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The Moon Trilogy #1
Лунная девушка
In the late twentieth century, Admiral Julian 3rd can get no rest, for he knows his future. He will be reborn as his grandson in the next century to journey through space and make an ominous discovery inside the moon; he will live again in the dark years of the twenty-second century as Julian 9th, who refuses to bow down to the victorious Moon Men; and as Julian 20th, the fierce Red Hawk, he will lead humanity's final battle against the alien invaders in the twenty-fifth century. The Moon Maid is Edgar Rice Burroughs's stunning epic of a world conquered by alien invaders from the moon and of the hero Julian, who champions the earth's struggle for freedom, peace, and dignity. The most complete version of The Moon Maid saga ever made available, this edition contains the story as published serially, along with numerous passages, sentences, and words excised from the magazine version or added later by the author. This edition also features an introduction by Terry Bisson, new illustrations by Thomas Floyd, the classic frontispiece by J. Allen St. John, essays by scholar Richard J. Golsan and writer Phillip R. Burger, a glossary by Scott Tracy Griffin, and a compendium of alterations to the text.
192 pages, ebook
First published January 1, 1923
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About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,799 books2,735 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 87 reviews
July 28, 2024
I like ERB's Moon stories ( they make up a trilogy ), although they are certainly not as well-known as his Tarzan or John Carter series. In The Moon Maid, Julian is the commander of a spaceship that blasts off for Mars, or Barsoom, after contact is made with the famous Virginian John Carter on the Red Planet. Unfortunately, the craft goes astray and the Earthmen make a landing, not on the moon, but inside it. In the lunar interior, they discover weird creatures and an alien civilization, and, of course, the Moon Maid.
I loved Burroughs' stories as a kid and still love to return to those strange and wonderful worlds that the Chicago-born author created! I just wish we could have found a moon maiden inside the Moon, although, I guess it's better-for her!-that we didn't.
I loved Burroughs' stories as a kid and still love to return to those strange and wonderful worlds that the Chicago-born author created! I just wish we could have found a moon maiden inside the Moon, although, I guess it's better-for her!-that we didn't.
October 5, 2009
In reading this for the first time in over four decades, I found that I didn't remember The Moon Maid as clearly as the other Burroughs fantasies I've been returning to. However, when I encountered the name Orthis I immediately knew this was the villain. The first time through, Burroughs made me hate that guy so thoroughly that the emotion is still there on tap.
In terms of predicting the course of the 20th century, or even the course of space exploration, from his 1923 vantage point, Burroughs misses by a wide margin. However, I think he hits a bulls-eye in discerning a weakness in humanity, as recounted in this history of lunar society:
... there developed a small coterie that commenced to find fault with everyone who had achieved greater learning or greater power than they. Finally they organized themselves into a secret society called The Thinkers, but known more accurately to the rest of Va-nah as those who thought that they thought. It is a long story, for it covers a great period of time, but the result was that, slowly at first, and later rapidly, The Thinkers, who did more talking than thinking, filled the people with dissatisfaction, until at last they arose and took over the government and commerce of the entire world. ... The arts and sciences languished and died with commerce and government, and Va-nah fell back into barbarism. ...
As I've noted in other Burroughs reviews, this isn't great literature. I wish it could have been burnished further, because more could be done with this material. Still, I'm enjoying all these books, and not only for nostalgia's sake.
In terms of predicting the course of the 20th century, or even the course of space exploration, from his 1923 vantage point, Burroughs misses by a wide margin. However, I think he hits a bulls-eye in discerning a weakness in humanity, as recounted in this history of lunar society:
... there developed a small coterie that commenced to find fault with everyone who had achieved greater learning or greater power than they. Finally they organized themselves into a secret society called The Thinkers, but known more accurately to the rest of Va-nah as those who thought that they thought. It is a long story, for it covers a great period of time, but the result was that, slowly at first, and later rapidly, The Thinkers, who did more talking than thinking, filled the people with dissatisfaction, until at last they arose and took over the government and commerce of the entire world. ... The arts and sciences languished and died with commerce and government, and Va-nah fell back into barbarism. ...
As I've noted in other Burroughs reviews, this isn't great literature. I wish it could have been burnished further, because more could be done with this material. Still, I'm enjoying all these books, and not only for nostalgia's sake.
October 27, 2017
Not sure this lived up to it's blurb. I zoned out on the audiobook, which you can start at the one hour mark--after you've learned the names of the Hero and Antagonist. After this non-spoilery Now continue at about the fifty-eighth minute mark.
This standard ERB class adventure takes a strange turn in the last two hours. Some interesting passages about the Forever Now, and some weird intergenerational struggle. Recommend the print over the audio.
Not as good as: Barsoom, Venus, Pellucidar, Tarzan, or the Monster Men, maybe better than the Lad and the Lion. Read the others first.
This standard ERB class adventure takes a strange turn in the last two hours. Some interesting passages about the Forever Now, and some weird intergenerational struggle. Recommend the print over the audio.
Not as good as: Barsoom, Venus, Pellucidar, Tarzan, or the Monster Men, maybe better than the Lad and the Lion. Read the others first.
August 25, 2025
These are such interesting books. The writing is really unique and the author follows the same prose and style as the mars book. They are fun to read periodically but not considered well written books.
July 2, 2018
This audiobook titled The Moon Maid actually has all three of ERB’s “Lunar Trilogy”: The Moon Maid, The Moon Men and The Red Hawk.
I only recommend this one for ERB fans and fans of early science fiction; however, the history of it is interesting enough to warrant light research.
In 1919, ERB wrote a novel titled Under the Red Flag. It was a speculative future novel in which the Bolsheviks of (then) contemporary Soviet Russia took over the world. It was rejected. Three years later, in good ERB fashion, he recycled it and wrote a prelude (The Moon Maid).
The Moon Maid seems familiar to readers of the Barsoom novels; consequently, it ties in with those. In this fictional history, Earth is well aware of John Carter’s adventures on Mars and have been in contact, even sharing technology. An expedition is set. A Starship, called “The Barsoom”, sets voyage from Earth to Mars and is captained by Julien V. Along the way, they are sabotaged by the mustache twirling villain Orthis and crash on Luna.
As it turns out, Luna is a “Hollow Earth”. What follows is a standard ERB Lost World adventure, complete with earthmen being able to take advantage the moons low gravity. It entails cannibalistic “centaur” like savages and war like Moon Men that call themselves Kalkars.
Overall, The Moon Maid feels like a blend of the Barsoom novels with a splash of Pelucidar. It makes for fun Sword and Planet/Lost World reading. Of most interest to me was it’s prologue.
ERB uses the format he has used before of the tale being related to another by another, in this case, a future relation of Julien. This future Julien narrates to his listener a future in which The Great War did not end until 1967. He also lets his listener know that time does not work as we believe. There is no past or future, only Now. ERB does nothing with this plot element. It feels like he simply added it to flavor the stew.
The Moon Men uses the same narrator and listener as The Moon Maid. We learn that 24 years after the events of The Moon Maid, Orthis leads the Kalkars on a planetary invasion of Earth. The final fate of Julien V and Orthis is related to us.
From there, the plot shifts four generations into the future and our protagonist becomes Julien IX. Earth is now a war torn dystopia. The Kalkars are our masters. Of course a resistance is born, it’s symbol a war torn American flag that has been passed from Julien to Julien since 1896.
