Jane all that much (he though La of Opar would have been a better mate) and killed her off. However, he had no more success in keeping her dead than Arthur Conan Doyle did with killing off Sherlock Holmes, and Tarzan learns that Jane was not murdered by the Germans but kidnapped and sets off in pursuit. Originally published as a seven-part serial in "Argosy All-Story Weekly" in February-March, 1921, "Tarzan the Terrible" continues his private war against the German invaders.

Tarzan has spent two months tracking his mate to Pal-ul-don ("Land of Men"), a hidden valley in Zaire, when he finds a land of strange animals (dinosaurs) and a pair of strange humanoids with tails that he befriends. Ta-den, is a hairless, white skinned, Ho-don warrior, while O-mat is a hairy, black skinned, Waz-don, chief of the tribe of Kor-ul-ja. Of course, in this new world Tarzan becomes a captive but impresses his captors so well that they name him Tarzan-Jad-Guru ("Tarzan the Terrible") because of his skills and accomplishments. Meanwhile, a second visitor comes to Pal-ul-don, wearing only a loin cloth and carrying an Enfield rifle along with a long knife, bow and arrows (think about it). However, it is indeed in Pal-ul-don where Jane is now being held captive, a pawn in a religious power struggle that consumes the rest of the novel as Tarzan tries to rescue her and set things to right in the strange kingdom he has discovered.

"Tarzan the Terrible" has all of the elements you expect from your standard Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. The hero pursues his beloved and has to go through an extended series of fights and escapes to rescue her. Jane does exhibit a bit more spunk this time around (she captures, cleans, and eats a rabbit), so there is an effort to make her more worthy of her jungle mate than before. The religious and social customs of Pal-ul-don are worked out a bit more than we have seen previously in the Tarzan series, which would become more dependent on Tarzan discover more "lost cities" in the interior of darkest Africa with the descendants of Roman legionnaires, crusaders, or whatever. "Tarzan the Terrible" is almost as good as "Tarzan the Untamed," and in many ways represents the end of the glory days of Tarzan. You are only one-third of the way through the series at this point, but after this one the stories get a bit redundant and repetitive as ERB milks his romantic adventure formula for all its worth.

Tarzan tracks Jane to the strange land of Pal-ul-don
The original novel "Tarzan of the Apes" is clearly the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs novel and the one you have to read if you read only one ERB pulp fiction adventure, but all things considered "Tarzan the Terrible" is a better example of what would be the typical Burroughs yarn.The eighth book in the Tarzan series, "Tarzan the Terrible" continues the adventure begun in "Tarzan the Untamed" when the Lord of the Jungle discovered the burnt corpse of his wife, Jane after German soldiers visit his African home.ERB never really did like Jane all that much (he though La of Opar would have been a better mate) and killed her off.However, he had no more success in keeping her dead than Arthur Conan Doyle did with killing off Sherlock Holmes, and Tarzan learns that Jane was not murdered by the Germans but kidnapped and sets off in pursuit.Originally published as a seven-part serial in "Argosy All-Story Weekly" in February-March, 1921, "Tarzan the Terrible" continues his private war against the German invaders.

Tarzan has spent two months tracking his mate to Pal-ul-don ("Land of Men"), a hidden valley in Zaire, when he finds a land of strange animals (dinosaurs) and a pair of strange humanoids with tails that he befriends.Ta-den, is a hairless, white skinned, Ho-don warrior, while O-mat is a hairy, black skinned, Waz-don, chief of the tribe of Kor-ul-ja.Of course, in this new world Tarzan becomes a captive but impresses his captors so well that they name him Tarzan-Jad-Guru ("Tarzan the Terrible") because of his skills and accomplishments.Meanwhile, a second visitor comes to Pal-ul-don, wearing only a loin cloth and carrying an Enfield rifle along with a long knife, bow and arrows (think about it).However, it is indeed in Pal-ul-don where Jane is now being held captive, a pawn in a religious power struggle that consumes the rest of the novel as Tarzan tries to rescue her and set things to right in the strange kingdom he has discovered.

"Tarzan the Terrible" has all of the elements you expect from your standard Edgar Rice Burroughs novel. The hero pursues his beloved and has to go through an extended series of fights and escapes to rescue her.Jane does exhibit a bit more spunk this time around (she captures, cleans, and eats a rabbit), so there is an effort to make her more worthy of her jungle mate than before.The religious and social customs of Pal-ul-don are worked out a bit more than we have seen previously in the Tarzan series, which would become more dependent on Tarzan discover more "lost cities" in the interior of darkest Africa with the descendants of Roman legionnaires, crusaders, or whatever."Tarzan the Terrible" is almost as good as "Tarzan the Untamed," and in many ways represents the end of the glory days of Tarzan.You are only one-third of the way through the series at this point, but after this one the stories get a bit redundant and repetitive as ERB milks his romantic adventure formula for all its worth. ... Read more

Product Description
Second book in Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

Better than the first!
There is a great cast of characters in this book.Its been a long time since I read the first few Tarzan books, but I don't remember his supporting cast being as well drawn as the characters in this book.Tars Tarkas for example--John Carter's four armed, green skinned war chief of a best friend is just amazing. In some ways he is an even more interesting character than John Carter (his backstory in the first book is wonderful).

This book picks up about where the first left off, ten years later, again introduced by John Carter's distant cousin--Edgar Rice Burroughs, pretending to be a Virginian.John Carter claims to have figured out how he travels between Earth and Mars and has prepared his young nephew for the upcoming excursion. (To a degree it reminds me of the Perelandra tales of C.S. Lewis, except MUCH better.)

John Carter goes back to Mars, hoping to be reunited with his princess, Dejah Thorris, only to find himself having transported to the worse place on Mars to be.He has transported into the Dor Valley--essentially he is on his way to the land of the dead.In this book he discovers the 'truth' of the Martian spiritual beliefs, which up unto this time he had been content to respect.

He encounters races that in his time on Mars before, had been unknow to him at all.There are white martians, the holy Therns--essentially a priest class, and black martians, the First Born, who are essentially an over pampered high class. He also comes face to face with the goddess of death, Issus.

Its a great book, and the love between John Carter and Dejah Thorris is really well illustrated.

Now on to the third, as the second left me wanting more and while it was 'wrapped up' it wasn't really.

