Books › The Gods of Mars
The Gods of Mars
First published 1985 · 694 pages
A breathless, sword-swinging plunge into a treacherous alien paradise where sheer willpower and martial prowess are the only salvation.
What it feels like
Reading this classic planetary romance feels like strapping into a runaway chariot. It is a relentlessly propulsive, swashbuckling adventure that trades the quiet contemplation of modern sci-fi for the sheer, unadulterated thrill of pulp escapism. The atmosphere is steeped in exotic peril, painting a vivid, sun-baked world of false paradises, hidden cults, and monstrous beasts. The prose is unapologetically grandiose and melodramatic, carrying the reader on a wave of earnest heroism and breathless action. It is a book that asks you to leave your cynicism at the door and surrender to its sweeping, larger-than-life emotional register. Fans of vintage sword-and-planet epics will devour this high-stakes journey of undying devotion and righteous rebellion against false gods.
- Mood
- pulpy
- perilous
- exotic
- swashbuckling
- Tone
- earnest
- melodramatic
- heroic
- adventurous
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- illusion of paradise · religious hypocrisy · undying devotion · martial honor · triumph of the will
- The writing
- Grandiose, breathless, and steeped in the purple-tinged, declarative melodrama of early twentieth-century pulp fiction.
- The arc
- The journey moves from desperate disorientation and betrayal to righteous, sword-swinging triumph against impossible odds.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave classic, unironic planetary romance and love relentless sword-and-planet action featuring larger-than-life heroes.
Content notes
- fantasy violence
- archaic cultural depictions
- abduction
About the book
After the long exile on Earth, John Carter finally returned to his beloved Mars. But beautiful Dejah Thoris, the woman he loved, had vanished. Now he was trapped in the legendary Eden of Mars--an Eden from which none ever escaped alive.
Description from Open Library.
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