Edgar Rice Burroughs (September 1, 1875 – March 19, 1950) was an American author, best known for his prolific output in the

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme ...

, science fiction, and

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...

genres Genre () is any form or type of communication in any mode (written, spoken, digital, artistic, etc.) with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. In popular usage, it normally describes a category of literature, music, or other for ...

. Best-known for creating the characters

Tarzan Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

and John Carter, he also wrote the ''

Pellucidar Pellucidar is a fictional Hollow Earth invented by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs for a series of action adventure stories. In a crossover event, Tarzan, who was also created by Burroughs, visits Pellucidar. The stories initially involv ...

'' series, the ''

Amtor The Amtor or Venus series is a science fantasy series consisting of four novels and one novelette written by American author Edgar Rice Burroughs. Most of the stories were first serialized in '' Argosy'', an American pulp magazine. It is someti ...

'' series, and the '' Caspak'' trilogy.

was immediately popular, and Burroughs capitalized on it in every way possible, including a syndicated Tarzan comic strip, movies, and merchandise. Tarzan remains one of the most successful fictional characters to this day and is a

cultural icon A cultural icon is a person or an artifact that is identified by members of a culture as representative of that culture. The process of identification is subjective, and "icons" are judged by the extent to which they can be seen as an authentic ...

. Burroughs's California ranch is now the center of the Tarzana neighborhood in Los Angeles, named after the character. Burroughs was an explicit supporter of

eugenics Eugenics ( ; ) is a fringe set of beliefs and practices that aim to improve the genetic quality of a human population. Historically, eugenicists have attempted to alter human gene pools by excluding people and groups judged to be inferior o ...

and

scientific racism Scientific racism, sometimes termed biological racism, is the pseudoscience, pseudoscientific belief that empirical evidence exists to support or justify racism (racial discrimination), racial inferiority, or racial superiority.. "Few tragedies ...

in both his fiction and nonfiction; Tarzan was meant to reflect these concepts.

Biography

Early life and family

Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago (he later lived for many years in the suburb of Oak Park), the fourth son of Major George Tyler Burroughs (1833–1913), a businessman and

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

veteran, and his wife, Mary Evaline (Zieger) Burroughs (1840–1920). His middle name is from his paternal grandmother, Mary Coleman Rice Burroughs (1802–1889). He was of almost entirely English ancestry, with a family line that had been in North America since the

Colonial Colonial or The Colonial may refer to: * Colonial, of, relating to, or characteristic of a colony or colony (biology) Architecture * American colonial architecture * French Colonial * Spanish Colonial architecture Automobiles * Colonial (1920 au ...

era. Through his Rice grandmother, Burroughs was descended from

settler A settler is a person who has migrated to an area and established a permanent residence there, often to colonize the area. A settler who migrates to an area previously uninhabited or sparsely inhabited may be described as a pioneer. Settl ...

Edmund Rice, one of the English

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...

s who moved to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century. He once remarked, "I can trace my ancestry back to

Deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...

Edmund Rice." The Burroughs side of the family was also of English origin and also emigrated to Massachusetts around the same time. Many of his ancestors fought in the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

. Some of his ancestors settled in Virginia during the colonial period, and Burroughs often emphasized his connection with that side of his family, seeing it as romantic and warlike. As close cousins he had seven signatories of the

U.S. Declaration of Independence The United States Declaration of Independence, formally The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen States of America, is the pronouncement and founding document adopted by the Second Continental Congress meeting at Pennsylvania State House (l ...

, including his third cousin, four times removed, 2nd President of the United States

John Adams John Adams (October 30, 1735 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the second president of the United States from 1797 to 1801. Before his presidency, he was a leader of t ...

. Burroughs was educated at a number of local schools. He then attended Phillips Academy, in

Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...

, and then the

Michigan Military Academy The Michigan Military Academy, also known as M.M.A., was an all-boys military prep school in Orchard Lake Village, Oakland County, Michigan. It was founded in 1877 by J. Sumner Rogers and closed in 1908 due to bankruptcy. Some journalists h ...