Be sure to read "A Princes of Mars" first
We last left John suffocating and wondering if we will ever see him again (except for those few intrepid people that dare to read ahead)

"Twelve years passed since I laid the body of my great-uncle, Captain John Carter, of Virginia, way form the sight of men in that strange mausoleum in the old Cemetery at Richmond."

John returns to a Mars he never saw before yet soon finds old friends and new adventures. Not everything is black and white as in the Saturday morning cowboys.The story is a never-ending series of last minute escapes until the very end when, well read the book and find out. Once again, we get to kibitz.

A Princess of Mars

Timeless classic.
I just finished Gods Of Mars and am ready for chapter 3.I feel truly fortunate to have "discovered" burroughs at 43.The rush of action, the clash of steel and its all mine for the taking.I have been forewarned that perhaps after the first three books it becomes hit and miss but I shall discover that for myself.Do yourself a favor and pick up A Princess Of Mars - book 1 - if you haven't already.

I love this series
Burroughs gets a lot of love for his Tarzan books, but one never hears much about these books.If you love adventure stories, swashbuckling, and good old fashioned rescue missions, you'll love this series.CLASSIC in every sense of the word.

Life on Mars!
The Viking lander in the 70's proved there was no life on Mars. If you just forget that while reading this book you will enjoy it from beginning to end. Gods of Mars takes place ten years after the first John Carter Mars book, A Princess of Mars, but you really don't have to read it to enjoy this one. Another note, this there is a John Carter of Mars movie in the works due out some time in 2006-(7?). Check out this imdb link to learn more:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0401729/ ... Read more

Product Description
Burroughs classic series with an active table of contents. This edition includes both "At the Earth’s Core" and "Pellucidar."
... Read more

Product Description

This collection was designed for optimal navigation on Kindle and other electronic devices. It is indexed alphabetically, chronologically and by category, making it easier to access individual books, stories and poems. This collection offers lower price, the convenience of a one-time download, and it reduces the clutter in your digital library. All books included in this collection feature a hyperlinked table of contents and footnotes. The collection is complimented by an author biography. Author's biography and stories in the trial version.

Customer Reviews (13)

Tarzan and more
Although everybody must have seen the movies of Tarzan and he has become some kind of cliche, I do recommend wholeheartedly to read the original text. Rice masterfully develops the most appealing character in the smart, funny, strong, innocent, reliable, courageous man who is brought up by animals and wanders alone in what is practically a paradise. It is a beautiful utopia of what human beings could be in nature. What makes us human goes far beyond culture, remaining intrinsically in the soul. We get to see how Tarzan learns everything by himself, even learns to write and think with words of his own. The freshness of discovering the world through Tarzan's eyes is an adventure in itself! It's not too late if you haven't read the Tarzan series, get this collection and you won't regret it.

Fantastic Value
An avid reader all my life, the (abridged) Tarzan series was one of my favorites as a teenager.I read the 4 that I had over and over again.

I am enjoying rediscovering these incredible books as an adult (a bonus for me are the extra sections that were omitted from the abridged versions I read - it's like watching the extended versions of movies).

This collection is fantastic value for money at under 5 bucks.

Comments from the Publisher
Comments from the Publisher:

This collection was updated and now contains complete Moon series: The Moon Maid, The Moon Men, and The Red Hawk.
The Venus series contains 4 out of 5 books: Pirates of Venus, Lost on Venus, Carson of Venus, and Escape on Venus. It is missing The Wizard of Venus (1970).

MobileReference

Perfect format for the Kindle!
Perfect format for the Kindle!

I've purchased over 10 of these complete author collections from this publisher. These collections work superbly on the Kindle. Take Mark Twain collection. The collection includes huge number of Mark Twain's works all in one place, searchable and well-organized. If I would have purchased all these books separately, searching for `The Gilded Age' among hundreds of other books on my Kindle would be a nightmare. With Mobile Reference collections, I simply click `Works of Mark Twain', then click Novels> `The Gilded Age'. I can also click `List of works in alphabetical order' > `G' > `Gilded Age'. If I forget the book title but remember that `The Gilded Age' was written by Mark Twain early in his career, I can click on `List of works in chronological order' > (1873) `The Gilded Age'.

If I want another author, say, Charles Dickens, I click `Home' > `Works of Charles Dickens'. If I want Dostoevsky, I click `Works of Fyodor Dostoyevsky'. I think this format is perfect for organizing books on the Kindle.

Inside collections, each book has links to chapters and footnotes. The text is nicely formatted and seems to be complete and accurate - something that cannot always be said about inexpensive ebooks. I think these collections are great bargains both in terms of saved money, time, and book organization!

A Steal
Please disregard those reviewers below who mentioned the Moon and Venus series were missing; if this ever was a problem, it's been fixed. This is probably the coolest thing ever to happen to Kindle. As a life-long Tarzan fan, (my dad read them to me when I was younger,) I was exhilarated to find all of them for under $5. And although I'm a voracious reader, this collection kept me occupied for an unprecedented amount of time, as I expanded from Tarzan to ERB's other enjoyable series. Kudos to whoever ok'ed these all for release; hopefully the tactic will work, and the next generation will become stuck on Tarzan. ... Read more

Product Description
At the Earth's Core
The Beasts of Tarzan
The Chessmen of Mars
The Efficiency Expert
The Gods of Mars
Jungle Tales of Tarzan
The Land That Time Forgot
The Lost Continent
The Mad King
The Monster Men
The Mucker
The Oakdale Affair
The Outlaw of Torn
Out of Time's Abyss
Pellucidar
The People that Time Forgot
A Princess of Mars
The Return of Tarzan
The Son of Tarzan
Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar
Tarzan of the Apes
Tarzan the Terrible
Tarzan the Untamed
Thuvia, Maid of Mars
Warlord of Mars
... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Ruined by poor TOC, strange font and incomplete to boot.
If you look at the TOC, it says "Complete Works".It ain't.In addition:

1.The TOC is a disorganized jumble; you cannot tell which books are part of which genre/series, nor are they in any order I can discern.

2.In addition, whatever font-sizing is used is different from everything else on the Kindle (Latest Generation), so you'll have to play with that every single time you switch to something else (dictionary, reference, etc.).

3.This is NOT a "Complete" works by any means.The Martian/Barsoom series has only 5 of the 12.Haven't bothered to check the rest.