It’s easy to see the roots of The Moon Men in its original guise of Under A Red Flag. The Kalkars are only thinly veiled Bolsheviks. I won’t give away the ending, but it did not end as I expected.
The third novel, The Red Hawk, was the most interesting to me. It takes place hundreds of years past the events of The Moon Men. ERB drops the convention of the first two of a future Julien relating the tale of another Julien. Instead, we the audience are told our protagonists story directly from him. In this case Julien XX.
Earth has degenerated further. Humans who now identify themselves as either Juliens (read Americans, and Julien is both an individual and a group) or Orthis (read Soviet/Kalkars Sympathizers, and as is the case with Julien, there is “A” Orthis, and Orthis as a group. Actually, in the case of Orthis it is further complicated. There is the Orthis, True Orthis and Usurper Orthis). These groups war with each other in the midst of Earthmen versus Kalkars.
It’s very much a Sword & Sorcery novel. There are hints of technology, but mostly it is forgotten. All live in tribes and clans reminiscent of those of Native Americans. Consequently, and troubling so, true Native Americans are slaves to both the Julien’s and the Kalkars. I’m not sure if ERB meant this as commentary, however, the Juliens identify themselves as Americans, but they have no sense of what that means. They have taken to worshiping the American Flag. Often, as an epitaph, they will say “By the flag!” Intentional or not, it’s telling.
Taken as a whole, all three novels serve as ERB’s commentary upon War, communism and what must come after war. It is in ways bleak, but ends with a bit of hope.
I only recommend this one for ERB fans and fans of early science fiction; however, the history of it is interesting enough to warrant light research.
In 1919, ERB wrote a novel titled Under the Red Flag. It was a speculative future novel in which the Bolsheviks of (then) contemporary Soviet Russia took over the world. It was rejected. Three years later, in good ERB fashion, he recycled it and wrote a prelude (The Moon Maid).
The Moon Maid seems familiar to readers of the Barsoom novels; consequently, it ties in with those. In this fictional history, Earth is well aware of John Carter’s adventures on Mars and have been in contact, even sharing technology. An expedition is set. A Starship, called “The Barsoom”, sets voyage from Earth to Mars and is captained by Julien V. Along the way, they are sabotaged by the mustache twirling villain Orthis and crash on Luna.
As it turns out, Luna is a “Hollow Earth”. What follows is a standard ERB Lost World adventure, complete with earthmen being able to take advantage the moons low gravity. It entails cannibalistic “centaur” like savages and war like Moon Men that call themselves Kalkars.
Overall, The Moon Maid feels like a blend of the Barsoom novels with a splash of Pelucidar. It makes for fun Sword and Planet/Lost World reading. Of most interest to me was it’s prologue.
ERB uses the format he has used before of the tale being related to another by another, in this case, a future relation of Julien. This future Julien narrates to his listener a future in which The Great War did not end until 1967. He also lets his listener know that time does not work as we believe. There is no past or future, only Now. ERB does nothing with this plot element. It feels like he simply added it to flavor the stew.
The Moon Men uses the same narrator and listener as The Moon Maid. We learn that 24 years after the events of The Moon Maid, Orthis leads the Kalkars on a planetary invasion of Earth. The final fate of Julien V and Orthis is related to us.
From there, the plot shifts four generations into the future and our protagonist becomes Julien IX. Earth is now a war torn dystopia. The Kalkars are our masters. Of course a resistance is born, it’s symbol a war torn American flag that has been passed from Julien to Julien since 1896.
It’s easy to see the roots of The Moon Men in its original guise of Under A Red Flag. The Kalkars are only thinly veiled Bolsheviks. I won’t give away the ending, but it did not end as I expected.
The third novel, The Red Hawk, was the most interesting to me. It takes place hundreds of years past the events of The Moon Men. ERB drops the convention of the first two of a future Julien relating the tale of another Julien. Instead, we the audience are told our protagonists story directly from him. In this case Julien XX.
Earth has degenerated further. Humans who now identify themselves as either Juliens (read Americans, and Julien is both an individual and a group) or Orthis (read Soviet/Kalkars Sympathizers, and as is the case with Julien, there is “A” Orthis, and Orthis as a group. Actually, in the case of Orthis it is further complicated. There is the Orthis, True Orthis and Usurper Orthis). These groups war with each other in the midst of Earthmen versus Kalkars.
It’s very much a Sword & Sorcery novel. There are hints of technology, but mostly it is forgotten. All live in tribes and clans reminiscent of those of Native Americans. Consequently, and troubling so, true Native Americans are slaves to both the Julien’s and the Kalkars. I’m not sure if ERB meant this as commentary, however, the Juliens identify themselves as Americans, but they have no sense of what that means. They have taken to worshiping the American Flag. Often, as an epitaph, they will say “By the flag!” Intentional or not, it’s telling.
Taken as a whole, all three novels serve as ERB’s commentary upon War, communism and what must come after war. It is in ways bleak, but ends with a bit of hope.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 18, 2015
So I haven't gotten around to reviewing this one yet, I see. Well, it's ERB, so you pretty much know what you're going to get in a novel of his. That is, heroics, villains, and a hot love interest that needs both kissed and rescued often, and by a hero who knows how! This one takes place inside the moon, in the future 21st Century. Yes, inside the moon. It's fast paced and exciting. It's seen by some as an allegory for the threat of communism. Perhaps, but I think it's best approached as a tale of rousing adventure set in another world. The ending is a cliffhanger, setting up the sequel The Moon Men. I liked this one enough to eventually read that one as well.
November 24, 2014
Very similar to THE PRINCESS OF MARS, although ERB's mild self-plagiarism doesn't particularly bother me in this case, in that I found THE MOON MAID to be something of an improvement. At least THE MOON MAID tries to be more scientific in terms of space travel, but of course the science is all bogus and horribly out of date. For me, though, it's the ridiculousness of it that gives the book much of its charm. At any rate, it is a fun adventure story, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading about exotic alien races getting punched in the face.
July 23, 2008
I don't have this particular volume, from Bison, but I have the earlier release and just love it. Sheer adventure. Excellent. And fun.
February 11, 2016
Great pulp SiFi. The creator of John Carter and Tarzan scores another hit with this book and it's 2 sequels. Very recommended
September 2, 2023
Evidently Burroughs wrote this as a metaphorical response to American Communists, which he abhorred, although I wasn’t able to figure out the connection. Set in the not-too-distant future USA astronauts on a mission to Mars are maliciously crash landed into a crater on the moon by saboteur Orthis, a sociopath with a vendetta for hero Julian. Discovering a vast lost civilization Julian gets involved is several capture/escape set pieces, meeting the beautiful titular Moon Maid in the process and culminating in a massive battle between warring cities – and the return of Orthis. This is a fairly typical Burroughs pulp space opera/romance with an emphasis on world building and adventure. It didn’t leave me with much enthusiasm for reading the next two entries in the three book series, so it was just reliably serviceable in the ERB scale. I give it three stars.
July 16, 2014
I love Burroughs but this book was painful to get through. It was extremely drawn out and it had an ok story but was nothing compared to John carter of mars. I'm pretty sure this book is part of a trilogy, which doesn't make much sence to me. After how complex and drawn out the moon maid was, I can't even imagine what the other books would even be about, especially since the moon maid had such a definite ending. Never the less I probably will not be reading the others.