. Graduating in 1895, and failing the entrance exam for the

United States Military Academy The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a fort, since it sits on strategic high groun ...

at West Point, he became an enlisted soldier with the 7th U.S. Cavalry in

Fort Grant Fort Amador ( es, Fuerte Amador) and Fort Grant were former United States Army bases built to protect the Pacific (southern) end of the Panama Canal at Panama Bay. Amador was the primary on-land site, lying below the Bridge of the Americas. Grant ...

, Arizona Territory. After being diagnosed with a heart problem and thus ineligible to serve, he was discharged in 1897. Bookplate of Edgar Rice Burroughs

After his discharge Burroughs worked at a number of different jobs. During the Chicago influenza epidemic of 1891, he spent half a year at his brother's ranch on the

Raft River The Raft River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed May 4, 2011 tributary of the Snake River located in northern Utah and southern Idaho in the United States. It is part ...

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

, as a cowboy, drifted somewhat afterward, then worked at his father's Chicago battery factory in 1899, marrying his childhood sweetheart, Emma Hulbert (1876–1944), in January 1900. In 1903, Burroughs joined his brothers,

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

graduates George and Harry, who were, by then, prominent Pocatello area ranchers in southern Idaho, and partners in the Sweetser-Burroughs Mining Company, where he took on managing their ill-fated Snake River

gold dredge A gold dredge is a placer mining machine that extracts gold from sand, gravel, and dirt using water and mechanical methods. The original gold dredges were large, multi-story machines built in the first half of the 1900s. Small suction machin ...

, a classic bucket-line dredge. The Burroughs brothers were also the sixth cousins, once removed, of famed miner Kate Rice, a brilliant and statuesque Maths professor who, in 1914, became the first female prospector in the Canadian North. Journalist and publisher C. Allen Thorndike Rice was also his third cousin. When the new mine proved unsuccessful, the brothers secured for Burroughs a position with the

Oregon Short Line Railroad The Oregon Short Line Railroad was a railroad in Wyoming, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon in the United States. The line was organized as the Oregon Short Line Railway in 1881 as a subsidiary of the Union Pacific Railway. The Union Pacific int ...

in Salt Lake City. Burroughs resigned from the railroad in October 1904.

Later life

By 1911, after seven years of low wages as a pencil-sharpener wholesaler, Burroughs began to write fiction. By this time, Emma and he had two children, Joan (1908–1972), and Hulbert (1909–1991). During this period, he had copious spare time and began reading pulp-fiction magazines. In 1929, he recalled thinking that In 1913, Burroughs and Emma had their third and last child,

John Coleman Burroughs John Coleman Burroughs (28 February 1913 – 22 February 1979) was an American illustrator known for his illustrations of the works of his father, Edgar Rice Burroughs. Life John Burroughs was born in Chicago, the son of Edgar Rice Bu ...

(1913–1979), later known for his illustrations of his father's books. In the 1920s, Burroughs became a pilot, purchased a

Security Airster S-1 __NOTOC__ The Security Airster S-1 is an American two-seat single-engined monoplane designed by Bert Kinner and built by his Security National Aircraft Corporation later named the American Aircraft Corporation. Development The Airster S-1 appeare ...

, and encouraged his family to learn to fly. Daughter Joan married ''Tarzan'' film actor,

James Pierce James Hubert Pierce (August 8, 1900 – December 11, 1983) was an American actor and the fourth actor to portray Tarzan on film. He appeared in films from 1924 to 1951. Background Pierce was born in Freedom, Indiana. He was an All-American ...

, starring with her husband, as the voice of ''Jane'', during 1932–1934 for the ''

'' radio series. The pair were wed for more than forty years, until her death in 1972. Burroughs divorced Emma in 1934 and, in 1935, married the former actress Florence Gilbert Dearholt, who was the former wife of his friend (who was then himself remarrying),

Ashton Dearholt Ashton Dearholt (April 4, 1894 – April 27, 1942) was an American actor of the silent film era. He appeared in 75 films between 1915 and 1938. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and died in Los Angeles, California. He was sometimes billed ...

, with whom he had co-founded Burroughs-Tarzan Enterprises while filming ''The New Adventures of Tarzan''. Burroughs adopted the Dearholts' two children. He and Florence divorced in 1942. Burroughs was in his late 60s and was in

Honolulu Honolulu (; ) is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Hawaii, which is in the Pacific Ocean. It is an unincorporated county seat of the consolidated City and County of Honolulu, situated along the southeast coast of the island ...

at the time of the Japanese

attack on Pearl Harbor The attack on Pearl HarborAlso known as the Battle of Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service upon the United States against the naval base at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii ...