Needs to be re-edited for Kindle
I'm not going to say much about the content. Just be warned that reading too much Burroughs at once will reveal that he basically writes the same story over and over again! But I love them anyway and the price is definitely right. I would especially recommend *The Mad King*. Better than *The Prisoner of Zenda* in my opinion. I loved it as a teenager and I still like it a lot.

However, just try to get to any individual work without reading all the way through. Some of the table of contents links work, some don't. Paging through a book you don't want to read in order to get to one you do is tedious to say the least.

One of the deficiencies of the Kindle's system, in my opinion, is that it doesn't have the line-break/hyphenation intelligence of any decent word processor. This e-book was obviously created for some device that's not a Kindle. The typesetter (possibly a scanner?) hard-coded hyphenations and they ALWAYS fall in the middle of the Kindle's line, regardless of the type size. It's annoying and if I hadn't been dead set on reading some of the works I loved in my youth I probably would have given up.

Content = 5 stars, presentation = 1 star. Hence, 3 stars.

Classic for a reason
Half way through the first book of about thirty, which details the origins of John Carter Warlord of Mars, I find the book an easy read, and not hopelessly dated as some science fiction from this period might be. I am reading it on my phone, the kindle app for the droid seems to work well although the menu doesn't seem to work so I am destine to read the novels in order, which is perhaps not a bad thing, the price is defiantly right, so if you want to get a lot of very good to okay SF novels for a low low price this seems like a good way to go.

Book for Kindle
This is like going back to 50's TV only you have to read - But on a Kindle That's new. ... Read more

Product Description
John Carter of Mars is a series of books written by Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is currently being turned into a film produced by Pixar and directed by Andrew Stanton (director of the critically acclaimed WALL-E and Finding Nemo)

The first three books in the series were told from the point of view of John Carter; many books followed the first three, but frequently were written in third person. The entire series is eleven volumes and titled the “Barsoom” series.

This Kindle book contains the first three books in the series. It also contains an easy to navigate table of contents.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Burrough's Best
Yeah, there are more titles in the whole series, but the first three make a full novel with the story of John Carter's arrival, his almost "super-human" abilities to jump and fight, and his undying love love for the incomparable Dejah Thoris.You have seen it all before, but the power of Burrough's vision and the details of the world of Barsoom show how good ERB could write when the spirit moved him.These three books are far superior to the others of the series and, let's face it, you can't beat the cost at about a buck.I hate to sound like a brown-noser, but Amazon has a winner with its prices and the Kindle.

John Carter of Mars Collection
Be careful!!! I have this and my CD box cover lists a price of $19.99.

Don't Buy - Can only read on a PC
I've read this collection several times in my distant past, and loved the stories!I was very disappointed when I received the CD and learned that the only way I could read it was on a PC monitor.Audio or the ability to print the stories for reading is not available on the CD.It is extremely misleading on the way it's sold.Buyer Beware!

a must
i read my first John Carter book when i was 12 years old; i am considerably older than that now and still enjoy re-reading them; a must for anyone who likes good story telling with the added dimension of sciencefiction - science fiction that was remarkably advanced for its time

AWESOME
IT IS AN AWESOME SERIES! IT IS ONE OF THOSE BOOKS YOU HAVE TO READ ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
SHEA had just beaten me at chess, as usual, and, also as usual, I had gleaned what questionable satisfaction I might by twitting him with this indication of failing mentality by calling his attention to the nth time to that theory, propounded by certain scientists, which is based upon the assertion that phenomenal chess players are always found to be from the ranks of children under twelve, adults over seventy-two or the mentally defective - a theory that is lightly ignored upon those rare occasions that I win. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

Good Book
Well-formatted Kindle version of the classic Mars book.Chapter breaks, line breaks, margins are appropriately configured.No noticeable typos or transcription errors.

You thought YOU had problems with an adolescent girl?
John Carter, Warlord of Mars, and his stunning wife, Dejah Thoris of Helium have a daughter, Tara.An adolescent daughter who has everything a young woman could wish for, including an arranged marriage on the horizon with a nice guy.Well, you can see where this is going.Princess Tara decides that having it all isn't good enough for her, so she has a tantrum and storms off.No, literally storms off when her solo flight gets caught up in the storm of the century.An enamoured prince sees his opportunity to push Tara's affianced out of the picture and races after her.Tara gets enslaved with a possible invitation to be the guest of honor at a banquet held by a race that has unusual tastes in slaves, the Kaldanes.

The Kaldanes... focus on things of the mind rather than the physical, and are the heads of another species, the rykor.

After escaping this threat, Tara and her hero stumble into the hands of a tribe of red men who specialize in jetan, the chess of Barsoom, with a refuge from the Kaldanes in tow.

Fighting, intrigue, treachery, heroism, concealed identities, and a happily ever after.First rate adventure from Barsoom.

"The Chessmen of Mars" has two firsts; humor and philosophy.The refuge from the Kaldanes demonstrates a warped sense of humor that just tickled me, but it is the first real effort at humor I've observed in ERBs Mars series.And prior to this book, ERB offered little philosophy more than "big sword, good; fair fight, good; bad guys, bad".In this one, he discusses the merits and drawbacks of pursuing physical and intellectual excellence, and the need for balance in life and personal development.

Despite the effort at intellectual stimulation, I enjoyed this one at least as much (if not more) than the previous Mars books.

E.M. Van Court

Interesting to say the least
This was a bizzare installment to the Barsoom series, but nontheless exciting and entertaining.As the previous book featured Carthoris, John Carter's son, as the main character, The Chessmen of Mars features his daughter Tara as she is held against her will by the hideous head-people the Kaldanes.Eventually she is rescued by a warrior who won't give her his name (because they met months earlier and Tara rejected him, but doesn't realize this is the same man.)As they trek towards civilization the are caught in the clutches of a lost society that uses living people in the martian version of chess as public entertainment-where people fight to the death.Will they escape?

As always, there is the classic damsail in distress theme with lots of swordfighting.A little slow in the first part while Tara is held captive by the Kaldanes, but it's a big improvement on the previous novel Thuvia: Maid of Mars.I definately recommend this.

