The Chessmen of Mars

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Summary: The most creative of all the ERB pulp fiction novels
Review: "The Chessmen of Mars" is the fifth novel in the Edgar Rice Burroughs Martian (a.k.a. John Carter of Mars, Barsoom) series. Originally published serially in "Argosy All-Story Weekly" in 1921 and in hardback the following year it is arguably one of ERB's most imaginative stories. This reputation rests on two things. The first is the relationship between the Kaldanes "heads" and the headless Rykors who are the "descendants of exceedingly stupid humanoid creatures bred by the Kaladane over eons for strength, health, beauty and microcephaly." True, this makes no sense from an evolutionary standpoint, but it is one of the more imaginative parasitic relationships in science fiction history. The second is jetan, the Martian version of chess, which is usually played on a 10 x 10 game board of alternating black and orange squares in the cities of Barsoom, but in the city of Manator is played with living pieces in a giant arena. Of course in the living version of the game a moving piece is not guaranteed a square but has to fight for it.

The framing device for "The Chessmen of Mars" is told by John Carter, Warlord of Barsoom, on a visit home to Earth to see his nephew (rather remarkable given how long it took Carter to get back to Barsoom after his first adventure). Over a game of chess Carter tells of jetan and the adventures of his daughter, Tara of Helium, in Manator. As was the case with the previous Martian novel, "Thuvia, Maid of Mars," ERB introduces a new hero for this adventure in Gahan, Jed of Gathol. The novel opens with the two of them dancing at a royal function in Helium. She has her eyes set on Djor Kantos, sons of her friend's best friend, but he is interested in somebody else. When Gahan declares his love for her, Tara throws a fit and we know these two are meant for each other. Taking her flier on an unadvised flight during a Gale, the princess ends up blown across Barsoom and as happened with both her mother and her sister-in-law, her hero has to track her down and effect a rescue.

The combination of the Kaladanes jumping from one Rykor to the next with the jetan game to the death is quite captivating. For many readers of ERB's pulp fiction yarns "The Chessmen of Mars" is a favorite and while it has the standard hero rescues beloved plot that is a Burroughs staple it is layered with all this interesting stuff. Actually, the romance is the least interesting part of the story. This is far and away the most memorable volume in the Martian series, which is saying something because from start to finish it is ERB's best. With the Tarzan series you can basically leave off once he meets La of Opar, but the Martian series is the one worth reading from start to finish and "Chessmen" is the highpoint.

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Summary: My Favorite Mars Novel
Review: Chessmen of Mars, the fifth book in EBR's Martian series, is a great piece of literature. Tara of Helium is the daughter of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. She has inherited her mother's incredible beauty and her father's fighting spirit. She has also inherited both her parent's propensity for trouble... Gahan of Gathol is the splendid jed of Gathol, and he loves Tara. When Tara gets herself into trouble, Gahan goes after her. In this book, EBR takes us to new areas of Barsoom--Bantoom,land of the loathsome Kaldanes, and then to Manator, land of arrogant red men who play at deadly jetan. And like the rest of the Martian novels, this is also a charming romance.

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Summary: Think Burroughs Only Wrote Tarzan Books? Think Again!
Review: It's too bad that millions of people think that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote only Tarzan stories. So many Tarzan fans have no idea that the same author who gave them the Lord of the Jungle also wrote a great series of Martian adventures.

Chessmen of Mars is the fifth book in Burroughs' Mars series, and many critics consider it the best of the lot. Tara, Princess of Helium, is a rich, somewhat spoiled girl who goes on a joyride only to be thrown off-course by a powerful storm. Tara finds herself in a strange region of her planet, surrounded by strange beings and dangerous circumstances.

Burroughs had a talent for producing very exciting tales from a full-speed-ahead imagination. He even has some fun with the social and political implications of the various races on Mars. Sure, some of the dialogue is cornball, but remember this book was written nearly 80 years ago.

If you enjoy Tarzan, Indiana Jones, or just great story-telling, 'Chessmen of Mars' will not disappoint.