. Despite his age, he applied for and received permission to become a war correspondent, becoming one of the oldest U.S. war correspondents during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. This period of his life is mentioned in William Brinkley's bestselling novel '' Don't Go Near the Water''.

Death

After the war ended, Burroughs moved back to

Encino, California Encino (Spanish for "oak") is a neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. History In 1769, the Spanish Portolá expedition, first Europeans to see inland areas of California, traveled north through Sepulveda ...

, where after many health problems, he died of a heart attack on March 19, 1950, having written almost 80 novels. He is buried in Tarzana, California, US. When he died, he was believed to have been the writer who had made the most from films, earning over $2 million in royalties from 27 Tarzan pictures. The Science Fiction Hall of Fame inducted Burroughs in 2003.

Literary career

Aiming his work at the pulps—under the name "Norman Bean" to protect his reputation—Burroughs had his first story, ''

Under the Moons of Mars ''A Princess of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine ''All-Story Magazine'' from February–July, 1912. Full of swordplay and dari ...

'', serialized by Frank Munsey in the February to July 1912 issues of '' The All-Story''.The Hillmans' Virtual Visit to The Nell Dismukes McWhorter Memorial Edgar Rice Burroughs Collection
(with photographs). ''ERBzine'' 4(19). Robinson, Frank M. 2000.
The Story Behind the Original All-Story
" ''

American Zoetrope American Zoetrope (also known as Omni Zoetrope from 1977 to 1980 and Zoetrope Studios from 1980 until 1990) is a privately run American film production company, centered in San Francisco, California and founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Georg ...

'' 4(1). Archived from th
original
on March 16, 2013. Retrieved April 8, 2013. ''Under the Moons of Mars'' inaugurated the '' Barsoom'' series and earned Burroughs ($11,922 today). It was first published as a book by A. C. McClurg of Chicago in 1917, entitled ''

A Princess of Mars ''A Princess of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first of his Barsoom series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine ''All-Story Magazine'' from February–July, 1912. Full of swordplay and dari ...

'', after three Barsoom sequels had appeared as serials and McClurg had published the first four serial

novels as books. Burroughs soon took up writing full-time, and by the time the run of ''Under the Moons of Mars'' had finished, he had completed two novels, including ''

Tarzan of the Apes ''Tarzan of the Apes'' is a 1912 story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, and the first in the Tarzan series. It was first serialized in the pulp magazine '' The All-Story'' beginning October 1912 before being released as a novel in June ...

'', published from October 1912 and one of his most successful series. Burroughs also wrote popular science fiction and fantasy stories involving adventurers from Earth transported to various planets (notably Barsoom, Burroughs's fictional name for

Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...

, and

, his fictional name for

Venus Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never f ...

), lost islands ( Caspak), and into the interior of the

Hollow Earth The Hollow Earth is a concept proposing that the planet Earth is entirely hollow or contains a substantial interior space. Notably suggested by Edmond Halley in the late 17th century, the notion was disproven, first tentatively by Pierre Bougue ...

in his ''

'' stories. He also wrote Westerns and historical romances. Besides those published in ''All-Story'', many of his stories were published in '' The Argosy'' magazine.

was a cultural sensation when introduced. Burroughs was determined to capitalize on Tarzan's popularity in every way possible. He planned to exploit Tarzan through several different media including a syndicated Tarzan comic strip, movies, and merchandise. Experts in the field advised against this course of action, stating that the different media would just end up competing against each other. Burroughs went ahead, however, and proved the experts wrong – the public wanted Tarzan in whatever fashion he was offered. Tarzan remains one of the most successful fictional characters to this day and is a

. In either 1915 or 1919, Burroughs purchased a large ranch north of Los Angeles, California, which he named "Tarzana". The citizens of the community that sprang up around the ranch voted to adopt that name when their community,

Tarzana, California Tarzana is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California. Tarzana is on the site of a former ranch owned by author Edgar Rice Burroughs. It is named after Burroughs' fictional jungle hero, Tarzan. Histo ...