A treasure trove that has been mined for decades: Chessmen of Mars
"Surprise, surprise, surprise!" --as Gomer Pyle used to say on 60's television. What? You don't remember Gomer Pyle and Sarg? ("Gohooh-OOLLLLL-EEE" and "PIE-yull!") What DO Gomer Pyle and Edgar Rice Burroughs have in common? Here it is; you don't remember Gomer unless you are my age or older (baby boomer) and most of you don't remember Burroughs. Or didn't read him. So science fiction authors have been flagrantly mining Burrough's best book for simply decades and it still is going on.

This book is RICH in ideas, images, creative notions, science fiction achievements and has been the inspiration for "homage" by many of the greatest sci-fi and fantasy authors I can name. So I am going to do name some names, and then give you a sample of the prose from the book, so you know what to expect when you read it.

Madeleine L'Engle stole IT for her superb "A Wrinkle in Time." IT is in here. The goal of the Kaldanes is to make a giant brain to control the planet. A subterranean control brain--ah, didn't the Original Star Trek swipe that in what is arguable the WORST EPISODE EVER (Spock's Brain.)

The symbiotic Kaldane and Rykor--these spidery nasty heads were used in a different form by several authors, including Heinlein who made them into the Puppet Masters in the book by the same name, converted to humps on the back but quite similar in notion. And The Borg Queen of yes, Star Trek (Next Generation) pops her head onto a replaceable body. Hmmm. Where have I seen that before?

Even J.K. Rowlings makes use of monster chess in "Harry Potter"--and we find that the high point of "Chessmen is the game where live chess pieces fight for the princess and pieces duel each other to the death.

So if you love sci-fi and fantasy, you just HAVE to read "Chessmen"--possibly Burroughs' best Mars book. Just beware that the 1920's prose is a bit dense--an example:

Often he clambered over the body of a fallen foe to leap against the next behind, and once there lay five dead kaldanes behind him, so far had he pushed back his antagonists. They did not know it; these kaldanes that he fought, nor did the girl awaiting him upon the flier, but Gahan of Gathol was engaged in a more alluring sport than winning to freedom, for he was
avenging the indignities that had been put upon the woman he loved; but presently he realized that he might be jeopardizing her safety uselessly, and so he struck down another before him and turning leaped quickly up the stairway, while the leading kaldanes slipped upon the brain-covered floor and stumbled in pursuit."(One sentence.....!!!)

Basically, the spoiled princess Tara of Helium spurns a lover, gets lost, ends up in a terrible place (the Kaldanes' domain), gets rescued while being fought over by handsome heroes and damnably handsome but gruesomely vile foes. With a game "Jetan"--which is live chess and very creative. A fantastic trip.

good but not quite so good as Princess
In this novel, Burroughs introduces Tara of Helium, daughter of John Carter, Warlord of Barsoom. Although superficial at first, Tara in time grows up and becomes a very interesting heroine. Unfortunately her coheadliner in the book--Gahan, Jed (king, not prince) of Gathol--is a shallow, impulsive wussbag who falls in love with her as soon as he sees her and spends the rest of the book obsessing over her. While Gahan does engage in some great feats to save the Princess, he is too stupid for the reader to really identify with. (Hello! If everyone seems not to see you after you've just walked into a walled city when you're clearly not one of the locals and are being surreptitiously marched into a prison, it might be time to rethink strategy for entering the city.) Despite the clod of Gahan as hero, though, Ghek the kaldane more than counterbalances him and provides a freshness and zest to the narrative it would otherwise lack. The game of jetan is well described and intriguing, as is Manatorian culture. While he does become likable by the end, Gahan is a major irritant in the story. Had he been someone I could identify better with, I'd have given the book five stars. Four seems appropriate though, given the other narrative strengths. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Whismical and fun
THis is a little different from most of the ERB stories I've read. The hero is a young American on vacation in his mother's home country of Lutha. He hopes to find some good game hunting. Instead, he is mistaken for an escaped king who has been deemed crazy by his wicked uncle who is serving as the Regent. Entertaining folly persues as he is captured and locked up instead of the missing king. As in many of ERB's stories, the hero is strong and virtuous and a hardy fighter who falls in love with a beautiful and worthy maiden. The story is very charming and adventurous with many surprises.

I know it is hard to believe, but not only is this story a page turner, but there is no foul lauguage and the hero always acts in an honorable fashion. Today's authors could learn from ERB.

A delightful page turner
An exciting romance adventure involving royalty and conspiracy and more twists than a corkscrew. The tale, set in the early 20th Century, is the timeless contest between good and evil. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Mad scientist, out of control creations, babes, and heros with swords
What else do you need?

The Master Mind of Mars, Ras Thavas has been ever so busy.In his relentless pursuit of science, he has again neglected to consider the consequences or implications of his work.Nothing like real life...

This time, he's created synthetic men, beasts, and the inhabitant of Vat Room #4.The synthetic men decide they've had enough, and take over.A faithful follower of John Carter, Vor Daj is thrust into the middle of this.Needless to say, he's not comfortable in the company of women, but finds the love of his life.Vor Daj gets to spend a lot of time with his lady, but he's not really himself, so this only complicates things.

Cliff to hang from, damsels in distressed dress, heroic battles, monsters, yet more strange practices of the residents of Barsoom, and in the end, the day is saved.

More sophisticated than the earlier Barsoom books, but better for it.If you like ERB, this is ERB at his best.Somewhat innocent by current standards, but full of lost virtues and daring do.The story line of this one is a little more convoluted than the previous works, but well executed.

I'm still liking Barsoom and ready to start Llana Of Gathol, Mars #10

E. M. Van Court

More swashbuckling on the Red Planet
Swordfighting, chivalry, adventure, shambling bad guys, noble good guys, and the odd princess or two. You know, the usual. Complete with inane romantic frustration and misunderstandings, resolved happily but chastely in the end. You know, the usual.

This time the heoric rescues come as thick and fast as ever. The romantic misunderstanding are compounded by a brain transplant or two, leaving our love-lorn thoroughly and disgustingly disguised as he moons about the object of his slightly confused passion.

Count on Burroughs for good, solid, illogical adventure: swords and zap guns across the drying ocean floor of a dying Mars. They just don't make them like this any more.