March 20, 2021
The first book in a science fantasy trilogy but can be read as a stand-alone.
To my surprise, I found an unread Burroughs book from my shelves. It has quite an elaborate backstory, especially for such a slim book.
As is usual for ERB, the story starts with the writer as the narrator and he meets the main character of the main story. This time Burroughs gives us future history which alone would have been enough for most SF writers. The book is set in 1960s when a terrible decades-long war has finally ended. Humanity turns to the stars. They receive a radio transmission from Mars, from Barsoom. Humanity sends spaceships to Mars in order to meet with the people of Helium. Also, the main narrator of the story, Julian, knows the future because he’s already lived it. He can remember his descendants’ future history because he’s reborn to the future.
Julian is the captain of the second spaceship. However, his bitter rival Orthis is also aboard. Orthis sabotages the ship and it goes to the Moon instead. But Julian and the others find that the Moon isn’t a barren place. Instead, beneath the Moon’s crust is a world with not just atmosphere but people. After our heroes explore this world a little, savage, centaur-like people capture Julian and Orthis.
As usual for ERB, this story has lots of adventure with strange creatures and alien landscapes. It’s quite enjoyable if you can ignore the blatant classism. (The descendants of nobility are good and heroic, the descendants of lower classes are the bad guys without a shred of decency.)
Structurally, the Moon Maid is very similar to the Princess of Mars. Julian is unexpectedly thrust to an alien and savage world, he explores the exotic places and people, and he falls in love with the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Like John Carter, Julian is a heroic fighting man; even though he prefers firearms, he’s also a good swordsman.
The Moon races are strange. The centaur-like people (No-Vads) are nomads yet they live in villages which are never described. They’re carnivores but they can’t eat the few animals, so they hunt and eat other tribes and also the one other intelligent race, which looks like humans. The “humans” on this world are remnants of a great civilization. They have two cities which are at war with each other.
The book has surprisingly little description. I would have liked quite a bit more. I was also rather uncomfortable with intelligent races eating each other.
Otherwise this was quite an enjoyable old science fantasy book.
To my surprise, I found an unread Burroughs book from my shelves. It has quite an elaborate backstory, especially for such a slim book.
As is usual for ERB, the story starts with the writer as the narrator and he meets the main character of the main story. This time Burroughs gives us future history which alone would have been enough for most SF writers. The book is set in 1960s when a terrible decades-long war has finally ended. Humanity turns to the stars. They receive a radio transmission from Mars, from Barsoom. Humanity sends spaceships to Mars in order to meet with the people of Helium. Also, the main narrator of the story, Julian, knows the future because he’s already lived it. He can remember his descendants’ future history because he’s reborn to the future.
Julian is the captain of the second spaceship. However, his bitter rival Orthis is also aboard. Orthis sabotages the ship and it goes to the Moon instead. But Julian and the others find that the Moon isn’t a barren place. Instead, beneath the Moon’s crust is a world with not just atmosphere but people. After our heroes explore this world a little, savage, centaur-like people capture Julian and Orthis.
As usual for ERB, this story has lots of adventure with strange creatures and alien landscapes. It’s quite enjoyable if you can ignore the blatant classism. (The descendants of nobility are good and heroic, the descendants of lower classes are the bad guys without a shred of decency.)
Structurally, the Moon Maid is very similar to the Princess of Mars. Julian is unexpectedly thrust to an alien and savage world, he explores the exotic places and people, and he falls in love with the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen. Like John Carter, Julian is a heroic fighting man; even though he prefers firearms, he’s also a good swordsman.
The Moon races are strange. The centaur-like people (No-Vads) are nomads yet they live in villages which are never described. They’re carnivores but they can’t eat the few animals, so they hunt and eat other tribes and also the one other intelligent race, which looks like humans. The “humans” on this world are remnants of a great civilization. They have two cities which are at war with each other.
The book has surprisingly little description. I would have liked quite a bit more. I was also rather uncomfortable with intelligent races eating each other.
Otherwise this was quite an enjoyable old science fantasy book.
January 6, 2025
A first-man-on-the-moon fantasy, similar in many respects to Burrough's Mars books. Not bad at all (if you like his sword and alien sagas) and I look forward to continuing the series.
March 15, 2025
It is the 2020s, and it is at last time for the humans of Earth to visit their neighbors on Mars, or as its natives call it, Barsoom. The first spaceship to essay the journey is also named the Barsoom. It carries a crew of five, captain Julian Fifth, brilliant scientist Lieutenant Commander Orthis, lieutenants West and Jay, and ensign Norton. Unfortunately, Julian and Orthis have been enemies since officer school, where their personalities clashed, and Julian invariably got the honors and promotions that Orthis craved. It’s yet another blow to the scientist that although the ship could not have been built without his innovations, he was denied command in favor of Julian.
As the ship is passing Earth’s moon, Orthis gets drunk and vents his frustrations and hatred of Julian, getting confined to quarters for his insubordination. Rather than reflect on his actions, or at least stew quietly, Orthis sabotages the engines, forcing the Barsoom to make a landing on, or rather in the Moon.
The Moon Maid was first published in 1923, and has an unusual framing device even by Burroughs standards. It is the far future date of June 10. 1967. Our nameless narrator is at a party to celebrate the end of World War Two with the victory of “the Anglo-Saxon race” (yeah) and the opening of communications with Mars. He meets a man who starts saying something about a great danger facing Earth in the 22nd Century, and tries to get the story out of him.
The odd man claims to be Julian Third. He is, according to his own testimony, a serial reincarnator along his family line who can access the memories of his future reincarnations. Somehow. Roll with it. When pressed on the “22nd Century” bit, he starts, but then decides first he has to give the 21st Century backstory for context. That starts the main narrative.
As it turns out, the Moon is hollow inside, and has its life on the inside, much like Pellucidar on Earth. (While this story is apparently in continuity with the John Carter books, Julian has evidently never heard of Pellucidar as he doesn’t make the connection.) The Barsoom lands roughly but not fatally, and Orthis is released from his arrest on the promise of good behavior. After all, they’re all marooned anyway.
One day, while Julian and Orthis are exploring the pinkish plains of the inner moon, they are set upon and captured by a tribe of Va-Gas, who unlike the cover illustration are less centaurs than carnivorous horses with thumbs. After gaining basic fluency in the local language, the two Earthmen convince Ga-va-go, chief of the No-vans, that their flesh is poisonous. This is important because there are only two edible meat animals in the land of Va-nah. The Va-Gas themselves so they are cannibalistic, and one other.
One of those shows up a bit later, appearing at first to be a humpbacked flying creature. It turns out the wings and float gas pack are artificial, and the captured newcomer is in fact a beautiful (if overly pale) human woman. She is Nah-ee-lah, daughter of Sagroth, Jemadar of Laythe. Or to put it another way, she’s a princess of one of the two human civilizations of Va-Nah. A Moon Maid, if you will. Ga-va-go decides not to eat Nah-ee-lah immediately in hopes of getting ransom from her father.
Nah-ee-lah and Julian take a shine to each other, but Orthis, who has gained Ga-va-go’s favor because he’s promised to take him to Earth where there’s lots of meat, also fancies Nah-ee-lah. And like the villain he is, he’s not too concerned with how the moon maid feels about this. He technically has to take her “no” for now, but is going to force the matter as soon as he can. (His pre-existing resentment at Julian for always getting the things he wants does not help.)