, was formed in 1927. Also, the unincorporated community of

Tarzan, Texas Tarzan is an unincorporated community in Martin County, Texas, United States. In 1990 Tarzan had about six occupied homes, a post office, cotton gin and a crossroads store to serve the local farming area. The Grady Independent School District ...

, was formally named in 1927 when the

US Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or Postal Service, is an independent agency of the executive branch of the United States federal government responsible for providing postal service in the U. ...

accepted the name,. reputedly coming from the popularity of the first (silent) ''

'' film, starring

Elmo Lincoln Elmo Lincoln (born Otto Elmo Linkenhelt; February 6, 1889June 27, 1952) was an American stage and film actor whose career in motion pictures spanned the silent and sound eras. He performed in over 100 screen productions between 1913 and 1952 an ...

, and an early "Tarzan" comic strip. In 1923, Burroughs set up his own company, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., and began printing his own books through the 1930s.

Reception and criticism

Because of the part Burroughs's science fiction played in inspiring real exploration of Mars, an impact crater on Mars was named in his honor after his death. In a ''

Paris Review ''The Paris Review'' is a quarterly English-language literary magazine established in Paris in 1953 by Harold L. Humes, Peter Matthiessen, and George Plimpton. In its first five years, ''The Paris Review'' published works by Jack Kerouac, Phil ...

'' interview,

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury (; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of modes, including fantasy, science fiction, horror, mystery fictio ...

said of Burroughs that "Edgar Rice Burroughs never would have looked upon himself as a social mover and shaker with social obligations. But as it turns out – and I love to say it because it upsets everyone terribly – Burroughs is probably the most influential writer in the entire history of the world." Bradbury continued that "By giving romance and adventure to a whole generation of boys, Burroughs caused them to go out and decide to become special." In '' Something of Myself'' (published posthumously in 1937)

Rudyard Kipling Joseph Rudyard Kipling ( ; 30 December 1865 – 18 January 1936)''The Times'', (London) 18 January 1936, p. 12. was an English novelist, short-story writer, poet, and journalist. He was born in British India, which inspired much of his work. ...

wrote: "My ''Jungle Books'' begat Zoos of mitators/nowiki>. But the genius of all the genii was one who wrote a series called ''Tarzan of the Apes''. I read it, but regret I never saw it on the films, where it rages most successfully. He had 'jazzed' the motif of the ''Jungle Books'' and, I imagine, had thoroughly enjoyed himself. He was reported to have said that he wanted to find out how bad a book he could write and 'get away with', which is a legitimate ambition." By 1963,

Floyd C. Gale ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Edit ...

of ''

Galaxy Science Fiction ''Galaxy Science Fiction'' was an American digest-size science fiction magazine, published in Boston from 1950 to 1980. It was founded by a French-Italian company, World Editions, which was looking to break into the American market. World Editi ...

'' wrote when discussing reprints of several Burroughs novels by Ace Books, "an entire generation has grown up inexplicably Burroughs-less". He stated that most of the author's books had been out of print for years and that only the "occasional laughable Tarzan film" reminded public of his fiction. Gale reported his surprise that after two decades his books were again available, with

Canaveral Press Canaveral Press was a New York–based publisher of fantasy, science fiction and related material, active from the early 1960s through the mid-1970s. Richard A. Lupoff was the editor for publishers Jack Biblo and Jack Tannen. After many years o ...

Dover Publications Dover Publications, also known as Dover Books, is an American book publisher founded in 1941 by Hayward and Blanche Cirker. It primarily reissues books that are out of print from their original publishers. These are often, but not always, book ...

, and Ballantine Books also reprinting them. Few critical books have been written about Burroughs. From an academic standpoint, the most helpful are Erling Holtsmark's two books: ''Tarzan and Tradition'' and ''Edgar Rice Burroughs''; Stan Galloway's ''The Teenage Tarzan: A Literary Analysis of Edgar Rice Burroughs' ''Jungle Tales of Tarzan; and Richard Lupoff's two books: ''Master of Adventure: Edgar Rice Burroughs'' and ''Barsoom: Edgar Rice Burroughs and the Martian Vision''. Galloway was identified by James Edwin Gunn as "one of the half-dozen finest Burroughs scholars in the world"; Galloway called Holtsmark his "most important predecessor". Burroughs strongly supported

and

. His views held that English nobles made up a particular heritable elite among

Anglo-Saxons The Anglo-Saxons were a Cultural identity, cultural group who inhabited England in the Early Middle Ages. They traced their origins to settlers who came to Britain from mainland Europe in the 5th century. However, the ethnogenesis of the Anglo- ...