-- wiredweird

EXCELLENT, VINTAGE BURROUGHS
While not the best known of the Mars series, this is, in my opinion one of the better ones, and I am one of those who like them all.As with the rest of the Burroughs's books, the reader must constantly keep in mind when they were written.This is some fo the best pulp fiction out there. If you have never read any of this series, then you are missing something. If, like me, you first read them as a small child, then you are in for a nice nostalgic ride.I like to crack these out of by book tomb ever few years and read them just for the fun of it.Highly recommend this one.

An ERB Martian novel that synthesizes what came before
Ras Thavas, the Mastermind of Mars, returns in "Synthetic Men of Mars," the ninth Martian novel from pulp fiction master Edgar Rice Burroughs.Originally serialized in six-parts in "Argosy Weekly" in early 1939, this story brings together many of the characters in the series, which was ERB's best.When Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium, is seriously injured in a collision of two airships, John Carter seeks out Ras Thavas, the greatest surgeon on Barsoom, to repair her broken back.The story is told by Vor Daj, a young padwar who accompanies Carter when he goes to search for the scientist's former assistant, Vad Varo, in Duhor.This time around the framing device is that the story was translated into English by Ulysses Paxton (Vad Varo), who then sent it to Jason Gridley on Earth via the Gridley wave.At first it look like ERB is trying something different, and that instead of his hero searching Barsoom for his beloved, Carter is searching for someone to help his wife.But then Vor Daj is unattached, which means he is going to stumble across his own damsel in distress while accompanying the Warlord of Mars on his mission and take on the central role in the adventure.

The title of the story comes from the race of supermen that Thavas is creating when Carter and Vor Daj finally find him.The experiments are not going well, but no matter how deformed they are these creatures want to live.With World War II right around the corner there is obviously a sub-text for this novel that has to do with the rise of totalitarianism, especially when the synthetic men decide they would rather conquer Barsoom than be its slaves.But what readers of the Martian series will notice the most is that ERB is throwing in a little bit of everything into this novel from his previous efforts, such as assassins, a new race of living heads, escaping from a prison, and a big battle between the Jeds.However, with the growing mass of tissue in Vat 4 in Morbus, there are some actually horror elements in this ERB potboiler as well.

Consequently, "The Synthetic Men of Mars" is pretty much the generic Martian novel written by Burroughs, incorporating a little bit of everything from what has gone on before.That is right: this novel is essentially a synthesis of the previous eight volumes.The result is a standard Burroughs adventure and the last decent volume in the series.

A WAY-OUT BUT CARELESS ENTRY IN THE CARTER SERIES
"Synthetic Men of Mars" is the 9th of 11 books in Edgar Rice Burroughs' John Carter of Mars series. It first appeared serially in "Argosy Magazine" in early 1939, and is one of the most way-out entries in the Carter series. The book may be seen as a sequel of sorts to book #6, "The Master Mind of Mars," in that Ras Thavas, the eponymous superbrain of that earlier work, here makes a return, and the bulk of the action once again takes place in the dismal and forbidding Toonolian Marshes of Barsoom (Mars, to you and me). In "Synthetic Men," Carter and one of his lieutenants, Vor Daj, go in search of Ras Thavas, to enlist his aid when Carter's wife is critically injured in a midair collision. Thavas is engaged in creating an army of synthetic men (the so-called hormads), who have taken over an island in the Toonolian Marshes, made an unwilling slave of Ras Thavas himself,and are now plotting to take over all of Barsoom. Things get pretty wild when Vor Daj has his brain put into one of the hormad's bodies, so that he might better protect a pretty female prisoner who is being held on the island also. Then things go over the top completely, as one of the vats in which the hormads are created goes blooey, and a giant blob of living tissue spreads and spreads and threatens to envelop the entire planet! This blob is comprised of living heads and hands and other body parts; it feeds on itself and seemingly cannot be stopped. All this takes place in the first half of the novel; things get even hairier, if possible, in the final stages of the tale. Before all is said and done, we have been treated to a civil war amongst the hormads, an escape through the swamps of Toonol, encounters with giant insects and reptiles, a marsupial society, wild swamp savages, a Martian zoo, a tense little air battle, and the final confrontation with that living blob mass. It's as if Burroughs ate a headcheese and Fluffernutter sandwich before going to bed one night, had the wildest dream, and the next morning put it down on paper. The book has nice touches of incidental humor, and Vor Daj's predicament of being trapped in the body of a monstrous hormad while trying to win the affection of the girl of his dreams is an involving one. This leads to John Carter delivering one of his most touching lines: "It is the character that makes the man...not the clay which is its abode." So what we have here is a fantastic tale of wild imagination, with some touching passages and incessant action.
So why, then, have I only given this novel three stars? Well, as with most Carter novels, there are problems of inconsistency, and this novel contains one of the worst in the entire series. During the swamp escape, Vor Daj is accompanied by a party of five others, including a man named Gan Had, who later deserts him. Later in the book, it is stated that this deserter was named Pandar, one of the others of the five. The two characters are mixed up and confused by Burroughs for the remainder of the book, to the point that the reader doesn't know who Burroughs is talking about. This is a terrible and egregious error, I feel. I have discussed it with the founder of the ERB List, a really fine Burroughs Website, and he has told me that he and others have concocted some explanations for this seemingly incredible screwup, while admitting that the reader must read between the lines and do some mythmaking of his/her own to explain it. This giant problem aside, there is also the inconsistency of a character named Ur Raj, who is said to hail from the Barsoomian nation of Ptarth, and four pages later is said to be from the nation of Helium. This is the kind of sloppiness that I, as a copy editor, find especially deplorable. I also regret the fact that the ultimate fate of some of the book's main characters (Sytor, Gan Had and Ay-mad) is never mentioned. Another example of careless writing, I feel. "Synthetic Men of Mars" is a wonderful entertainment, but could have been made so much better by the exercise of just a little more care on the part of the author and his editors. Still, I quite enjoyed it, and do recommend it to any lover of fantastic literature. ... Read more

Product Description
When the inventor Perry fires up his burrowing prospector, it runs out of control, plunging him with his young protege into the centre of the earth. There, instead of being destroyed by the molten lava they expect to find, they discover an inner world of bizarre savagery and unearthly beauty. Here mighty dinosaurs still roam alongside beasts never seen in the world above. And to their horror, they find themselves suddenly enslaved in a land where humans are ruled by the reptilian and evilly intelligent Mahars.

