A Princess of Mars Review & Retrospective

The first part in a series on Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom stories, Dan of Conan Chronicles embarks on a review & retrospective of the first John Carter of Mars book - A Princess of Mars.
Art used in this video is from:
Warlord of Mars (2010) #0 - 9 by Arvid Nelson, Jack Dadson, Stephen Sadowski, & Lui Antonio, Dynamite Entertainment, and
Four Color Comics (1939) #375 by Jesse Marsh, Dell Comics (1952).
A Princess of Mars Audiobook from Libravox
• A PRINCESS OF MARS - F...
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[@ConnerNielsen6]

Congratulations on your feature film debut.

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

Can’t wait for gods of mars

[@pirateship8925]

What happened?

[@JOONBUGFILMS]

@@pirateship8925 I don't know

[@trenthoward6800]

I watched this video a few days ago and now I'm hooked on Burroughs as a whole. Thank you for opening the door to this whole new world of classic adventure for me my man.

[@simonmacomber7466]

There is something about John Carter from this novel that you didn't cover. Carter doesn't remember any sort of childhood. As far as he can remember, he has always been a man of about the age at which he is when his story begins. He wasn't just a warrior for Barsoom, or for the Confederate South. He also remembers being a warrior for America in 1812, and a Revolutionary war fighter, and, perhaps wars even before then.

[@bloodrosereaper2099]

The idea that he's immortal to an extent, that he can die if he were shot or stabbed, but is in a way ageless was an interesting addition to the character in my opinion.

[@Biblio9949]

It's good to know this story from a very underrated set of books has not been forgotten.

[@ComicExcitement]

😃 WOW - thanks for creating this phenomenal presentation (verbal and graphic) and providing the fascinating overview at the end!👍

[@mirarstudios]

Thankyou! My first introduction to this great tale!

[@ricardorios492]

Oh wow, that a good book that I read long, long ago, I wanted to read it again

[@multi-voiceentertainment7013]

Sir I have to say you did an outstanding job of a Princess of Mars. I would like to see more of your videos of The Barsoom Saga. 😉👍

[@999spade3]

i wish we get more adaptations of this

[@HydraSX]

Fantastic! I am a recent subscriber and huge fan of the Barsoom series (as well as all things Burroughs). I'm very much looking forward to seeing you handle more Burroughs in the near future. Your presentations are some of the most thoughtful, mature, and intelligent treatments on Howard's (and now Burroughs'!) work on KZbin and beyond. Please keep up the good work!

[@dejahthoris1808]

Thanks for doing this retrospective, I often see reviews of the John Carter film but not of the amazing novels that I grew up reading and still love dearly to this day. The film is a very loose mishmash of the first two novels "A Princess of Mars, The Gods of Mars" plus a lot of creative changes and I do understand why some of the changes were made for the film, As a huge fan and collector of all things Barsoom I do appreciate the film for what it is and what it tried very hard to do, I even own a few props from the film in my collection and it was a dream come true seeing Barsoom come to life even if it wasn't fully how I imagined it, It's just a shame that the film will be most people's first introduction to edgar rice burroughs world of Barsoom. The novels were far ahead of their time and are amazing, The world of Barsoom is one incredible place, Also modiphius publishing, Published a tabletop rpg of John Carter a few years ago that did a really good job of staying close to the source material I would recommend it, along with the book by John flint roy - Guide To Barsoom.

[@ThekidManson]

Check out Dungeon Crawl Classics Peril on the Purple Planet

[@starape1896]

Much appreciated brother glad to see a new video

[@luisjlopez8725]

Love it. 😍 You did a good job. Hope to see more.

[@joonbugstudioltd1689]

I love the John Carter series and I really want to bring it to the screen as a filmmaker….. if you ever want me to help in anyway let me know I’m trying to self promote I’m just passionate about this

[@ulfberht4431]

Hopefully it’ll be better than the Disney version. Though how, may I asked, would the series be made? Live action or as an animated series?

[@vicmclendon]

Great job! I read these 50 years ago. I loved your linking to the star wars stories

[@PapaLobo94]

Hell of a good review of the first novel. When can we expect reviews on the others?

[@bluebird3281]

hopefully Bar-soon!

[@seanstuckey4849]

I remember watching the Jon Carter film by Disney. I watched it when I was young, but I remember enjoying it. Not sure if anyone else liked it.

[@trikyy7238]

What great way to relive the amazement and excitement of reading the Mars books as a kid. TBH, they are pulpy as heck, and the quality fluctuated, but the ideas are just fantastic.

[@mitchellalexander9162]

MY GUY I would be ELATED if you went through Edgar Rice Burrough's Bibliography Year By Year!!!

[@Johnny-Thunder]

I recently started reading the Barsoom series and I love the hell out of it. Another thing that shows that George Lucas took inspiration from these novels is the word Sith. A Sith is a giant predatory insect on Barsoom. When Dejah Thoris scolds the Tharks for having a society in which there is no private property to the point that even their children belong to the collective and that is what makes them cold, cruel and loveless, I wondered if ERB was criticizing communism which at the time was on the rise. Maybe that is my modern day habit of seeing hidden political messages everywhere though...

