Minidoka: 937th Earl of One Mile Series M

by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Michael Kaluta, Peet Janes

Dark Horse is proud to present an all-new tale by the Master of Adventure himself, Edgar Rice Burroughs! Written before the twin blockbusters of A Princess of Mars and Tarzan of the Apes, Minidoka is a whimsical fantasy in the tradition of Jonathan Swift`s Gulliver`s Travels and Lewis Carroll`s The Hunting of the Snark. Illustrated by comics legend Michael Wm. Kaluta, and featuring a never-before-published cover painting by J. Allen St. John, this fractured fairy tale for children of all ages is sure to become a highly sought-after collectible!

Genres: Fiction, Fantasy

64 pages, Hardcover

First published September 9, 1998

About the author

Edgar 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.

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining fairy tale which I would've liked to read aloud to a child. But what makes it most interesting is that it was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950). This was the earliest-surviving unpublished story by Burroughs which was published in 1998. The man who wrote the Tarzan and John Carter of Mars books apparently had been quite a storyteller for years before he got his stories published in the pulp magazines and as books. The story was written during the 1901-04 period while ERB was living in Idaho, where he got involved in his brothers' gold-dredging business (Minidoka is a town and county in Idaho).
There's a flying monkey in the story which leads me to believe that ERB might have been influenced by L. Frank Baum, author of "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (1900). Why not? According to the introduction by Robert Barrett, Burroughs knew Baum.
Of greatest interest to me is that Burroughs shows his strong feelings against man's inhumanity and cruelty to animals. While this is a very light satire, there is that more serious side...and a foreshadowing of Tarzan, a man who often preferred the company of beasts to that of man...
I should add that the book is well-illustrated by Michael Kaluta, with a beautiful cover by J. Allen St. John.
I give it **** for what it reveals about the young ERB before he became the world-famous author.

[Rob Roy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Burroughs was trying to be a combination of fable teller, Louis Carrol, and Jonathan Swift. He failed miserably. The book is very disjoint, though there is a story line, it is well hidden. Even if you are a hard core Burroughs lover, and I am one, don't bother.

[John Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for the Kaluta illustrations. Burroughs attempting Baum and not doing too well.

[ʀᴏʙɪɴ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I kept my expectations high throughout the book, waiting for some kind of payoff. It didn't deliver.
The story doesn't seem to go in a straight line. In fact, it goes nowhere and neither do its characters who read like abstractions instead of tangible people children or adults can relate to, much less picture in their minds.

[Brett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantasy,Graphic Novel