One of the most profound early influences on the science fiction and fantasy genre, Edgar Rice Burroughs is now most famous for his Tarzan series, although he wrote many tales that have captured the imaginations of generations of readers, including the Martian adventures of the Barsoom sequence, the Pellucidar sequence, of which this volume is the first, and the stories of Carson on Venus. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Fun Filled Adventure for all ages
Giant gorilla people, lizard men, epic battles, adventure, sci-fi and dinosaurs!What else could you ask for in an adventure novel?Rice does a wonderful job of truly expanding the imagination with this novel.Though it is quite short, it is packed from beginning to end with fun filled adventure.

Short Summary:David and Perry work at a mine.Perry has invented a new machine which he calls "The Mole" that is supposed to dig deep tunnels... David and Perry get in the machine to try it out and end up in a new world.Apparently the earth is hollow and there are all KINDS of things walking around on the inside of the earth's crust.From giant bears, to monkey people, to the gorgeous Dian (her name actually is Dian the Beautiful).They end up fighting ferocious beasts, trying to rescue Dian, discovering hidden temples, fighting more beasts, being taken captive as slaves, and eventually starting a war.

The characters are not the most well developed I have read, however if I mentally compare this to modern YA books (which it is) they are about standard.The focus in this book is more on the action and the amazement of the creatures and beings that David encounters.The entire book is told from David's point of view, which is good because although he is smart... he starts out the book only around 18 years old, so he's naïve enough to get himself into all kinds of adventures but brave enough to find a way out of them.This is one of those fun filled tale where a man from a modern time finds himself in a primitive age where evolution hasn't followed the same plan.This was similar to "Journey to the Center of the Earth" by Jules Verne, but I actually felt that this book was more of an Action packed story than Verne's.Either way, get this book - read it - then hand it to your 10 year old.(Be sure to explain to him NOT to dig his attempts at reaching the Earth's core in the front yard).Highly recommended for just a fun read.

Super Reader
A man with a fancy machine decides to do a bit of drilling. Taking a friend along in his contraption, he didn't expect to end up on a journey to the centre of the earth.

They end up in Pellucidar, where things like time and space work just a little bit differently then they are used to. There they encounter the usual bad guys, beasts and babes.

worthwhile intro to Pellucidar
Personally, I greatly enjoyed the Pellucidar series. With some exceptions toward the end, they were all fine adventure stories in the best ERB tradition. This book is interesting in that the hero is not a complete loner as Tarzan, John Carter, and Carson Napier started out but comes with a good friend who serves effectively as the voice of the audience in many parts. Pellucidar itself is picturesque, and Dian the Beautiful is a well-drawn, if fairly standard, pulp heroine for Innes to fall in love with. The Mahars ruling the Inner World are intriguing villains, and Hooja the Sly One comes off as particularly loathsome. Many of the battles Innes fights--most notably with Jubal the Ugly One--are breathtakingly described. Burroughs did well on this and even set us up for a sequel. (Here, I have a quibble though: Rather than building up the sequel with inventiveness, Burroughs relies on uncharacteristic stupidity on Innes' part. It is completely out of character for the man and very jarring for him to make such a huge error--especially with his beloved wife at stake--but aside from this, the book has no serious flaws.) For those who enjoy ERB's work, this is a pleasure to read and the rest of the series should follow quickly. Highly recommended.

Enjoyable Romp
I like reading ERB.I have a problem with alot of fantasy or scifi authors that are in mass production now, they have a certain pompousness about them that is really off putting to me as a reader.ERB doesn't have that at all, his narrative style is direct and simple.His characters are always enjoyable, this is the first non-Tarzan book that I have read (I have more waiting for me on my shelf) and the first told in first person too. (Though I see from the others that Tarzan seems to be an exception in the third person narration)

David Innes, like Tarzan is a man forced back into his primal ways by circumstance, with his superior mind though he is able to rise above the creatures that live in the core of the Earth. (Another common theme in ERB, brawn without brains will only take you so far). A sort of pantheon is set up, not unlike the Norse gods,thereis Hooja the sly one and Perry, something like an Odin, Ghak as a sort of Thor and David as our hero, duped by Hooja and forever loyal to Perry, supported by Ghak and other noble and strong men in Pellucidar, slaying the dragons and other nasty critters.

I also enjoyed the character of Dian the Beautiful, she is a little bit more than the average cave woman as he has to come to and she manages to outwit David in certain ways as well, though it seems she is little more than an object of beauty to the other central characters for much of the story.

David is also in an interesting postion between forces of female power, his love for Dian and his hate for the all female race of the Mahars, his ultimate liftingup of Dian and dooming of the Mahars.One man seems to hold all of the power in this book, but considering the ending of the book he only holds it precariously.

It took me a while to get into this book, as it is nothing compared to the last ERB book I read (Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar)however once I figured out which animal was what and the story was flowing I was really interested in it.A very fun read and with a little bit of food for thought just for good measure.Its too bad these books are so hard to find now.

IF YOUR A BURROUGHS FAN, YOU WILL LIKE THIS ONE
This is absolute Burroughs' work.If you like the John Carter series, then you are bound to like this one.Burroughs is one of the God Fathers of current SiFi, i.e. Fantasy Adventure, and this work is a good illustration as to why.While most of the author's work is pretty predictable, it never-the-less never stops moving and is a true joy to read.While the style is a bit archaic, it is quite easy to follow after the first few pages, so give it a chance.This is one of those stories you like to set on a rainy weekend and just get lost in for the simple fun of it.Recommend it highly. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Product Description
This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Like Watching Grass Grow
Edgar Rice Burroughs and Mars? It can put you to sleep quicker than Nytol. To get through it, you have to be a fan of the work, and although everyone loves Tarzan, when you dive into the written versions of his work it's tough for Burroughs to keep the interest of modern readers.

If you're going to read old sci-fi, try some Verne or Arthur C. Clarke, or any number of better writers.

Burroughs? Everything they've ever made based on his work has been better than what he actually wrote, which proves he should have been a scriptwriter instead. You're better off researching whatever's been filmed from his work and buying that. In a lot of ways, he was a serious hack, although he marketed really well.
The Complete Jules Verne Collection (25 books).