Julian and Nah-ee-lah take advantage of a terrific storm to escape the Va-Ga encampment. They wander around for a while before Nah-ee-lah thinks she’s found the hidden entrance to her home city of Laythe. Oops, it’s actually the hidden entrance to a city of the Kalkar, the majority human civilization of Va-Nah, and deadly enemies of the people of Laythe. Julian manages to help Nah-ee-lah to escape, but is captured himself.
The Kalkars are skeptical of Julian’s claims of being from Earth, but it’s interesting enough that they don’t kill him right away, instead imprisoning him with Moh-Goh, a captured Layth hunter. Moh-Goh explains that the humans of Va-Nah used to have a technologically advanced civilization, but that the ancestors of the Kalkars (a corruption of the word for “Thinkers”) staged a political revolution that killed all the scientists and engineers who knew how to improve or maintain the technology. The people of Laythe are the descendants of an ethnic minority that was better organized than most and managed to flee to their hidden city, but also lost most of their technology.
Without superior weaponry, the Kalkars could not suppress uprisings by the Va-Ga, and had to flee to hidden cities themselves. But they have not forgotten their ancient enmity towards the people of Laythe.
Moh-Goh also lets slip that he’s a friend of Ko-Tah, a prince of Laythe who intends to marry Nah-ee-lah and take over the Jemadar throne from her father. Julian knows that Nah-ee-lah doesn’t want to hook up with Ko-Tah, so doesn’t let Moh-Goh in on the fact that he’s met her.
The two manage to escape from the Kalkar city and make their way to Laythe. Nah-ee-lah managed to make it back earlier, but circumstances make it look like Julian is now Ko-Tah’s creature, so she is cold towards our hero.
Palace intrigue ensues as Ko-Tah accelerates his plan to take over Laythe, even if he has to accept help from the hated Kalkars. And remember Orthis? Somehow he’s managed to escape the Va-Ga, locate the Kalkars, and ingratiate himself to them by building “advanced” weaponry. Orthis plans to make himself ruler of all Va-Nah, and Nah-ee-lah can either be his Empress or dead.
Bit of a downer ending, as Julian and Nah-ee-lah finally admit they love each other and are able to escape to Earth along with the long-missing other members of the Barsoom crew. But her homeland and people have been destroyed, and Orthis is not going to be a kind ruler.
And then–oh look, we’re out of time, Julian Third must go, maybe he’ll get around to the 22nd Century crisis the next time…presuming there is a next time.
Part of the reason for the strange structure is that the “sequel”, The Moon Men, was actually written first. But the magazine publishers he shopped it to felt that readers wouldn’t be pleased by this dark and depressing (by Burroughs standards) tale of alien invasion, so ERB wrote this slightly more conventional adventure prologue to set up the situation to raise reader interest. This did, of course, also mean a rewrite of the sequel to fit in specific ties to The Moon Maid.
Good: As always from Burroughs, lots of exciting action. Nifty alien landscapes, technology and critters (some reuse of concepts from Pellucidar.) While Julian Fifth does come across as too much of a perfect awesome hero, making that the center of Orthis’ resentment of him shifts it out of unpalatable territory.
Less good: The weird structure means it takes nearly half the book before the title character is introduced, and her story function is basically being a trophy for the hero to win at the end. The romance angle is one of Burrough’s weakest in the books I’ve read.
Content note: Lots of lethal violence, including against alien animals. That odd “Anglo-Saxon race” thing at the beginning. But the most disturbing thing about this book is that the humans of Va-Nah are not vegetarians. They don’t eat each other, but they do eat the Va-Gas, considering them a lower form of life. Julian Fifth is a bit freaked out about this as while the Va-Gas aren’t pleasant people and yes, they do eat humans, they are people, with a language, culture and even primitive technology. He is willing to overlook this in his love for Nah-ee-lah, and notes that the domesticated Va-Ga “livestock” of Laythe seem well-treated, but the story is coy on whether he ever eats meat while in the Moon. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, you may want to skip this one.
Overall: This is an interesting book, but I can see why the Moon Trilogy is not one of ERB’s most-discussed series. You might want to consider getting one of the volumes that print the entire trilogy as one book. Recommended to Burroughs fans and folks that love planetary romance.
As the ship is passing Earth’s moon, Orthis gets drunk and vents his frustrations and hatred of Julian, getting confined to quarters for his insubordination. Rather than reflect on his actions, or at least stew quietly, Orthis sabotages the engines, forcing the Barsoom to make a landing on, or rather in the Moon.
The Moon Maid was first published in 1923, and has an unusual framing device even by Burroughs standards. It is the far future date of June 10. 1967. Our nameless narrator is at a party to celebrate the end of World War Two with the victory of “the Anglo-Saxon race” (yeah) and the opening of communications with Mars. He meets a man who starts saying something about a great danger facing Earth in the 22nd Century, and tries to get the story out of him.
The odd man claims to be Julian Third. He is, according to his own testimony, a serial reincarnator along his family line who can access the memories of his future reincarnations. Somehow. Roll with it. When pressed on the “22nd Century” bit, he starts, but then decides first he has to give the 21st Century backstory for context. That starts the main narrative.
As it turns out, the Moon is hollow inside, and has its life on the inside, much like Pellucidar on Earth. (While this story is apparently in continuity with the John Carter books, Julian has evidently never heard of Pellucidar as he doesn’t make the connection.) The Barsoom lands roughly but not fatally, and Orthis is released from his arrest on the promise of good behavior. After all, they’re all marooned anyway.
One day, while Julian and Orthis are exploring the pinkish plains of the inner moon, they are set upon and captured by a tribe of Va-Gas, who unlike the cover illustration are less centaurs than carnivorous horses with thumbs. After gaining basic fluency in the local language, the two Earthmen convince Ga-va-go, chief of the No-vans, that their flesh is poisonous. This is important because there are only two edible meat animals in the land of Va-nah. The Va-Gas themselves so they are cannibalistic, and one other.
One of those shows up a bit later, appearing at first to be a humpbacked flying creature. It turns out the wings and float gas pack are artificial, and the captured newcomer is in fact a beautiful (if overly pale) human woman. She is Nah-ee-lah, daughter of Sagroth, Jemadar of Laythe. Or to put it another way, she’s a princess of one of the two human civilizations of Va-Nah. A Moon Maid, if you will. Ga-va-go decides not to eat Nah-ee-lah immediately in hopes of getting ransom from her father.
Nah-ee-lah and Julian take a shine to each other, but Orthis, who has gained Ga-va-go’s favor because he’s promised to take him to Earth where there’s lots of meat, also fancies Nah-ee-lah. And like the villain he is, he’s not too concerned with how the moon maid feels about this. He technically has to take her “no” for now, but is going to force the matter as soon as he can. (His pre-existing resentment at Julian for always getting the things he wants does not help.)
Julian and Nah-ee-lah take advantage of a terrific storm to escape the Va-Ga encampment. They wander around for a while before Nah-ee-lah thinks she’s found the hidden entrance to her home city of Laythe. Oops, it’s actually the hidden entrance to a city of the Kalkar, the majority human civilization of Va-Nah, and deadly enemies of the people of Laythe. Julian manages to help Nah-ee-lah to escape, but is captured himself.
