Introducing the Written Gems Discussion Group
I’m excited to announce the creation of a new discussion group on Goodreads dedicated to the wonderful but often underappreciated works that form the roots of Fantasy and Science Fiction today. This will include such greats as: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Lord Dunsany, Robert E. Howard, H.G. Wells, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, H.P. Lovecraft, and more—plus the occasional author you may have never read (but will be very glad you did).
These authors not only influenced the development of their genres but are still frankly fun to read today. We want to explore these works together and seek out more—and we’re inviting you to join us in our endeavor.
Joining me in this noble cause are authors William L. Hahn and Chris L. Adams. Will is an expert in epic fantasy and Chris is an authority on the pulp classics of the first half of the twentieth century. Together we’ll explore a new work each month, seeking to understand not only what made the novel fun in the past, but why it has endured, and what it has to offer for audiences today.
If you’re interested, why don’t you take a look at Written Gems on Goodreads where you’ll find more information about our group?
We’re going to start the discussion on Wednesday, April 18, 2018 with Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic, A Princess of Mars. This novel has inspired two movies, numerous comic books, and an amazing amount of both fan fiction and authorized sequels by ERB’s estate, which certainly goes a long way to establishing its modern relevance. It’s also an important piece of literature in its own right as it (and its many sequels) popularized the science fiction subgenre called the Planetary Romance.
Planetary Romance is not a term that’s used a lot today, but anyone who’s seen Avatar knows exactly what this subgenre is all about. The hero (or heroine) encounters adventure on a foreign planet and moves heaven and earth because of love. Another prominent modern example is the Planet Hulk and World War Hulk comic series. Classic examples can be seen in Buck Rogers, Adam Strange, Dune, Pern, the World of Tiers, Darkover, and the Hainish Cycle.
A Princess of Mars reads as a pretty straight forward adventure piece. Earthman John Carter finds himself on the planet Mars, meets the woman of his dreams, and moves the Martian equivalent of heaven and earth to rescue her from a horrible fate. Along the way there are loyal and heroic friends, terrifying monsters and epic fights and battles. When you sum it up like this, the novel doesn’t sound that ground breaking, and yet it has inspired the dreams of generations of readers and many of those readers (such as Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, Arthur C. Clarke, and Jack Vance) grew up to inspire even more readers of all ages.
We hope you’ll join us.