A thrill ride from start to finish
In "The Gods of Mars", the second of the John Carter of Mars books, we find Carter returned to Mars, and in the worst possible place ... the valley to which the dead go from which they may never return.

Here we find the race of Barsoom's priests, and the original black skinned race now known as pirates, who take slaves for themselves and for their cruel goddess, Issus. In a roller coaster ride of action and frustrating near misses, Carter learns more about the fascinating planet, hastens to save friends and loved ones, and gives you yet another episode of world building on a grand scale.

Almost one hundred years after this book was written, I could hardly put it down, reading it in only three sessions. As flawed as Burrough's plotting is in some respects, he overcomes those failings with a rare sense for drama and the potential of grand conflict for majesty. His battle descriptions never feel repetitive, and you always get a sense of the toil and the toll it takes.

Be sure to read "A Princes of Mars" first
We last left John suffocating and wondering if we will ever see him again (except for those few intrepid people that dare to read ahead)

"Twelve years passed since I laid the body of my great-uncle, Captain John Carter, of Virginia, way form the sight of men in that strange mausoleum in the old Cemetery at Richmond."

John returns to a Mars he never saw before yet soon finds old friends and new adventures. Once again, we get to kibitz.

A Princess of Mars
... Read more

Product Description
The Tarzan Twins, Dick and Doc, were born on the same day and resembled one another quite closely. Then, one day, they received a letter from Tarzan of the Apes, inviting them to visit him in Africa. Whentheir parents were unable to travel with them, and after intense appeals, the boys were to go to Africa alone, to meet Tarzan and fifty of his Waziri warriors at the end of the railway. However, Dick and Doc became lost in Africa before that fateful meeting! From ERBville Press. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

The Tarzan Twins
This was one of the few Burroughs books that I didn't have.I haven't had a chance to read it yet but it is probably a typical Burroughs book that keeps you interested all through the book.

Surprisingly Light-Hearted
After reading the introduction to the book, and how horribly it did when first released I was prepared for the worst.However, it really isn't that bad.Yes, it does have the usual racial sterotypes that Burroughs often relied on, though there was a sentence or two about how Dick and Doc (the twins) found some of their narrowminded assumptions corrected.Clearly Burroughs was making attempts to correct some of the sterotyping he had done.Even one of the horrible cannibals becomes an almost compassionate character by the end. Which is a huge step from alot of Burroughs' other books.

I enjoyed this book, it was a really quick read, it lacked alot of the physical descriptions that drag down some of the othernovels.Tarzan has a breif cameo.And what I really liked was the humour the twins managed to carry through their entire adventure,I am not usually laughing during ERB's novels, (except perhaps at some of the improbable plot devices).It's too bad this edition didn't have any of the award winning illustrations that were mentioned in the introduction.

Super Reader
A kid's story, to start with.

A couple of boys, both with alliterative names starting with D, are off to visit the jungle. The only problem is when they get there, they get a bit sidetracked, and lost, and the Lord of the Jungle doesn't know quite where they are.

They end up running into a lion, and cannibals, as you do, when lost in Tarzan's Africa. They manage to find a couple of decent local blokes though, and eventually Tarzan tracks them down.

A Fun but Flawed Juvinile Novel
This long out of print story is a rare treat for fans of Tarzan and Edgar Rice Burroughs.Tarzan wrote two short novellea about Dick and doc, a pair of fourteen year old cousins who visit Tarzan and have jungle adventures.

I am sorry to report that the previous reviewer is not correct.Only the novella THE TARZAN TWINS is included in this edition.Fans can only hope that AEgypan Books will also publish TARZAN AND THE TARZAN TWINS WITH JAD-BAL-JA THE GOLDEN LION in the near future.

I also feel compelled to say that parents may want to use some discretion in giving this book to youngsters.It is true that there is no inappropriate sexual material and the violence is minimal, but there are racially insensitive comments and characterizations aimed at the African characters.I don't believe Burroughs was the racist some reviewers make him out to be, but he was a man of his times, and bought into many of the racial stereotypes common in the early 20th century.Parents who buy this should be prepared to talk with their children about these attitudes.African American parents may want to pass.

Aside from that, the story is fast-moving and exciting.The boys learn about friendship, courage, and self-reliance as they dodge peril in the jungle.It's an adventure many young readers will enjoy sharing with them. ... Read more

Product Description
A central figure in American popular culture, Tarzan first came swinging through the jungle in the pages of a pulp-fiction magazine in 1912, and subsequently appeared in the novel that went on to spawn numerous film, full-length cartoon, and theatrical adaptations.The infant Tarzan, lost on the coast of West Africa, is adopted by an ape-mother and grows up to become a model of physical strength and natural prowess, and eventually leader of his tribe.When he encounters a group of white Europeans, and rescues Jane Porter from a marauding ape, he finds love, and must choose between the values of civilization and the jungle.Jason Haslam's engaging introduction situates the novel not only in the pulp fiction industry, but also against the backdrop of adventure stories, European exploration in Africa, and the debates over nature versus civilization. This edition also features an up-to-date bibliography, chronology, and helpful notes as well as appendices that include selections of letters from readers to the editor of The All-Story magazine where the novel first appeared, histories of feral children, African explorers, and American advocates of self-reliance.Amazon.com Review
First published in 1914, Edgar Rice Burroughs's romance haslost little of its force over the years--as film revivals and TVseries well attest. Tarzan of the Apes is very much a productof its age: replete with bloodthirsty natives and a bulky, swooningAmerican Negress, and haunted by what zoo specialists now callcharismatic megafauna (great beasts snarling, roaring, and stalking,most of whom would be out of place in a real Africanjungle). Burroughs countervails such incorrectness, however, with somerather unattractive representations of white civilization--mutinous,murderous sailors, effete aristos, self-involved academics, andhard-hearted cowards. At Tarzan's heart rightly lies the resourcefuland hunky title character, a man increasingly torn between the civiland the savage, for whom cutlery will never be less than a nightmare.

