Edgar
Rice Burroughs ( Chicago , September 1, 1875 - Encino , March 19 1950 ) was a
writer U.S. world-renowned author of, among other things, the cycle of novels
centered on the figure of Tarzan , the mythical character of the jungle raised
by apes who fueled the imagination of readers and fans of film for more than a
generation.
Without regular education beyond compulsory schooling, Burroughs - after giving
up his military career in the 7th Cavalry - begins to work in the factory of his
father.
Then try your luck in a number of trades railway policeman, miner, prospector,
storekeeper in a drug-store, vendor sharpeners, street vendor of sweets, cowboys
and even accounting, demonstrating a perennial dissatisfaction which was
especially in those years, one of its characteristics.
In 1912 , bitter and suicidal because of the many professional failures,
produces an adventure novel genre fiction : Under the Moons of Mars ( Under the
Moons of Mars , also published as A Princess of Mars ). Not this time, however,
the author is confident, so much so that the manuscript does not sign his own
name, but chose the pseudonym Normal Bean ("Any type").
The novel, which is the first book in a popular series of eleven volumes (up to
1943 ), tells of the adventures on the planet Mars by Captain John Carter ,
six-part serialized in the magazine All-Story , was an instant hit and, in fact,
unexpected by the author.
The real success, however, will get it when Burroughs propose a new and
incredible character.
It was not a long time by the publication of Under the Moons of Mars , when it's
appearance - always on All-Story - his Tarzan of the Apes ( Tarzan of the Apes
), which - published for the first time in 1914 - becomes in short a sensational
best-seller around the world capturing the imagination and support of a diverse
audience and of all ages. It is the heir of Mowgli , the "son of the Wolves"
created by Rudyard Kipling in his two books of the jungle , it would soon become
one of the most famous heroes of all time, so that Burroughs will dedicate a
narrative cycle which has twenty-eight books, translated into more than 50
languages, at least thirty films and a series of comic books , TV series and
cartoons .
Encouraged by the unexpected success of his first works, Burroughs continued to
write, and in the following year twenty and thirty emerges as one of the most
loved and imitated writers of adventure and science fiction.
Extremely prolific writer (although many times the criticism has not been very
kind to him), Burroughs writes until the last years of his life, collecting more
and more successes and publishing about seventy books that will sell not less
than two hundred million copies around the world, its economic fortunes will
grow enough to enable him to establish his own publishing house - the Edgar Rice
Burroughs, Inc. - for the publication of his writings.
The amazing (and seemingly endless) vein literary visionary Burroughs brought
Tarzan to the author of a continuous search for new territories of the
imagination , with the creation of at least three other major strands: one cycle
of Pellucidar ( 1922 - 1963 ) set in the center of the earth and populated by
men still at the stage of ' stone age , that of the Earth Time Forgot (of 1918 )
set on an isolated island of ' Pacific Ocean , and finally that of the so-called
Venus cycle , the last in order of time, started in 1934 with Pirates of Venus (
Pirates On Venus ).
Burroughs died in 1950 in Encino , in California , leaving their children a
legacy of over ten million dollars. Two cities - one in California and one in
Texas - will be baptized respectively Tarzana and Tarzan in honor of its most
famous character.
Under the moons of Mars ( Under the Moons of Mars or A Princess of Mars , 1912),
a novel written as Normal Bean (collected in John Carter of Mars , Cosmo Gold ,
North 1973), the original text on Project Gutenberg.
The Gods of Mars ( The Gods of Mars , 1913), a novel (collected in John Carter
of Mars , Cosmo Gold , North, 1973), the original text on Project Gutenberg.
The Warlord of Mars ( The Warlord of Mars , 1914), a novel (in John Carter of
Mars , Cosmo Gold , North, 1973), the original text on Project Gutenberg.
Thuvia, maid of Mars ( Thuvia, Maid of Mars , 1920), a novel (collected in The
pieces of Mars , Cosmo Gold , North, 1980), the original text on Project
Gutenberg.