was meant to reflect this, with him being born to English nobles and then adopted by talking apes (the

Mangani ''Mangani'' is the name of a fictional species of great apes in the Tarzan novels of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and of the invented language used by these apes. In the invented language, ''Mangani'' (meaning "great-ape") is the apes' word for their own ...

). They express eugenicist views themselves, but Tarzan is permitted to live despite being deemed "unfit" in comparison, and grows up to surpass not only them but black Africans, whom Burroughs clearly presents as inherently inferior, even not wholly human. In one Tarzan story, he finds an ancient civilization where eugenics has been practiced for over 2,000 years, with the result that it is free of all crime. Criminal behavior is held to be entirely hereditary, with the solution having been to kill not only criminals but also their families. ''

Lost on Venus ''Lost On Venus'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second book in the Venus series (sometimes called the "Carson Napier of Venus series" or the "Amtor series"). It was first serialized in the magazine '' Ar ...

'', a later novel, presents a similar

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book '' Utopia'', describing a fictional island societ ...

where forced sterilization is practiced and the "unfit" are killed. Burroughs explicitly supported such ideas in his unpublished nonfiction essay ''I See A New Race''. Additionally, his ''Pirate Blood'', which is not speculative fiction and remained unpublished after his death, portrayed the characters as victims of their hereditary criminal traits (one a descendant of the corsair

Jean Lafitte Jean Lafitte ( – ) was a French pirate and privateer who operated in the Gulf of Mexico in the early 19th century. He and his older brother Pierre spelled their last name Laffite, but English language documents of the time used "Lafitte". Th ...

, another from the

Jukes family The Jukes family was a New York "hill family" studied in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The studies are part of a series of other family studies, including the Kallikaks, the Zeros and the Nams, that were often quoted as arguments in s ...

). These views have been compared with

Nazi eugenics Nazi eugenics refers to the social policies of eugenics in Nazi Germany, composed of various pseudoscientific ideas about genetics. The racial ideology of Nazism placed the biological improvement of the German people by selective breeding of ...

(though noting that they were popular and common at the time), with his ''

'' being released the same year the Nazis took power (in 1933). In 2003, Burroughs was inducted into the

Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame The Museum of Pop Culture or MoPOP is a nonprofit museum in Seattle, Washington, dedicated to contemporary popular culture. It was founded by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2000 as the Experience Music Project. Since then MoPOP has organized ...

Selected works

''Barsoom'' series

# ''

'' (1912) # ''

The Gods of Mars ''The Gods of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs and the second of Burroughs' Barsoom series. It features the characters of John Carter and Carter's wife Dejah Thoris. It was first published in ''The All-S ...

'' (1913) # ''

The Warlord of Mars ''The Warlord of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in June, 1913, going through five working titles; ''Yellow Men of Barsoom'', ''The Fighting Pr ...

'' (1914) # ''

Thuvia, Maid of Mars ''Thuvia, Maid of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth of the '' Barsoom'' series. The principal characters are Carthoris (the son of John Carter of Mars) and Thuvia of Ptarth, each of whom appe ...

'' (1916) # ''

The Chessmen of Mars ''The Chessmen of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story was first published in '' Argosy All-Story Week ...

'' (1922) # ''

The Master Mind of Mars ''The Master Mind of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs' working titles for the novel were ''A Weird Adventure on Mars'' and ''Vad Varo of Barsoom''. It was f ...

'' (1927) # ''

A Fighting Man of Mars ''A Fighting Man of Mars'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it on February 28, 1929, and the finished story was first published in '' The Blue Book Maga ...

'' (1930) # '' Swords of Mars'' (1934) # '' Synthetic Men of Mars'' (1939) # ''

Llana of Gathol ''Llana of Gathol'' is a collection of four science fantasy stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, which were originally published in ''Amazing Stories'' in 1941. The first collected edition of ''Llana of Gathol'' was published in 1948 ...