The Kalkars are skeptical of Julian’s claims of being from Earth, but it’s interesting enough that they don’t kill him right away, instead imprisoning him with Moh-Goh, a captured Layth hunter. Moh-Goh explains that the humans of Va-Nah used to have a technologically advanced civilization, but that the ancestors of the Kalkars (a corruption of the word for “Thinkers”) staged a political revolution that killed all the scientists and engineers who knew how to improve or maintain the technology. The people of Laythe are the descendants of an ethnic minority that was better organized than most and managed to flee to their hidden city, but also lost most of their technology.
Without superior weaponry, the Kalkars could not suppress uprisings by the Va-Ga, and had to flee to hidden cities themselves. But they have not forgotten their ancient enmity towards the people of Laythe.
Moh-Goh also lets slip that he’s a friend of Ko-Tah, a prince of Laythe who intends to marry Nah-ee-lah and take over the Jemadar throne from her father. Julian knows that Nah-ee-lah doesn’t want to hook up with Ko-Tah, so doesn’t let Moh-Goh in on the fact that he’s met her.
The two manage to escape from the Kalkar city and make their way to Laythe. Nah-ee-lah managed to make it back earlier, but circumstances make it look like Julian is now Ko-Tah’s creature, so she is cold towards our hero.
Palace intrigue ensues as Ko-Tah accelerates his plan to take over Laythe, even if he has to accept help from the hated Kalkars. And remember Orthis? Somehow he’s managed to escape the Va-Ga, locate the Kalkars, and ingratiate himself to them by building “advanced” weaponry. Orthis plans to make himself ruler of all Va-Nah, and Nah-ee-lah can either be his Empress or dead.
Bit of a downer ending, as Julian and Nah-ee-lah finally admit they love each other and are able to escape to Earth along with the long-missing other members of the Barsoom crew. But her homeland and people have been destroyed, and Orthis is not going to be a kind ruler.
And then–oh look, we’re out of time, Julian Third must go, maybe he’ll get around to the 22nd Century crisis the next time…presuming there is a next time.
Part of the reason for the strange structure is that the “sequel”, The Moon Men, was actually written first. But the magazine publishers he shopped it to felt that readers wouldn’t be pleased by this dark and depressing (by Burroughs standards) tale of alien invasion, so ERB wrote this slightly more conventional adventure prologue to set up the situation to raise reader interest. This did, of course, also mean a rewrite of the sequel to fit in specific ties to The Moon Maid.
Good: As always from Burroughs, lots of exciting action. Nifty alien landscapes, technology and critters (some reuse of concepts from Pellucidar.) While Julian Fifth does come across as too much of a perfect awesome hero, making that the center of Orthis’ resentment of him shifts it out of unpalatable territory.
Less good: The weird structure means it takes nearly half the book before the title character is introduced, and her story function is basically being a trophy for the hero to win at the end. The romance angle is one of Burrough’s weakest in the books I’ve read.
Content note: Lots of lethal violence, including against alien animals. That odd “Anglo-Saxon race” thing at the beginning. But the most disturbing thing about this book is that the humans of Va-Nah are not vegetarians. They don’t eat each other, but they do eat the Va-Gas, considering them a lower form of life. Julian Fifth is a bit freaked out about this as while the Va-Gas aren’t pleasant people and yes, they do eat humans, they are people, with a language, culture and even primitive technology. He is willing to overlook this in his love for Nah-ee-lah, and notes that the domesticated Va-Ga “livestock” of Laythe seem well-treated, but the story is coy on whether he ever eats meat while in the Moon. If that’s a dealbreaker for you, you may want to skip this one.
Overall: This is an interesting book, but I can see why the Moon Trilogy is not one of ERB’s most-discussed series. You might want to consider getting one of the volumes that print the entire trilogy as one book. Recommended to Burroughs fans and folks that love planetary romance.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 15, 2022
250515: this is actually all three of the moon trilogy in one volume, though previously printed serially, with some continuity, with one character reincarnated over the extensive centuries. i am trying to read at least one book of Tarzan, Mars, Moon, Venus, Lost World, Earth's Core, just to read what made burroughs so successful...
so far, all known is agreeing with received wisdom: same story, same first-person narrator, same damsel to love and be loved by (and rescue is how to meet-cute), variety of obstacles to overcome, monsters, villains, loyal natives, action adventure with no complex characters, no complex worlds, all of this very easy entertainment to read. it has been some years since i read A Princess of Mars, so how it may be a pale imitation of that series i do not know. makes me think of what mundane lit, what crime pulps, what serious sf, was written at the same time (1922)...
who once read this? now, maybe just kids, but then? just men? office drones or farm migrants or oil workers? men with no freedom, only poverty, only ww1 veterans in an unjust world they could not understand? just men who would consume this popular culture without seriousness, reading basically variations of the same story, in the days before tv, in the days of radio serials, movie serials when in town. no pretended literary value, no demand or aspiration that the work be eternal or even then unique- not something to read more than once. there is a conflict between what is called pop and what is called serious. but this is a dispute, a judgement, of those who do read work more than once...
so, fun. i think of what pleasures it would offer to the consumer, what guarantees of exotic worlds, lovely Girl, dastardly villains, monsters to be killed, escapes from cliffs each pulp serial issue... repetitive yes, but not read when a kid, not read as comic books, seen as movies, so this is an interesting critical read. sexist, somewhat, concept of an ideal woman is that she looks great, is noble, chaste, loves our hero. racist, anti-semitic, somewhat, of its time though admired stereotypical suffering-Jewish character in second book. elitist, somewhat, but politics is basically of the sandbox sort, ie. who is strongest. violence solving everything, usually, capture and escape and bursting bonds to save the Girl... comic, yes that too: reading Carson of Venus #2: Pirates of Venus right now, Carson explaining allusions to Girl he rescues- 'golf is a mental disorder, and Prometheus a myth'...
so far, all known is agreeing with received wisdom: same story, same first-person narrator, same damsel to love and be loved by (and rescue is how to meet-cute), variety of obstacles to overcome, monsters, villains, loyal natives, action adventure with no complex characters, no complex worlds, all of this very easy entertainment to read. it has been some years since i read A Princess of Mars, so how it may be a pale imitation of that series i do not know. makes me think of what mundane lit, what crime pulps, what serious sf, was written at the same time (1922)...
who once read this? now, maybe just kids, but then? just men? office drones or farm migrants or oil workers? men with no freedom, only poverty, only ww1 veterans in an unjust world they could not understand? just men who would consume this popular culture without seriousness, reading basically variations of the same story, in the days before tv, in the days of radio serials, movie serials when in town. no pretended literary value, no demand or aspiration that the work be eternal or even then unique- not something to read more than once. there is a conflict between what is called pop and what is called serious. but this is a dispute, a judgement, of those who do read work more than once...
so, fun. i think of what pleasures it would offer to the consumer, what guarantees of exotic worlds, lovely Girl, dastardly villains, monsters to be killed, escapes from cliffs each pulp serial issue... repetitive yes, but not read when a kid, not read as comic books, seen as movies, so this is an interesting critical read. sexist, somewhat, concept of an ideal woman is that she looks great, is noble, chaste, loves our hero. racist, anti-semitic, somewhat, of its time though admired stereotypical suffering-Jewish character in second book. elitist, somewhat, but politics is basically of the sandbox sort, ie. who is strongest. violence solving everything, usually, capture and escape and bursting bonds to save the Girl... comic, yes that too: reading Carson of Venus #2: Pirates of Venus right now, Carson explaining allusions to Girl he rescues- 'golf is a mental disorder, and Prometheus a myth'...
