While it might seem pointless to make such a distinction between two crude, pulpy, early twentieth century adventure stories, I have to say that Gods of Mars is not nearly so good as the first novel, A Princess of Mars. The explorations of the dying planet of Mars (called Barsoom by the inhabitants) is not nearly so fantastical seeming (except for a crackerjack opening set piece) and, as the book progresses, Burroughs actually seems to lose interest in descriptions of the frequent, wild, and lusty sword fights (often fought to save a winsome and lovely and no doubt breathily heaving bosomed damsel with a charmingly exposed décolletage fairly swelling with admiration for our hero). Plus, it has to be acknowledged that some of the racism that makes the Tarzan stories unreadable these days (to me, at least) makes an appearance in this sequel. The first book generally lacked that problem, but apparently, Burroughs wasn’t about to let the fact that the entire book takes place on Mars (!) get in the way of expressing his disturbing opinions about black folk.

As someone who has been reading too much Burroughs, I can also see him start to repeat himself.

He wrote a number of novels taking place inside the Earth in a land called Pellucidar. A century ago, there was a not widespread belief that the Earth’s core might be hollow, with people and continents living inside our hollowed out sphere. There was even a theory about something called a Symme’s Hole, located somewhere around one of the poles, that led to this ‘hollow earth.’

I read the first two of his Hollow Earth novels and wouldn’t you know it, Barsoom has got something like a ‘hollow earth,’ too.

Finally, for those misogynist fans of John Norman’s Gor novels, I suggest you check out this Burroughs’ series, because it’s what Norman rips off in those novels. Even down to some of the disturbing sexual obsessions Norman has with male-dominant/female-submissive relationships. Except that Burroughs had the excuse that he was writing his stuff one hundred years ago. And Burroughs, by comparison, is downright feminist.

Oh well. I just started reading the third novel, Warlord of Mars.