'' (1941) # ''

John Carter of Mars John Carter of Mars is a fictional Virginian soldier who acts as the initial protagonist of the Barsoom stories by Edgar Rice Burroughs. A veteran of the American Civil War, he is transported to the planet Mars, called Barsoom by its inhabita ...

'' (1964, two stories from 1940 and 1943)

''Tarzan'' series

# ''

'' (1912) # ''

The Return of Tarzan ''The Return of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published in the pulp magazine '' New Story Magazine'' in the issues for ...

'' (1913) # ''

The Beasts of Tarzan ''The Beasts of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in '' All-Story Cavalier'' magazine in 1914, the novel was first ...

'' (1914) # ''

The Son of Tarzan ''The Son of Tarzan'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was written between January 21 and May 11, 1915, and first published in the magazine ' ...

'' (1915) # ''

Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar ''Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It first appeared in the November and December issues of ''All-Story Cavalier W ...

'' (1916) # ''

Jungle Tales of Tarzan ''Jungle Tales of Tarzan'' is a collection of twelve loosely connected short stories by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, comprising the sixth book in order of publication in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan ...

'' (stories 1916–1917) # ''

Tarzan the Untamed ''Tarzan the Untamed'' is a book by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was originally published as two separate stories serialized in different pulp magazines; ...

'' (1919) # ''

Tarzan the Terrible ''Tarzan the Terrible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eighth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in the pulp magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' in ...

'' (1921) # ''

Tarzan and the Golden Lion ''Tarzan and the Golden Lion'' is an adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the ninth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a seven part serial in ''Argosy All-Story We ...

'' (1922) # ''

Tarzan and the Ant Men ''Tarzan and the Ant Men'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the tenth in his series of twenty-four books about the jungle hero Tarzan. It was first published as a seven-part serial in the magazine '' Argosy All-Story Weekly'' ...

'' (1924) # ''

Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle ''Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle'' is an American animated series created by the Filmation studio for Saturday mornings on CBS, starting in 1976. This was the first animated series about the jungle hero. There are 36 episodes produced over four sea ...

'' (1927) # ''

Tarzan and the Lost Empire ''Tarzan and the Lost Empire'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twelfth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. It was first published as a serial in ''Blue Book Magazine'' from October 1928 thr ...

'' (1928) # ''

Tarzan at the Earth's Core ''Tarzan at the Earth's Core'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, serialized in September 1929 to March 1930, the thirteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan and the fourth in his series set i ...

'' (1929) # ''

Tarzan the Invincible ''Tarzan the Invincible'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 19 ...

'' (1930) # ''

Tarzan Triumphant ''Tarzan Triumphant'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine ''Blue Book'' from October, 1931 th ...

'' (1931) # ''

Tarzan and the City of Gold ''Tarzan and the City of Gold'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The novel was originally serialized in the magazine '' Argosy'' from March th ...

'' (1932) # '' Tarzan and the Lion Man'' (1933) # '' Tarzan and the Leopard Men'' (1932) # ''

Tarzan's Quest ''Tarzan's Quest'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the nineteenth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Originally serialized in six parts, as ''Tarzan and the Immortal Men'', in ''The Blue Book ...

'' (1935) # ''

Tarzan the Magnificent ''Tarzan the Magnificent'' is a 1960 British Eastmancolor film, the follow-up to ''Tarzan's Greatest Adventure'' (1959). Its plot bears no relation to that of the 1939 Edgar Rice Burroughs novel of the same name. The film was directed by R ...

'' (1936) # ''

Tarzan and the Forbidden City ''Tarzan and the Forbidden City'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twentieth in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Plot summary A young man named Brian Gregory has disappeared in Africa, loo ...

'' (1938) # ''

Tarzan and the Foreign Legion ''Tarzan and the Foreign Legion'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-second in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. The book, written June–September 1944 while Burroughs was living in Hon ...

'' (1947, written in 1944) # ''

Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins ''Tarzan and the Tarzan Twins'' is a collection of two Tarzan novellas by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, for younger readers. It was originally published as two children's books, ''The Tarzan Twins'' by Voland in October 1927, and ''Tarzan ...