[@atlanteum]

I was about to post a comment on banths and the sith, so a tip of the hat for beating me to it! I was sure the video was going to mention the deadly insects, along with the glaringly obvious banth/ bantha connection - especially since several of those big kitties are featured in some of the paintings. Alas... I guess that's what the message threads are for!

[@AAron-gr3jk]

World War Hulk is very similar to the Barsoom series.

[@ricardorios492]

What will be next review??

[@dantor111]

I love this book

[@thebrotherhoodisdumb]

Awesome work thank you so much. I'm always surprised at the lack of attention this series gets, and yet it is so important and groundbreaking.

[@a3marketing991]

I love John Carter Warlord of Mars. Very underrated.

[@residentgrigo4701]

Can you break down in alter video which of the novels were adapted into comics? The first was adapted multiple times of course and Gods of Mars was adapted twice.

[@mieymies427]

Good video, can't wait for part 2.

[@juicebox7373]

Will you do the other books as well ?

[@egliptor]

What is the music? It gives your storytelling a very cinematic grand story. Are you planning to do more stories of Mars?

[@angelulopez2648]

What a bad ass video! 👍🏼 Will you be reviewing The Gods of Mars as well?

[@abhilashmaddali7158]

A classic story

[@BeatchBall]

Thank you.

[@jasonsantos3037]

John Carter Mars is a good science fraction fantasy story.

[@OrbitalRoc]

Not too bad, Thanks for this.

[@kenthare8010]

Really enjoyed this. Of course, the probably intentional juxtaposition of the quotation from the book about Dejah Thoris' "girlish figure" with the typical modern gigantomastian depiction from Dynamite Comics' adaptation caused me to burst out laughing. Of course, that was probably inevitable given the dearth of alternative depictions. I hope you eventually find time to return and review Gods of Mars and Warlord (they're really one long story). Well done.

[@ltjghowardbeam9385]

I think that Edgar Rice Burroughs (ERB) does the same thing in 1912 with his Barsoom (Mars) Series that was done by Star Trek in the later 1960's. Both told tales set in strange new worlds, that appear at the surface level to be just entertainment and conform to societal norms, but when examined in more detail actually call out many of those norms as bigoted and racist. I believed John Carter was created as a Southerner, and Confederate Officer purposefully to invoke a set of preconceptions in the reader. But if you look at John Carters actions in the series, he is not as complete a paradigm of Southern, Confederate, culture as one would presume. For example, in the foreword to A Princess of Mars, ERB makes a the following statements: [Quote] "My first recollection of Captain Carter is of the few months he spent at my father’s home in Virginia, just prior to the opening of the civil war. I was then a child of but five years, yet I well remember the tall, dark, smooth-faced, athletic man whom I called Uncle Jack. He seemed always to be laughing; and he entered into the sports of the children with the same hearty good fellowship he displayed toward those pastimes in which the men and women of his own age indulged; or he would sit for an hour at a time entertaining my old grandmother with stories of his strange, wild life in all parts of the world. We all loved him, and our slaves fairly worshipped the ground he trod." [Endquote] -- Burroughs, Edgar Rice. John Carter: Barsoom Series (7 Novels) A Princess of Mars; Gods of Mars; Warlord of Mars; Thuvia, Maid of Mars; Chessmen of Mars; Master Mind of Mars; Fighting Man of Mars COMPLETE WITH ILLUSTRATIONS (p. 11). Engage Books. Kindle Edition. It is easy to read this, with our modern eyes, and view the "our slaves fairly worshipped the ground he trod." line as a horrible statement. In 1912 it probably wouldn't have been even noticed by many readers. But I think this is a very sneaky statement by Burroughs. At the time we are reading this, we have just begun the story, and have no context to view this statement in. But as we read the book and discover more we begin to see man that John Carter is. We see that he does not judge people based on skin color; instead he judges people based on their character and actions. Examples of this can be seen in the fact that John Carter makes friends with members of all the Martian races,. He has friends, and allies, among the Red, Green, Black, Yellow, and White Martians. He also has enemies among all of those races as well, because he bases his judgement of others on their character, rather than the color of their skin. Now knowing that fact we can look back on the "worship" statement and draw a new conclusion; it may be that John Carter was so admired/worshiped by the slaves because he did not treat them as slaves, but as equals, as people. He treated the slaves as he treats the Martians, as people, not skin colors. This subtle piece of character development pays off as the series progresses. This is a very modern viewpoint. Another subtle societal comment that ERB inserts into the series is not as obvious today. John Carter marries a woman of another race (color) and does so without hesitation. This was something that was unthinkable in real life at the time the stories were written. In todays world this is not an issue; but in 1911 when A Princess of Mars was being written it was taboo. Hell, interracial marriage was not legalized in the U.S. until Loving v. Virginia in 1967 which legalized interracial marriage in all fifty states. So having John Carter marry a woman of another race in 1912 was a progressive thing for ERB to write at the time the stories were published. This overturning of the stereotypes of its age is one of the things that makes the Barsoom Series similar to Star Trek in my opinion. Both make comments on the societal norms present at the time of their creation, but do it in a way that is pretty subtle and not immediately obvious in order to slip things past the censors of the day. They tell rousing adventure stories that have moral messages embedded in the narrative. Again, this is all my interpretation, but I think it is a good one. Your mileage may vary.

