In What Order Were The Original John Carter Books Published

Heard there's both the Barsoom series and the standalone novels, but lost track of the actual release timeline from the early 1900s onward.
2026-07-25 10:08:14
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4 Answers

FionaReed
FionaReed
Helpful Reader Consultant
I just checked three different sources to be sure. Consensus says: A Princess of Mars (1917), The Gods of Mars (1918), The Warlord of Mars (1919), Thuvia, Maid of Mars (1920), The Chessmen of Mars (1922), The Master Mind of Mars (1928), A Fighting Man of Mars (1931), Swords of Mars (1936), Synthetic Men of Mars (1940), Llana of Gathol (1948), John Carter of Mars (1964).

The last two are technically story collections, but they're considered the 10th and 11th volumes in the series. Some omnibus editions might combine them differently, but as originally released, those are the eleven books. It's a long series, but surprisingly breezy to read. The chapters are short and the action is non-stop.
2026-07-26 09:58:28
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MarkLong
MarkLong
Twist Chaser Sales
Here's a niche tip: if you're listening to the audiobooks, make sure the reader is consistent. Some productions have different narrators for different books, which can be jarring. And listen to them in publication order! The LibriVox versions are free and follow the proper sequence: starting with 'A Princess of Mars' (1917) and ending with the stories in 'John Carter of Mars' (1964).

The order is crucial for audio because you build a mental map of the voices and places. Hearing a reference to the Therns or Helium in a later book only works if you've experienced the earlier introductions. Publication order is the backbone of the series, both in print and in audio.
2026-07-28 00:15:09
3
LeoMorgan
LeoMorgan
Spoiler Watcher Analyst
Interesting to see how many people are still curious about this. It's a testament to the world Burroughs built. The books were published in this order: 1917: A Princess of Mars. 1918: The Gods of Mars. 1919: The Warlord of Mars. 1920: Thuvia, Maid of Mars. 1922: The Chessmen of Mars. 1928: The Master Mind of Mars. 1931: A Fighting Man of Mars. 1936: Swords of Mars. 1940: Synthetic Men of Mars. 1948: Llana of Gathol. 1964: John Carter of Mars.

That 1964 volume is crucial because it contains the final story Burroughs wrote about Barsoom, 'Skeleton Men of Jupiter.' It's a shame he didn't live to expand it into a full novel. Publication order gives you the complete arc, ending with that last, unfinished-feeling adventure.
2026-07-28 07:41:46
1
BenElm
BenElm
Spoiler Watcher Lawyer
I'm just here for the Dejah Thoris fanart, not gonna lie. But yeah, the books go in the order everyone's saying.
2026-07-29 11:51:25
1
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In what order were the John Carter books by Edgar Rice Burroughs published

6 Answers2026-07-25 11:11:15
It's not just about plot order. The themes evolve. Early books are big on honor and romance. Later ones delve more into the weird science of Barsoom and the moral dilemmas of immortality. You miss that progression if you jump into the middle.

In what order were the John Carter Barsoom books originally published?

5 Answers2026-07-25 07:08:41
Just chiming in to say that 'The Chessmen of Mars' is the one with the living game of Jetan, right? That concept has stuck with me for years. The order is important because that book comes after the establishment of the world and the main family. It feels like a natural expansion of the weirdness Barsoom can offer. If you read it first, the setting wouldn't be as grounded. You need the baseline of red deserts, dying oceans, and airborne battles from the earlier books to appreciate how truly bizarre the chessmen are. Publication order gives you that steady ramp-up into the surreal.

What is the correct reading order of the John Carter books?

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.

In what publication order were the John Carter of Mars books released?

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.

What is the correct John Carter book series order to read

4 Answers2026-07-25 03:56:08
For a visual guide, search 'John Carter reading order infographic'. Some talented fan has probably made one with all the book covers in a nice line. It's satisfying to look at and check off as you go. Very helpful if you're a visual learner who gets mixed up with titles.

Who wrote John Carter of Mars book series originally?

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.

What is the full list of John Carter books in order to read

5 Answers2026-07-25 02:05:54
Honestly, the best order is just internal chronological order, which is almost the same as publication order except for one. Start with 'A Princess of Mars'. Then go 'The Gods of Mars', 'The Warlord of Mars', 'Thuvia, Maid of Mars', 'The Chessmen of Mars', 'The Master Mind of Mars', 'A Fighting Man of Mars', 'Swords of Mars', 'Synthetic Men of Mars', 'Llana of Gathol', and finally 'John Carter of Mars'. That last one is a collection, but it contains the final chronological story, 'John Carter and the Giant of Mars'. It flows nicely as one long saga of his life.

What is the correct order to read the John Carter of Mars books?

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.

How does the John Carter book order differ from the movie timeline?

3 Answers2026-07-25 22:11:57
This question makes me want to re-read the whole series now. The books have this wonderful, episodic feel where each one is a new adventure on Barsoom. The movie tried to give that a more traditional three-act structure, which meant borrowing from the later lore early on. Honestly, the reading order is straightforward—just go by publication date. The internal chronology is a bit wibbly-wobbly, but it's not crucial to enjoy them.

How do the John Carter books in order connect the Barsoom wars

7 Answers2026-07-25 06:17:31
It’s all about lineage and inheritance, too. By 'The Warlord of Mars', Carter isn't just fighting for his wife; he's fighting for the future his son will inherit. The later wars in the series (like in 'Llana of Gathol') even involve his grandson. The conflicts evolve from 'save the princess' to 'secure a dynasty.' The Barsoom wars become the Carter family business, which is a wild but compelling through-line.
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