May 21, 2022
Not very original, just a remix of the same old Burroughs story. Basically it’s just Pelucidar again but on the moon, with nothing especially interesting to make it worthwhile. In fact, any comparison to Barsoom or Pelucidar just makes it look far worse. For some reason Burroughs is unable to dispose of the portal fantasy convention and so includes a pointless and ridiculous frame-story. Some mystical nonsense about “there is no such thing as time” and the narrator can recall past and future lives. Taking up the prologue and well into the first chapter, an editor should have just cut the whole thing, it’s just tedious and serves no purpose. Then the first and second chapter are taken up with some of the worst pseudo-scientific rubbish you ever read in your life involving the voyage to the moon. I nearly quit the book right there. Burroughs is much better when he just magically transports his hero a la john carter. His strong point is creating wildly imaginative fantasy worlds. The minute he starts to tie any of his ideas to any sort of real science incredulity begins to creep in. It’s best when he just skips that, or glosses over it super quickly. But with the Moon Maid, when you finally get to the body of the adventure it’s just an incredibly average Burroughs adventure, nothing more, nothing less.
March 19, 2018
This book is actually a trilogy. The first part, "The Moon Maid" is the story of Julian the 5th who crash lands on the moon (attempting to go to Mars). Turns out the moon is hollow with a civilization inside it. The majority of moon men are the kalkars, a brutish underclass. Julian meets the moon maid, Na-hee-lah, and of course they fall in love and due to threats after the villain, Orthis" and the Kalkars take over, they escape back to earth. The Kalkars follow them back to earth and invade.
In the 2nd part, "The Moon Men", Julian is reincarnated in his descendant Julian the 9th. He and his people struggle in around 2100 A.D. against Kalkar rule, the Kalkars being lead by the Or-tis ( a desendant of the original villain Orthis). In the 3rd part, "The Red Hawk" Julian the 20th, a reincarnation of the previous Julians, is leading his people, sort of modelled after the Native American tribes, in the final war against the Kalkars a few hundred years later.
In the 2nd part, "The Moon Men", Julian is reincarnated in his descendant Julian the 9th. He and his people struggle in around 2100 A.D. against Kalkar rule, the Kalkars being lead by the Or-tis ( a desendant of the original villain Orthis). In the 3rd part, "The Red Hawk" Julian the 20th, a reincarnation of the previous Julians, is leading his people, sort of modelled after the Native American tribes, in the final war against the Kalkars a few hundred years later.
June 21, 2008
Quite good and enjoyable adventure. I do prefer the Mars series though. (This takes place in the same continuity, although it isn't really related.)
A strangely complicated frame to the story, but perhaps that becomes more important in later volumes?
A strangely complicated frame to the story, but perhaps that becomes more important in later volumes?
January 27, 2018
Aside from having a maid on it, the Moon doesn't really seem like a very interesting place in this book. Yes, there are centaurs and guys trying to kill the hero and an uber-sexy moon maiden, but this all takes place against a backdrop of gray rocks.
May 25, 2010
A very creative story for a classic. I am happy to see the talent that created Tarzan can write an excellent sci-fi flavor tale. I actually enjoyed it. =)
October 4, 2017
Read in the 70s. A good Burroughs sci-fi adventure.
October 10, 2019
Definitely not John Carter-esque. Its ok.
June 30, 2024
This book is explicitly in the same universe as Burroughs’s Mars tales, featuring a throwaway line about “that deathless Virginian, John Carter”. But it’s set well into the future, after Mars and Earth have established a sort of radio contact and are aching to initiate full trade. Captain Julian and his ship leave Earth for Mars on December 24, 2025!
Burroughs excels at creating very alien races and cultures that still allow him to comment on human failings, and this may feature the most weirdly horrific yet, where intelligent races literally eat other intelligent races. The more intelligent, human-like race justifies this because “they are a lower order”. And while the lower orders for the main human-like culture does not appear to include any bipeds, the vast majority of the human-like cultures do.
Burroughs had postulated, writing this in 1922 and publishing it in 1926, that the Great War was followed by a half-century of unending war, ending in what is initially described as “the absolute domination of the Anglo-Saxon race over all the other races of the World” but is later described as more a World War I-style victory in which everyone was “tired of war”.
Burroughs never explicitly connects this unending war ending in an exhausted victory with the cannibalism of the moon, but it’s difficult not to see an analogy there.
It’s also interesting that he predicted unending war at a time when others were predicting unending peace.
The unending war on the Moon features at least three factions and probably more; the two human-like kingdoms we see are the result of a revolution of people who called themselves “Thinkers, who did more talking than thinking.”
The story is told first person, despite being related basically by a third person. The descriptions are wonderful, and retain the wonder of a first visit to an alien planet.
This is a sort of third-person narration: it is repeated by a person who listened to it on a cruise during a Victory Day celebration. Further, the original narration was from a person who remembered the events from the future via a weird sort of timeless reincarnation. The Julian who tells the story is telling the story of a different Julian, Julian 5th. I’m not sure that Julian tells our narrator which Julian his body is. The memories appear to be complete, making it less a matter of multiple Julians reincarnated across time, but the same Julian instantiating in multiple bodies with the ability to remember across both directions of time.
The only disappointment I had in this book is that nowhere does this really neat idea play into the adventure. Julian 5 uses the skills that Julian 5 uses, not any skills learned in other bodies.
In an accidental reminder of how books were printed then, page 97 has mixed up lines. All of the lines are there, but a handful are out of order and need to be mentally reordered to get the narration correct.
Burroughs excels at creating very alien races and cultures that still allow him to comment on human failings, and this may feature the most weirdly horrific yet, where intelligent races literally eat other intelligent races. The more intelligent, human-like race justifies this because “they are a lower order”. And while the lower orders for the main human-like culture does not appear to include any bipeds, the vast majority of the human-like cultures do.
Burroughs had postulated, writing this in 1922 and publishing it in 1926, that the Great War was followed by a half-century of unending war, ending in what is initially described as “the absolute domination of the Anglo-Saxon race over all the other races of the World” but is later described as more a World War I-style victory in which everyone was “tired of war”.
At least they thought that they were tired of war; but were they? What else did they know? Only the oldest of men could recall even a semblance of world peace, the others knew nothing but war… always somewhere war endured, now receding like the salt tide only to return again; until there arose that great tidal wave of human emotion in 1959 that swept the entire world for eight bloody years, and receding, left peace upon a spent and devastated world.
Burroughs never explicitly connects this unending war ending in an exhausted victory with the cannibalism of the moon, but it’s difficult not to see an analogy there.
It’s also interesting that he predicted unending war at a time when others were predicting unending peace.
The unending war on the Moon features at least three factions and probably more; the two human-like kingdoms we see are the result of a revolution of people who called themselves “Thinkers, who did more talking than thinking.”
The story is told first person, despite being related basically by a third person. The descriptions are wonderful, and retain the wonder of a first visit to an alien planet.
