The Warlord of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's really funny, now that I think about it, that John Carter of Mars has so much more in common with Conan the Barbarian than anything out of an SF magazine.

I mean, he's not a barbarian, but you wouldn't know it by his extremely violent American ways, how good he is with a barbarian sword, how he always acts before he thinks, and how he pines for his lost love. It's like the sappiest of love ballads.

Now, just be sure to cleave through a couple of thousand men with your barbarian strength, young man. If you get captured, be sure to react in the most predictable of ways, and warriors by the thousands will flock to your (nonexistent) banner.


Honestly, I'm STILL having a fun time with this. The fight scenes are totally movie quality, right down to the spinning form of our enemy when he gets a left hook to the jaw.

And the PATHOS. Wow. It's pure popular entertainment. The ENMITY. It's a soap opera of Grecian levels.

I make fun. Maybe a little. But I actually LIKE this kind of fantasy when it's done well. Yay, Conan! I mean, John Carter! It's even more fun to know how this PRE-DATES Conan. :)

View all my reviews