(idea) by m_turner Wed Mar 20 2002 at 2:53:33
The fifth Mars novel (also known as the Barsoom series) written by Edgar Rice Burroughs was begun in January of 1922. This book was first presented as a serialization in All-Story Argosy in 1921 (February 18, 25; March 4, 11, 18, 25). The first edition was later published by A.C. McClurg in 1922 weighing in at 375 pages. It has since been reprinted many times, most recently by Ballantine - Del Rey as a paperback in 1979.

The 1920s was a ripe period for science fiction, and the beginnings of the serious study of other planets in our solar system. Throughout the earliest years of the 1900s attempts were made trying to communicate with Mars. From the first fictional literature of Mars by H.G Wells in 1897 with The War of the Worlds to Nikola Tesla attempting to wake up the Martians with giant electrical pulses. Mars Fever abounded with such works as "Mars, the Bringer of War as part of Gustav Holst's suite of musical works in 1918.

Measurements of the Martian atmosphere were made as early as 1909 by W.W. Campbell of Lick Observatory concluding that the Martian atmosphere is very arid. By 1925 measurements of air pressure concluded that it would be less than 66 millibars (1/15th that of earth) - in actuality its off by a factor of 10x being much closer to 6 millibars.

The desert world of Barsoom has has nomadic green Martians ruling the dead sea bottoms. A religious group ruling the south pole and an advanced race ruling the north. All the races are at war with each other over the dwindling resources of Mars.

When reading the Barsoom series (the name the natives call Mars), one is constantly amazed at the amount of bloodshed. While on one side, the science is so much further than that imagined on earth at the time, it is also a very savage planet. The wars fought on Mars mirror those of world war I. While the body count in these battles would stagger our imaginations today the people of the time saw World War I (the war to end all wars) ravaged much of Europe.

  1. Tara in a Tantrum
  2. At the Gale's Mercy
  3. The Headless Humans
  4. Captured
  5. The Perfect Brain
  6. In the Toils of Horror
  7. A Repellent Sight
  8. Close Work
  9. Adrift Over Strange Regions
  10. Entrapped
  11. The Choice of Tara
  12. Ghek Plays Pranks
  13. A Desperate Deed
  14. At Ghek's Command
  15. The Old Man of the Pits
  16. Another Change of Name
  17. A Play to the Death
  18. A Task for Loyalty
  19. The Menace of the Dead
  20. The Charge of Cowardice
  21. A Risk for Love
  22. At the Moment of Marriage

Other books in the series:

http://www.geocities.com/hillmans27/erbz426.html
http://www.erblist.com/erbmania/barsoom.html
http://www-mgcm.arc.nasa.gov/mgcm/fun/mars_chro.html

I like it! 1 C!