The passages in which the nut-brown boy teaches himself to read andwrite are masterly and among the book's improbable, imaginativebest. How tempting it is to adopt the ten-year-old's term forletters--"little bugs"! And the older Tarzan's realizationthat civilized "men were indeed more foolish and more cruel thanthe beasts of the jungle," while not exactly a new notion, isnonetheless potent. The first in Burroughs's serial is most enjoyablein its resounding oddities of word and thought, including theunforgettable "When Tarzan killed he more often smiled thanscowled; and smiles are the foundation of beauty." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (101)

Tarzan Vs. Tophero and Earth Vs. Opalon
A boy who is lost in a savage jungle that was raised by the apes and learns to read and write. This book has adventure, action, love, vengence and makes you feel you are in the jungle. If you like this book see "Tophero: Son of Smilodon" where another boy named Jon Lone was lost on a planet called Opalon 3.5 billion miles away. His parents franticly searched the hidden jungle to find that the place was swarming with Prehistoric creatures. His chance of survival is dismal but a clan of sabre tooth tigers saved him. Later, he finds people that were from his home planet Earth. He falls in love in a zoologist Tiffany--only bandits took her away. It is up to Tophero to save her. This book has all the best things in a book.

sheer fun
I remain a big fan of the book and the Johnny Weismiller movies some 40 years later. However, there's only a vague relationship between the series of Tarzan books written over a 30 year period and the movies, which continue to be made in various forms even now. Any fictional character that remains fixed in the public's attention over a 100 year period is a powerful invention indeed.

Tarzan the creature of the books is far more than the half wild man of the movies, a highly intelligent, self-made superman, unfettered by the chains of civilization and its artificial morality and forged in the fires of the ultimate Darwinian environment, the jungle, which of course he not only survives, but dominates by force of will, intellect and physical prowess. Raised by apes from infancy, after the death of his aristocratic British parents, he has no concept of his own humanity for a substantial portion of his youth. It's difficult to say that he ever really comes to find the company of humans to be superior to that of the apes who raised him. At no point does he ever succumb entirely to the weakening charms of civilization. It takes relatively little to drop his civilized veneer and charge into action, knife bared.

Burroughs himself was a reporter and pulp fiction writer. Most of these works and others that he also wrote appeared in serial format in various magazines. The first few books of the Tarzan series remain highly readable and are very creative. Then they devolved into a highly formatted plot structure that he found commercial and easily repeatable. As a pulp fiction writer, he reflects most of the prejudices of his time, making them painful at times to the modern reader, as would many of the earlier works of Robert Heinlein, if anyone read them today. But they are generally better in this regard than many of the movies. None of the movie characters ever became principal chief of an African tribe. But for sheer fun, Tarzan has had few equals over the decades

pay careful attention to "adapted"
I have been hunting feverishly for a while for an original text for Tarzan.This isn't it.It does clearly state on the cover that it is adapted.Just be aware that if you are looking for an unaltered version, skip on by this edition.It is geared toward young adult readers, not the avid Tarzan fan.

great story, I wish it were all there.
I was a little bummed. I got this after reading an unedited version and was disappointed to find this one was censored. Not even the Modern Library Classics edition presents the entire, original text.

Apparently, sometime in the 60's, the Burroughs estate excised certain things to make it seem less racist. Reading it now makes me wonder what's the point.

Nature AND nurture create the greatest of fictional superheroes
I first encountered Edgar Rice Burroughs back in the mid-1970s, during the last period of his widespread popularity in the USA; at that time nearly all of the books in his most popular series - Tarzan, John Carter, Carson of Venus, Pellucidar - were readily available at most chain bookstores in mass-market paperbacks.I collected a good many of them, and though John Carter was, and is always my favorite, I'd have to say that after 30+ years and many reads this first Tarzan book has now ascended to the peak of my favorites list for this now almost forgotten writer.

It's strange that for a writer so talked about, and a character so psychoanalyzed over nearly a century both Tarzan and his creator have so faded from the public consciousness now.I suspect that there are many causes: political correctness has rendered the casual (rarely mean-spirited) racism in many of Burroughs' books anathema to many; the Tarzan character is best known from the films and TV, which nearly always have portrayed him inaccurately and too-simply; and the naivete and romance of the works probably seem old-hat now to those raised on STAR WARS, RAMBO and their progeny.

Oh well.To those willing to make the effort and approach the books for what they are rather than what they've become with a century of added meaning and iconography, a treasure might be found.Tarzan bears more in common with heroes such as Conan (probably his most direct and famous descendant) than with the kiddie fare that most people probably think he belongs to.This is a ferocious, always half-wild man caught between the worlds of the jungle and civilization, always in conflict, always a hare's breadth from danger - and often, particularly in later books, the perils from the world of man are clearly far more dangerous to our honorable "Forest God."

TARZAN OF THE APES recounts the upbringing by a fantastic, carnivorous ape species of the future John Clayton, Lord Greystoke - born to the status of "gentleman", of exquisite "breeding" as Burroughs reminds us over and over.The writer seems in many respects a social Darwinist, a believer in the inherent superiority of certain civilizations and ways of life - in this case the British Empire and France - and yet time and again both the omniscient narrator and Tarzan himself remind us that the black "savages" are no more brutal than many Europeans who may speak in cultured tones and read and write; and that the beasts of the jungle are more noble than all of us.So it's a mixed set of ideas on human nature that we have here, and I'm not sure Burroughs ever really came down in favor of any one of them.In this first novel, Tarzan's upbringing and his violent life as a member of the ape tribe - in particular his actions concerning the native African village that he regularly steals arrows from - are carefully presented as to be completely amoral - Tarzan knows no better - and yet when confronted with a white woman, Jane Porter, who he immediately falls in love with, he somehow finds the "instincts" of the chivalrous upper-class Englishman taking over.The books are replete with such contradictions - but you have to take them as they are, pulp novels written with just a bit more wit and grace than expected - and you'll find them more fascinating than infuriating.

TARZAN OF THE APES moves along at dizzying speed, but is really surprisingly well written and careful in its attempts to describe how this superhuman of high birth and animal upbringing grows up in physical might and in intellect, essentially on his own as almost a new Adam, juxtaposing the worlds of the primitive and the civilized with nearly equal alacrity, but almost always keeping the jungle in his heart.If ultimately the author comes down on the side of the apes, the jungle, the half-naked savage, he's made his case quite well in his simple evocation of a romantic world that was already being lost when he was writing it - and which, of course, was mostly a product of his imagination anyway.

And this first book has one of the best - and most infuriating - endings in pulp fiction; Burroughs had already learned from his first success, A PRINCESS OF MARS, to keep 'em hanging.And so he did. ... Read more