Books like The Gods of Mars

A breathless, sword-swinging plunge into a treacherous alien paradise where sheer willpower and martial prowess are the only salvation. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with The Gods of Mars.

pulpy
perilous
exotic
swashbuckling

01
John Carter of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs · 1964
A breathless, sword-swinging leap into a retro-futuristic cosmos where sheer heroism meets bizarre alien perils.
Shares:
- perilous
- swashbuckling
- earnest
- melodramatic
02
The Master Mind of Mars
Edgar Rice Burroughs · 1962
A breathless, sword-swinging plunge into a bizarre alien world where mad science meets chivalric romance.
Shares:
- exotic
- swashbuckling
- earnest
- melodramatic
03
The Skylark of Space
Edward E. Smith · 1980
A breathless, retro-futuristic joyride fueled by boundless optimism and the sheer thrill of cosmic discovery.
Shares:
- earnest
- melodramatic
- adventurous
04
Priest Kings of Gor
John Norman · 1968
A gritty, philosophical plunge into a brutal alien hierarchy where survival demands both physical prowess and a submission to harsh natural laws.
Shares:
- pulpy
- adventurous
05
Outlaw of Gor
John Norman · 1973
A gritty, hyper-masculine sword-and-planet adventure where a fallen warrior must carve out a new destiny on a brutal, unforgiving world.
Shares:
- pulpy
- perilous
- earnest
06
Tales of the Dying Earth
Jack Vance · 2000
A darkly comic, baroque stroll through the decadent twilight of a dying world where magic and cynicism reign supreme.
Feels:
- decadent
- melancholic
- bizarre
07
She
Henry Rider Haggard · 2006
A grand, eerie descent into an ancient, hidden world ruled by an immortal and terrifyingly alluring queen.
Shares:
- perilous
- earnest
- melodramatic
08
Dying Earth - Baen
Jack Vance · 1986
A baroque and cynical stroll through the twilight of a dying world where magic and science are indistinguishable.
Feels:
- decadent
- melancholic
- eerie
09
Red Planet
Robert Heinlein
A nostalgic, coming-of-age frontier adventure where youthful rebellion meets the harsh, wondrous realities of an alien world.
Shares:
- earnest
- adventurous
10
Mars
Ben Bova · 1992
A grounded, meticulously researched journey into the harsh realities and awe-inspiring triumphs of interplanetary exploration.
Shares:
- earnest
11
The golden age
John C. Wright
A grand, philosophical space opera that wraps a mystery of identity in the opulent, mind-bending world-building of a transhumanist utopia.
Shares:
- earnest
12
Tarzan the Terrible (#8)
Burroughs, Edgar · 1976
A breathless, primal plunge into a treacherous lost world filled with prehistoric dangers and tribal intrigue.
Shares:
- perilous
- exotic
- adventurous

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