She led me then straight into the mighty mountains of the Moon, past the mouths of huge craters that reached through the lunar crust to the surface of the satellite, along the edges of yawning chasms that dropped three, four, yes, sometimes five miles, sheer into frightful gorges, and then out upon vast plateaus, but ever upward toward the higher peaks that seemed to topple above us in the distance.
This is a sort of third-person narration: it is repeated by a person who listened to it on a cruise during a Victory Day celebration. Further, the original narration was from a person who remembered the events from the future via a weird sort of timeless reincarnation. The Julian who tells the story is telling the story of a different Julian, Julian 5th. I’m not sure that Julian tells our narrator which Julian his body is. The memories appear to be complete, making it less a matter of multiple Julians reincarnated across time, but the same Julian instantiating in multiple bodies with the ability to remember across both directions of time.
The only disappointment I had in this book is that nowhere does this really neat idea play into the adventure. Julian 5 uses the skills that Julian 5 uses, not any skills learned in other bodies.
In an accidental reminder of how books were printed then, page 97 has mixed up lines. All of the lines are there, but a handful are out of order and need to be mentally reordered to get the narration correct.
“It is the brave man who is afraid after the danger is past.”
April 26, 2024
3.5 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
Julian, a military officer who claims to have somehow come from the future but also lived in the present day, tells how he was chosen for the first manned Earth mission to explore Barsoom, but was derailed to the interior of the Moon instead.
Review
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a lot of books, so I’m not surprised to encounter some I hadn’t read (I haven’t read most of the Tarzan books, for example). I am very surprised to find a trilogy that ties in (loosely) with the Barsoom books. Until I opened this book, I had no idea such a thing existed, so that was a nice surprise.
The tie-in is somewhat loose (at least so far), and the rest of the story is an amalgam of common Burroughs tropes, though no less fun for all that. There’s travel to another world, a vile antagonist, a maiden in distress, people living on the interior of a sphere, etc. You’ve seen it before in Burroughs’ work, though the hero here is initially less of a talented fighter than usual; it turns out later that – of course – he’s a skilled swordsman (though presumably not the best of three worlds, an honor that I recall belongs to Carson of Venus).
It has an unusual note of self-consciousness in Julian’s consideration of the ethics of eating intelligent species – pointing out the hypocrisy in Julian’s revulsion at doing so on the Moon, while being content to do so on Earth. Beyond that, I’m afraid there’s a bit of ‘noblemen are better men’ flavor to it all (and their servants are happy to serve).
There’s a time travel element I’m a bit leery of, but in this first volume it’s only introduced, not really examined.
All that aside, it’s a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable adventure story of its time. Burroughs wrote it at roughly the same time he was writing books in the Tarzan, Barsoom, and Pellucidar series, and perhaps it’s no surprise that they’re all cast from pretty much the same mold. Still, it’s been fun to explore this to me hitherto unknown corner of the Burroughs universe, and I plan to read the remaining books.
Summary
Julian, a military officer who claims to have somehow come from the future but also lived in the present day, tells how he was chosen for the first manned Earth mission to explore Barsoom, but was derailed to the interior of the Moon instead.
Review
Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote a lot of books, so I’m not surprised to encounter some I hadn’t read (I haven’t read most of the Tarzan books, for example). I am very surprised to find a trilogy that ties in (loosely) with the Barsoom books. Until I opened this book, I had no idea such a thing existed, so that was a nice surprise.
The tie-in is somewhat loose (at least so far), and the rest of the story is an amalgam of common Burroughs tropes, though no less fun for all that. There’s travel to another world, a vile antagonist, a maiden in distress, people living on the interior of a sphere, etc. You’ve seen it before in Burroughs’ work, though the hero here is initially less of a talented fighter than usual; it turns out later that – of course – he’s a skilled swordsman (though presumably not the best of three worlds, an honor that I recall belongs to Carson of Venus).
It has an unusual note of self-consciousness in Julian’s consideration of the ethics of eating intelligent species – pointing out the hypocrisy in Julian’s revulsion at doing so on the Moon, while being content to do so on Earth. Beyond that, I’m afraid there’s a bit of ‘noblemen are better men’ flavor to it all (and their servants are happy to serve).
There’s a time travel element I’m a bit leery of, but in this first volume it’s only introduced, not really examined.
All that aside, it’s a perfectly serviceable and enjoyable adventure story of its time. Burroughs wrote it at roughly the same time he was writing books in the Tarzan, Barsoom, and Pellucidar series, and perhaps it’s no surprise that they’re all cast from pretty much the same mold. Still, it’s been fun to explore this to me hitherto unknown corner of the Burroughs universe, and I plan to read the remaining books.
February 9, 2024
What I got from the library was actually the complete The Moon Maid trilogy all in a single edition, but I didn't realize it at the time.
I thought the premise of the initial story was charming and I expected some fun pulp adventure nonsense, which it delivered on some of (though I felt like it had a lot of issues, there was a picture of a wildly different Earth in 2024 than would ever appear and the concepts of space travel were inventive and, as I said, that was charming).
I had some issues of just "but whyyy" about several things the characters did/said/etc. but whatever, it's pulp, the characters and plot are fully only there to connect the adventure elements. It ended rather abruptly, but was serviceable.
This is where things took a turn for the worse. Jingoism, conflating Christianity with morality AND Americanism (and Americanism with Goodness), gobs of racism. I'd say the main character was an author insert, but I don't think it was, he was an Ideal Specimen of Manhood in ERB's eyes. Women are literally objects to be fought over and their only recourse is to unalive themselves (they could not possibly fight?). In the third volume slavery is reinstated -- not of black people, but still race-based as it is indigenous slavery. They're portrayed as simply not having the will to fight so they'd just go ahead being slaves to whichever group posessed them. And very importantly it's not considered even remotely a bad thing, it's perfectly moral to these Definitely Very Good White People Because Ameri-Christianity Says They Are Right In All They Choose To Do.
I just... wow. All of that stuff was an undercurrent in the first book, and yes I realize the second one was a criticism of communism, but it just... really serves to illustrate that in the 1920s Americans really did believe a whole hell of a lot of awful things. It's usually not laid so bare on the page.
I thought the premise of the initial story was charming and I expected some fun pulp adventure nonsense, which it delivered on some of (though I felt like it had a lot of issues, there was a picture of a wildly different Earth in 2024 than would ever appear and the concepts of space travel were inventive and, as I said, that was charming).
I had some issues of just "but whyyy" about several things the characters did/said/etc. but whatever, it's pulp, the characters and plot are fully only there to connect the adventure elements. It ended rather abruptly, but was serviceable.
This is where things took a turn for the worse. Jingoism, conflating Christianity with morality AND Americanism (and Americanism with Goodness), gobs of racism. I'd say the main character was an author insert, but I don't think it was, he was an Ideal Specimen of Manhood in ERB's eyes. Women are literally objects to be fought over and their only recourse is to unalive themselves (they could not possibly fight?). In the third volume slavery is reinstated -- not of black people, but still race-based as it is indigenous slavery. They're portrayed as simply not having the will to fight so they'd just go ahead being slaves to whichever group posessed them. And very importantly it's not considered even remotely a bad thing, it's perfectly moral to these Definitely Very Good White People Because Ameri-Christianity Says They Are Right In All They Choose To Do.
