4 Answers2026-07-25 12:44:16
It’s fascinating how these books inspired so much modern sci-fi and fantasy, from 'Star Wars' to 'Avatar'. Reading them in publication order is like watching the genre DNA unfold. You see tropes being invented in real time. That historical layer adds so much to the experience. A chronological read would obscure that evolution. You’d get a tidy story but miss the cultural context. For a student of genre history, publication order isn’t just correct; it’s essential.
3 Answers2026-07-25 16:09:34
I remember being a kid and finding these in my library out of order. I read 'The Master Mind of Mars' first and was utterly confused but enthralled. Went back and started from the beginning, and it was like getting the missing pieces of a dream.
That confusion was actually fun, but I got more out of it the second time, in order. The series is designed to be discovered layer by layer. The first book sets up the romance and wonder. The next ones deepen the mythology. The later ones expand the cast. Doing it right feels like being inducted into a secret club.
6 Answers2026-07-25 06:08:29
Library archives are great for this. You can often find scanned copies of the original 'All-Story' magazines with the first serialized installments. That's the true first publication, before the books. It's a deep dive, but seeing the stories alongside ads for soap and cars from 1912 is a trip. The book order is a simplification of that messier, more exciting serial publication history. So when we talk about 'publication order', we usually mean books. But the truest order is the magazine release, which is almost the same but with multi-year gaps within a single story's publication.
4 Answers2026-01-08 16:59:27
If you loved the swashbuckling adventure and alien landscapes of 'A Princess of Mars', you’ve got to check out 'The Sword of Rhiannon' by Leigh Brackett. It’s got that same pulpy, high-energy vibe—think ancient Martian civilizations, rogue archaeologists, and cursed artifacts. Brackett’s writing is lush and vivid, almost like she painted the deserts of Mars with words. Another gem is 'The Moon Maid' by Edgar Rice Burroughs himself; it’s a wild ride through a hollow Earth with warring factions and a damsel in distress who’s way tougher than she looks.
For something more modern but equally epic, 'The Barsoom Series' influence is all over S.M. Stirling’s 'In the Courts of the Crimson Kings'. It’s a love letter to Burroughs’ style but with deeper world-building and political intrigue. And if you’re into comics, 'Warlord of Mars' by Dynamite Entertainment expands John Carter’s universe with gorgeous art and even crazier plot twists. Honestly, diving into these feels like unearthing a treasure chest of forgotten pulp glory.
4 Answers2025-12-24 12:30:22
Ever since I stumbled upon the John Carter of Mars series, I've been completely hooked. Edgar Rice Burroughs crafted this incredible world that blends science fiction and adventure in such a unique way. The series consists of 11 books in total, starting with 'A Princess of Mars' in 1912 and ending with 'John Carter of Mars' in 1964. It's wild to think how the story evolved over decades, with Burroughs returning to the characters even after long gaps.
What fascinates me most is how each book builds on the last, yet they can stand alone too. I accidentally read 'The Gods of Mars' before the first book, and it still blew me away. The later entries, like 'Llana of Gathol,' feel slightly different in tone but keep that pulpy charm. It's a series I revisit every few years—always discovering something new.
4 Answers2026-07-25 09:31:16
I found an old, musty copy in my attic. The smell of aged paper added to the atmosphere.
Cracking open 'A Princess of Mars' felt like uncovering a secret history of sci-fi.
The physical experience of reading that specific edition made following the proper order feel like a ritual.
I sought out the sequels in similar old editions to keep the feeling going.
It became less about just the story and more about the artifact of the story.
If you have the chance, finding a vintage paperback can make starting the series a special event.
3 Answers2026-07-25 10:48:58
The series order question comes up a lot in old-school sci-fi forums. It's nice to see new readers discovering these classics. The community usually points people to ERBlist.com for definitive info, but the short answer is always publication order.
3 Answers2025-05-23 12:47:53
'John Carter of Mars' is one of those series that just sticks with you. The original author is Edgar Rice Burroughs, the same genius who created 'Tarzan'. He started the series back in 1912 with 'A Princess of Mars', and it's wild how fresh it still feels. Burroughs had this knack for blending sci-fi and fantasy before those genres were even properly defined. His writing transports you to Barsoom with such vivid detail, you can almost smell the Martian air. The guy was way ahead of his time, crafting a universe that inspired everything from 'Star Wars' to modern pulp adventures.
5 Answers2026-07-25 12:49:54
The audiobook narrator for the first three, Gene Engene, is fantastic. He captures that old-school, melodramatic pulp tone perfectly. If you go the audio route, listen to those three in order, then you can switch to other narrators for the later books without missing a beat. The performance adds so much to the experience.
6 Answers2026-07-25 14:39:23
Honestly, the way Burroughs writes her entrance is so dramatic. This ethereal, copper-skinned woman just appears among all these brutal, four-armed giants. It's iconic. That scene alone sold a million paperback copies. You can't talk about John Carter without talking about meeting Dejah Thoris in that first book. It's the core of the whole saga.