'' (1963, collects 1927 and 1936 children's books) # ''

Tarzan and the Madman ''Tarzan and the Madman'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the twenty-third in his series of twenty-four books about the title character Tarzan. Written from January to February 1940, the story was never published in Burroughs' ...

'' (1964, written in 1940) # ''

Tarzan and the Castaways Tarzan (John Clayton II, Viscount Greystoke) is a fictional character, an archetypal feral child raised in the African jungle by the Mangani great apes; he later experiences civilization, only to reject it and return to the wild as a heroic adv ...

'' (1965, stories from 1940 to 1941) # '' Tarzan: The Lost Adventure'' (1995, rewritten version of 1946 fragment, completed by Joe R. Lansdale)

''Pellucidar'' series

# '' At the Earth's Core'' (1914) # ''

'' (1915) # ''

Tanar of Pellucidar ''Tanar of Pellucidar'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third in his series set in the interior world of Pellucidar. It first appeared as a six-part serial in '' The Blue Book Magazine'' from March–August 1929. It was f ...

'' (1929) # ''

Back to the Stone Age ''Back to the Stone Age'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth in his series set in the lost world of Pellucidar. It first appeared as a six-part serial in '' Argosy Weekly'' from January 9 to February 13, 1937 under ...

'' (1937) # ''

Land of Terror ''Land of Terror'' is a 1944 fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the sixth in his series about the fictional " hollow earth" land of Pellucidar. It is the penultimate novel in the series and the last to be published during Bur ...

'' (1944, written in 1939) # ''

Savage Pellucidar ''Savage Pellucidar'' is a 1963 fantasy story collection by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the seventh and final book in his series about the fictional " hollow earth" land of Pellucidar. It was published twelve years after Burroughs's d ...

'' (1963, stories from 1942) * ''

'' (1929)

''Venus'' series

# ''

Pirates of Venus ''Pirates of Venus'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the first book in the Venus series (also called the "Carson Napier of Venus series"), the last major series in Burroughs's career (the other major series w ...

'' (1932) # ''

'' (1933) # ''

Carson of Venus ''Carson of Venus'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the third book in the Venus series (Sometimes called the "Carson Napier of Venus series"). Burroughs wrote the novel in July and August 1937. It was serial ...

'' (1938) # ''

Escape on Venus ''Escape on Venus'' is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fourth book in the Venus series (Sometimes called the "Carson Napier of Venus series"). It consists of four interconnected stories published in ''Fantas ...

'' (1946, stories from 1941 to 1942) # ''

The Wizard of Venus ''The Wizard of Venus'' is a science fiction novella by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, as well as the title of a collection in which it was later published together with an unrelated story. "The Wizard of Venus" is the final story in Burrou ...

'' (1970, written in 1941)

''Caspak'' series

# '' The Land That Time Forgot'' (1918) # '' The People That Time Forgot'' (1918) # '' Out of Time's Abyss'' (1918)

''Moon'' series

* ''Part I: The Moon Maid'' (1923, serialized in ''Argosy'', May 5 – June 2, 1923) * ''Part II: The Moon Men'' (1925, serialized in ''Argosy'', February 21 – March 14, 1925) * ''Part III: The Red Hawk'' (1925 serialized in ''Argosy'', September 5–19, 1925) These three texts have been published by various houses in one or two volumes. Adding to the confusion, some editions have the original (significantly longer) introduction to Part I from the first publication as a magazine serial, and others have the shorter version from the first book publication, which included all three parts under the title ''

The Moon Maid ''The Moon Maid'' is a fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was written in three parts, Part 1 was begun in June 1922 under the title ''The Moon Maid'', Part 2 was begun in 1919 under the title ''Under the Red Flag'', lat ...

''..

''Mucker'' series

* ''

The Mucker ''The Mucker'' is a novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. It was originally formed by two stories: "The Mucker", begun in August 1913 and published by ''All-Story Weekly'' in October and November 1914; and "The Return of the Mucker", b ...

'' (1914) * '' The Return of the Mucker'' (1916) * '' The Oakdale Affair'' (1918)

Other science fiction

* '' The Monster Men'' (1913) * '' The Lost Continent'' (1916; a.k.a. ''Beyond Thirty'') * ''

The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw "The Resurrection of Jimber-Jaw" is a 1937 short story by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, about an unfrozen 50,000-year-old caveman. The story was originally printed in ''Argosy'' magazine, and later reprinted as one of three stories in the ...