I just... wow. All of that stuff was an undercurrent in the first book, and yes I realize the second one was a criticism of communism, but it just... really serves to illustrate that in the 1920s Americans really did believe a whole hell of a lot of awful things. It's usually not laid so bare on the page.
October 9, 2025
Edgar Rice Burroughs takes us to the world beneath the surface of the moon, inhabited by intelligent but brutal quadrupeds called Va-Gas and a human race called the U-ga.
The protagonist is Julian, the commander of a spaceship trying to fly from Earth to Mars. A drunken, bitter crewman (who will prove to be the main villain of the book) sabotages the engines, forcing them land on the moon, where they descend through a crater and discover an inhabitable world beneath the surface. Julian and the crewman who got them stuck here (Orthis) are soon captured by the Va-Gas.
A U-ga woman--Nah-ee-lah--is also captured. Later, when they are able to make a getaway, Julian and Nah-ee-lah are seperated. Julian is captured bythe the Kalkars, the faction of the humans who rule most of the Moon. These are bad guys--Burroughs wrote this book and its two sequels in part to criticize Communism and the Kalkars are an effective metaphor for the brutality of a Communist regime.
When Julian gets away from the Kalkars and finds Nah-ee-lah's home city (the only city still independent of the Kalkars), he's soon neck-deep in palace intrigue, revolution, sword fights and--eventually--an attacking Kalkar army that's equipped with advanced weapons designed by Orthis.
The novel ends with an obvious sequel hook and, in fact, the three Moon novels are often published together as a single volume. But this one holds its own, full of the sort of action Burroughs excells at writing and giving us a satisfying ending.
The protagonist is Julian, the commander of a spaceship trying to fly from Earth to Mars. A drunken, bitter crewman (who will prove to be the main villain of the book) sabotages the engines, forcing them land on the moon, where they descend through a crater and discover an inhabitable world beneath the surface. Julian and the crewman who got them stuck here (Orthis) are soon captured by the Va-Gas.
A U-ga woman--Nah-ee-lah--is also captured. Later, when they are able to make a getaway, Julian and Nah-ee-lah are seperated. Julian is captured bythe the Kalkars, the faction of the humans who rule most of the Moon. These are bad guys--Burroughs wrote this book and its two sequels in part to criticize Communism and the Kalkars are an effective metaphor for the brutality of a Communist regime.
When Julian gets away from the Kalkars and finds Nah-ee-lah's home city (the only city still independent of the Kalkars), he's soon neck-deep in palace intrigue, revolution, sword fights and--eventually--an attacking Kalkar army that's equipped with advanced weapons designed by Orthis.
The novel ends with an obvious sequel hook and, in fact, the three Moon novels are often published together as a single volume. But this one holds its own, full of the sort of action Burroughs excells at writing and giving us a satisfying ending.
July 14, 2017
In the prologue Burroughs sets forth a history of Earth embroiled in a seemingly unending war. In this prequel to The Moon Men, we find Julian, the 5th of his name commanding a small space ship toward Mars. In flight, the mission is sabotaged by his second in command and arch rival, commander Orthis. The ship crash lands on the moon which is found to be inhabited by both biped and quadruped beings who can communicate. Julian and Orthis are captured; both are taught the native language, and while Orthis befriends the native chief promising great inventions, Julian escapes with Na-hee-lah, the Moon Made and a Lunar princess. As is typical of many Burroughs supernatural romances, Julian leads her to safety, fights battles along the way, is recaptured, escapes and gets the Princess back to her own kingdom just in time to witness an Orthis led attack featuring powerful weapons he adapted, and Na-hee-lah's city is destroyed. She and julian manage to return to the now repaired space ship and return to Earth presumably to live happily ever after, but such is not the case. The reader is asked to accept a premise that time is not linear. The story is introduced by Julian the third who knows he will be reborn as his grandson. That is a little far-fetched as is the notion that the moon is hollow. But Burroughs, true to his nature, spins an enjoyable adventure.
January 18, 2020
I didn’t like this as much as ‘A Princess of Mars’ despite it being so similar.
Maybe the whole gung ho hero on an alien world trick just work twice. But I think it has more to do with how Julian spends most of the book being passive and with a couple of exceptions Burroughs’ conception of the moon just isn’t as compelling or interesting as Mars. Plus the more problematic elements are more apparent. Burroughs assorted prejudices, or the prejudices of his day, are present in ‘Princess’ but more subdued by virtue of it being a completely alien world and therefore at least a line or two removed from the real world racism/sexism that informs its aesthetics. With ‘Moon Maid’ though it’s so openly bigoted/colonialist it’s legitimately hard to read in spots.
It wasn’t a chore to read by any means, Burroughs has a high tempo in his books that carries you to the end even if you’re not in love with the story. But yeah you can do way better than this in his canon.
Maybe the whole gung ho hero on an alien world trick just work twice. But I think it has more to do with how Julian spends most of the book being passive and with a couple of exceptions Burroughs’ conception of the moon just isn’t as compelling or interesting as Mars. Plus the more problematic elements are more apparent. Burroughs assorted prejudices, or the prejudices of his day, are present in ‘Princess’ but more subdued by virtue of it being a completely alien world and therefore at least a line or two removed from the real world racism/sexism that informs its aesthetics. With ‘Moon Maid’ though it’s so openly bigoted/colonialist it’s legitimately hard to read in spots.
It wasn’t a chore to read by any means, Burroughs has a high tempo in his books that carries you to the end even if you’re not in love with the story. But yeah you can do way better than this in his canon.
October 2, 2021
I decided to read this for "something different" and it turns out that, although it was written in 1926, it feels like a commentary on current events. At first it's amusing - by 1962 the entire world had abolished war and were on their way to meet the Martians, with whom they had established communication. Through various twists they find that the moon is populated on the inside and great adventures ensue. The worst happens though, when after the travelers return to earth an army from the moon attacks and takes over. The saga progresses through some 500 years of one man's lineage (with skips of 100 and then 400 years) and has civilization progressing and then regressing because of man's inability to get along with each other. I found it really fascinating. Because it was written many years ago it may take a little while to fall into the rhythm of the writing, but worthwhile for anyone who enjoys futuristic stories.
January 26, 2025
Julian 5 leads a mission to Mars in 2025. The ship is sabotaged by the second in command, Orthis. They are able to land the craft on the moon. Julian goes out every day to explore the landscape. He is traveling with Orthis one day, when they are captured by four-legged creatures who look human. Over time they learn the language of these Vagas. One day a woman falls from the sky. She is wearing wings. She too is held captive. Her name is Nah-ee-lah.
Orthis becomes obsessed with her and tries to assault her. Julian beats Orthis to death and escapes with Nah-ee-lah. They go on a quest to find her home in the hills. It is called Leythe. But the journey is perilous and Orthis is still alive. He uses his knowledge to make weapons and attack Leythe.
Julian and Nah-ee-lah barely escape.
This is written in a very expository way, but it is quite enjoyable, at least, until the death count rises.
Orthis becomes obsessed with her and tries to assault her. Julian beats Orthis to death and escapes with Nah-ee-lah. They go on a quest to find her home in the hills. It is called Leythe. But the journey is perilous and Orthis is still alive. He uses his knowledge to make weapons and attack Leythe.
Julian and Nah-ee-lah barely escape.
This is written in a very expository way, but it is quite enjoyable, at least, until the death count rises.
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