tpsobo 's review for:

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs

4.0

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Last Of The Mohicans meets Flash Gordon, this book (published 1912) straddles two bygone eras--and holds up quite well! Undoubtedly inspired by Jules Verne, this trailblazing work was undoubtedly an inspiration itself to the kids of that era who would later invent modern science fiction. However, like much SF in the intervening years, it is pulp through and through, without any of the intellectuality of Close Encounters, Star Trek, or even Avatar. This is the type of schlock fantasy where the hero escapes by the author "remembering" something that he failed to mention chapters earlier. Compared to most pulp, the characters are generally both believable and likeable, with quite a bit more depth than I expected from such an early work, and a culmination of events does manage to emerge. Though rare for both 1912 and most of the following century, I was also pleased to find the heroine portrayed as relatively intelligent, unapologetically strong of will, and fierce in personality--if still physically small, frequently in need of rescue, and primarily a love interest.

Though not a perfect story, it easily deserves my 4 stars if taken in context of its genre, as is my preference. If you care not for reading classics in context, or if you are not a fan of pulp in any form, then I fully recommend skipping this prime example. However, Princess of Mars is a classic and rightfully so. Though I am content with this initial episode, I understand why Burroughs' tales of John Carter are still beloved by so many well over a century after they were published.