An interesting little read full of sword fighting heroism. Obviously dated as a sci-fi, due to having been written nearly 100 years ago. Burroughs had the foresight to set his swashbuckling adventures on another planet, instead of darkest Africa, like many other authors of the time. Although there is very little science in this story, there are martians, many of them. Burroughs has created an alien culture on another world, and filled it with colour and wonder. Our hero, John Carter, is also a hero on Mars to many of it's folk. He is even married to a beautiful Martian princess. He has a young son with her. (I am not quite sure how this would work, but that is probably thinking too much). In summary... Jack leads, Jack fights, Jack talks, Jack loves, Jack Wins (although not everything).

I enjoyed the ideas conveyed in this book (the second in a long series), even though they are based on the science ideas imagined by the scientists of the time. Astronomer Percival Lowell looked at Mars through his telescope and described the famous canals of Mars. Henceforth, everyone imagined civilizations, some thriving, some ancient. It was understandable for authors to lose themselves in the possibilities.

I particularly enjoyed the idea of the lower civilized beings believing in a heaven, which Jon Carter entered only to find another culture of beings who also believed in a higher heaven, run by an even higher culture of beings, who themselves were ruled by a self made God. So many levels of belief, which our hero could see through and eventually thwart!

I am not giving away the plot totally, to say that the hero wins. But all heroes won in those days. Especially those written by American authors full of twentieth century optimism.

This is not truly SF. But it is a sweet little story. Unfortunately, I can't see myself searching out all the others in the series. I will just continue with my Greg Bear and others.