The pieces of Mars ( The Chessmen of Mars , 1922), novel ( Cosmo Gold , North,
1980), the original text on Project Gutenberg
Mind of Mars ( The Master Mind of Mars , 1928), novel ( Cosmo Gold , North,
1981)
The warrior of Mars ( A Fighting Man of Mars , 1931), a novel (collected in The
Mind of Mars , Cosmo Gold , North, 1981)
Swords of Mars ( Swords of Mars , 1936), a novel (collected in Warriors of Mars
, Cosmo Gold , North, 1981)
Synthetic Men of Mars ( Synthetic Men of Mars , 1940), a novel (collected in
Warriors of Mars , Cosmo Gold , North, 1982)
Lhana gathol of ( Llana of gathol , 1948), collection ( Cosmo Gold , North,
1982), contains:
Lhana gathol of ( Llana of gathol )
The ancient disease ( The Ancient Dead (including The City of Mummies , 1941),
short story
Pirates of Barsoom blacks ( Black Pirates of Barsoom , 1941), short story
Fugue on Mars ( Yellow Men of Mars , 1941), short story
The invisible men of Mars ( Invisible Men of Mars , 1941), short story
John Carter of Mars ( John Carter of Mars , 1964), a collection (in Lhana of
gathol , Cosmo Gold , North, 1982), includes:
John Carter and the Giant of Mars ( John Carter of Mars and the Giants , 1941),
short story
The man-skeleton of Jupiter ( Skeleton Men of Jupiter , 1943), short story
At the Earth's Core (or The Inner World , 1914)
Pellucidar (1915)
Tanar of Pellucidar (1929)
Tarzan at the Earth's Core (1929)
Back to the Stone Age (or Seven Worlds to Conquer , 1937)
Land of Terror (1944)
Savage Pellucidar (1963, collection - nominated for ' Hugo as a short story )
Pirates of Venus ( Pirates of Venus , 1934)
Lost on Venus ( Lost on Venus , 1935)
Carson of Venus ( Carson of Venus , 1939)
Odyssey of Venus ( Escape on Venus , 1946) (collection)
The slaves of the fish-men ( Slaves of the Fish-Men , 1941)
The goddess of fire ( Goddess of Fire , 1941)
The living dead ( The Living Dead , 1941)
War on Venus ( War on Venus , 1942)
The Wizard of Venus ( The Wizard of Venus , 1964)
The Mucker (1921)
The Girl from Hollywood (1923)
The Bandit of Hell's Bend (1925)
The Cave Girl (1925)
The Mad King (1926)
The Outlaw of Torn (1927)
The Monster Men (reworking of A Man Without a Soul ) (1929)
Jungle Girl (reworking of The Land of Hidden Men ) (1932) used as the subject of
the film The Jungle Princess
The Oakdale Affair and the Rider (1938)
The Lad and the Lion (1938)
The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County (or The Terrible Tenderfoot ) (1940)
The Girl from Farris' (1965)
I am a Barbarian (1967)
The Efficiency Expert (1966)
Short stories [ edit ]
Man Without a Soul (1913)
The Land of Hidden Men (1931)
The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw (1937)
The Scientists Revolt (also Beware!) (1939)
Pirate Blood (1970)
Other writings
The Man-Eater (1963), a collection of:
The Man-Eater (1915)
Beyond Thirty (or The Lost Continent ) (1915)
The Land That Time Forgot ( The Land That Time Forgot , 1924), a collection of:
The Land That Time Forgot (1918), part I
The People That Time Forgot (1918), Part II
Out of Time's Abyss (1918), part III
The people of the Moon ( The Moon Maid , 1926), the union of three novels:
The maiden moon ( The Moon Maid , 1923)
The men of the Moon ( The Moon Men , 1925), a novel
The hawk Red ( The Red Hawk , 1925), a novel
Beyond the Farthest Star (1965), a collection of:
Beyond the Farthest Star (1942)
Tangor Returns (1964)