'' (1937) * '' Beyond the Farthest Star'' (1942)

Jungle adventure novels

* '' The Cave Girl'' (1913, revised 1917) * ''

The Eternal Lover ''The Eternal Lover'' is a fantasy-adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs. The story was begun in November 1913 under the working title ''Nu of the Niocene''. It was first run serially in two parts by ''All-Story Weekly''. The ...

'' (1914, rev. 1915; A.K.A. ''The Eternal Savage'') * ''

The Man-Eater ''The Man-Eater'' is a short adventure novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, written in May 1915, originally as a movie treatment. His working title for the piece was ''Ben, King of Beasts''. ''The Man-Eater'' is one of Burrough's rarer ...

'' (1915) * '' The Lad and the Lion'' (1917) * ''

Jungle Girl A jungle girl (so-called, but usually adult woman) is an archetype or stock character, often used in popular fiction, of a female adventurer, superhero or even a damsel in distress living in a jungle or rainforest setting. An alternate depiction i ...

'' (1931; A.K.A. ''The Land of Hidden Men'')

Western novels

* '' The Bandit of Hell's Bend'' (1924) * '' The War Chief'' (1927) * '' Apache Devil'' (1933) * '' The Deputy Sheriff of Comanche County'' (1940)

Historical novels

* ''

The Outlaw of Torn ''The Outlaw of Torn'' is a historical novel by Edgar Rice Burroughs, taking place in 13th century England. Originally published as a five-part serial in ''New Story Magazine'' from January to May 1914, and first published in book form by A. C. ...

'' (1914) * '' I am a Barbarian'' (1967; written in 1941)

Other works

* '' Minidoka: 937th Earl of One Mile Series M'' (1998; written in 1903) * ''

The Mad King ''The Mad King'' is a Ruritanian romance by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, originally published in two parts as "The Mad King" and "Barney Custer of Beatrice" in ''All-Story Weekly'', in 1914 and 1915, respectively. These were combined for ...

'' (1914, rev. 1915) * ''

The Girl from Farris's ''The'' () is a grammatical Article (grammar), article in English language, English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite ...

'' (1916) * '' The Rider'' (1918) * '' The Efficiency Expert'' (1921) * '' The Girl from Hollywood'' (1922) * '' Marcia of the Doorstep'' (1924) * '' You Lucky Girl!'' (1927) * '' Pirate Blood'' (1970; written in 1932) * '' Forgotten Tales of Love and Murder'' (2001; stories from 1910 to 1944) * ''

Brother Men A brother is a man or boy who shares one or more parents with another; a male sibling. The female counterpart is a sister. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to non-familia ...

'' (2005; nonfiction)

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * *

External links

* * *
Works by Edgar Rice Burroughs
a
Project Gutenberg Australia
* * * *

Complete Edgar Rice Burroughs Illustrated Bibliography by Bill Hillman's ERBzine.com * (official website)
Bibliography
on SciFan * * wikilivres:Edgar Rice Burroughs, Works by Edgar Rice Burroughs
/ 1st UK editions list with pictures of the books
*
The Fantastic Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs
(podcasts)
ERBzine.com

list of UK 1st edition paperbacks {{DEFAULTSORT:Burroughs, Edgar Rice Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1875 births 1950 deaths 20th-century American novelists People from Tarzana, Los Angeles American fantasy writers American science fiction writers Writers from California Writers from Oak Park, Illinois Phillips Academy alumni Pulp fiction writers Science Fiction Hall of Fame inductees United States Army soldiers Writers from Chicago American people of English descent American male novelists Chess variant inventors Inkpot Award winners Novelists from Illinois 20th-century American male writers

Biography

Early life and family

Later life

Death

Literary career

Reception and criticism

Selected works

''Barsoom'' series

''Tarzan'' series

''Pellucidar'' series

''Venus'' series

''Caspak'' series

''Moon'' series

''Mucker'' series

Other science fiction

Jungle adventure novels

Western novels

Historical novels

Other works

See also

Notes

References

Bibliography

Further reading

External links