John Carter of Mars: A Classic Sci Fi World That Still Works

Some stories hit you at the perfect age. You read them once, and suddenly your imagination feels bigger, louder, more colorful. For me, John Carter of Mars was one of those worlds. It is not subtle science fiction. It is bold adventure sci fi. Red dust, strange creatures, weird politics, and the simple pleasure of a hero thrown into a new world and forced to become more than he was.

This world began as a book series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, written between 1912 and 1964, and later expanded with a couple additions. It also traveled far beyond English. The novels were translated into Russian by multiple translators over the years, and that is how I discovered them.

I loved these books as a teenager. I remember sleepless nights, half reading and half dreaming, with that Martian landscape following me into sleep. The series is bigger than many people realize. John Carter of Mars is a 13 book saga. If you like classic science fiction that moves fast and never stops offering new images, you might get hooked.

At the center is a simple and timeless setup: an American man, John Carter, ends up on Mars and slowly becomes a warrior, a leader, and a symbol. People compare it to Avatar, and I understand why. Outsider arrives, learns the world, becomes powerful, gets pulled into conflict. But the tone is different. This is early pulp science fiction, which means it is more mythic than psychological. It is about momentum, loyalty, wonder, and the never ending battle between good and evil.

Part of the charm is that Mars is not pretty in a cute way. It is harsh, strange, and sometimes ugly. Yet the story keeps finding beauty inside it. It takes a real human to become an “ugly but beautiful” leader, not by looking perfect, but by committing to the people around him.

If you are curious, here is the Amazon link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002SQKM84/ref=rdr_ext_sb_ti_hist_1

Series list

John Carter of Mars | Серия книг «Марсианин Джон Картер»

1. A Princess of Mars (1912) | Дочь тысячи джеддаков
2. The Gods of Mars (1914) | Боги Марса
3. The Warlord of Mars (1918) | Владыка Марса
4. Thuvia, Maid of Mars (1920) | Тувия, дева Марса
5. The Chessmen of Mars (1922) | Марсианские шахматы
6. The Master Mind of Mars (1928) | Великий ум Марса
7. A Fighting Man of Mars (1931) | Боевой человек Марса
8. Swords of Mars (1936) | Мечи Марса
9. Synthetic Men of Mars (1940) | Искусственные люди Марса
10. Llana of Gathol (1948) | Лана из Гатола
11. John Carter of Mars (1964) | Марсианин Джон Картер
12. John Carter and the Giant of Mars (1940) | Джон Картер и Великан (written by Burroughs’s son)
13. Skeleton Men of Jupiter (1942) | Люди-скелеты Юпитера

Now, about the movie. Disney released John Carter in 2012, and I still think it deserved more love than it got. It is not perfect, but it is fun, and it captures that old-school adventure energy. If you like big sci fi landscapes and heroic pulp vibes, it is a good companion watch, especially if you grew up on the books or want to see how the world translates to the screen.

John Carter (2012)
Release date: March 9, 2012

“John Carter”
The official movie trailer
©2012 Disney

“John Carter”
New John Carter Trailer introduced by Andrew Stanton
©2012 Disney

Your turn

Have you read any of the John Carter books, or seen the film? What did you think? And what is your favorite classic sci fi series, or an underrated sci fi movie you always recommend?