[@AUOrr]

Am I the only one that caught one of the names of Captain John Carter was "Captain Jack" same as the long lived character of Dr. Who fame? Or how about the ERB characters known as the Jedi?

[@joshjacob1530]

we won

[@trikyy7238]

The nudity is the part that makes less sense than astro-projection. Anatomy dictates that wobbly, floppy dangly bits be restrained, for practical reasons, and various leaky bits be wrapped or covered just for hygienic considerations. Males carry a ton of kit, swords, pistols, little bits and bobs, so the belts and straps are there. Adding a loincloth or kilt makes a lot of sense. As for ladies, I think everyone should be wearing a leather and gold bikini and nothing else, even here on Jasoom.

[@azhagurajaallinall126]

I came here searching for "John of mars movie disney" (Forgot John Carter name) Love this film always as it made the right nanopolitics to me Looks like novels are even great Wish hope all will be well 😃🌟✨🙌 25.03.2023 10:22 pm ist

[@ElGrin1138]

What is the name of the thumbnail ilustration artist?

[@VogtTD]

One of the images you used was a cover from a comic called Dawn Attack. It has nothing to do with John Carter.

[@tonyzane4945]

Is this art in a book???????? 1/2024 thanks

[@tiplady44]

Read over 95% ERB books 😉

[@binkbonkbones3402]

I'm designing a barsoom based prince of persia knockoff, you seem like you've analysed this franchise a lot. wanna help for shits and giggles?

[@deltamelton8943]

As our modern culture sinks deeper into the miasmic fog of cultural Marxism many characters, events and attitudes of the past are found to be increasingly unpalatable and uncomfortable. In order to comply with the demands of cultural revisionism many often subject these characters, events and attitudes to overly woke interpretations and analyses. And in so doing history is obliterated and replaced with fiction. Statues are toppled, monuments are destroyed, names are changed and notable persons are denigrated for exhibiting less than perfect thoughts, attitudes or behavior. Your strained misinterpretation of Edgar Rice Burroughs moves in that direction. For example, your oversimplified comments on antebellum culture, slavery, and the history of indigenous peoples are not history. They are designed to placate the prevailing woke notions of how we should think about these things. Your ideas of the Apache, for example, reveal your lack of awareness as to the actual history of the indigenous southwest. A few native tribes of the American southwest were peaceful, they incorporated farming and ranching into their economies, they got along with others…the Pueblo and Navajo for example. Apaches, however, were not among them. Nor were the Chiricahua, Comanche or Mescalero. They were hostile tribes that subsisted off of hunting, gathering and RAIDING neighboring tribes. When the Spanish and Anglos arrived they too were subject to raids. The Spanish, Anglos, Pueblo and Navajo eventually grew tired of the situation and sought to put an end to the murder and mayhem. That’s the way it was. The revisionist interpretation, however, would have us believe the Apache were just sitting around campfires minding their own business roasting marshmallows when out of nowhere for no reason white settlers beat the sh*t out of them. But given the history of what actually took place at the time Burroughs depiction was perhaps not so far off after all and he therefore didn’t need you to apologize for him. Stick to reviews and recommendations and steer clear of cultural revisionism…it’ll only make you look less than intelligent. And when society returns to a more balanced approach to history you won’t be considered one of those revisionists that exchanged their brains for a bowl of virtue signaling!

[@midnighter2k]

Lol, all that so you can be at peace with your racism. It is stupid to belive that the native americans were peaceful elves like people living in tune with the land, it also equally stupid to believe that euroepan settlers were justified in oppressing and stealing the land of the original americans just because they weren't moraly perfect to hypocritical european standards. So go suck on your elbow cultural loser.

[@buckocean7616]

@@nekiyia "Oh brother" is right !!! I could write a treatise refuting his Right-wing nonsensical point of view but Nah ... This ain't my 1st time down that rabbit hole !!!

[@saladsnsuch]

Consider therapy bud.

[@bf7775]

Could you share a few timestamps that support your claims? It's not that I'm questioning your assessment. It's just that I really enjoyed the book and was thinking of listening to this retrospective in the background. However, if it's truly full of revisionist history, I don't want to waste my time with it. Thanks in advance!

[@haraldjensen1839]

We got another one folks😑

[@9903943541]

Waiting for other books to be posted.