Master of Adventure: The Worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs

by Richard A. Lupoff, Michael Moorcock (Foreword), Phillip R. Burger (Introduction)

So, just how was Tarzan created? Eager to know the inside story about the legendary John Carter and the amazing cities and peoples of Barsoom? Perhaps your taste is more suited to David Innes and the fantastic lost world at the Earth’s core? Or maybe wrong-way Napier and the bizarre civilizations of cloud-enshrouded Venus are more to your liking? These pages contain all that you will ever want to know about the wondrous worlds and unforgettable characters penned by the master storyteller Edgar Rice Burroughs.

 

Richard A. Lupoff, the respected critic and writer who helped spark a Burroughs revival in the 1960s, reveals fascinating details about the stories written by the creator of Tarzan. Featured here are outlines of all of Burroughs’s major novels, with descriptions of how they were each written and their respective sources of inspiration. This Bison Books edition includes a new foreword by fantasy writer Michael Moorcock, a new introduction by the author, a final chapter by Phillip R. Burger, as well as corrected text and an updated bibliography.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Literary Criticism, Reference, Pulp, Adventure, Biography Memoir

308 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1965

About the author

Richard Allen "Dick" Lupoff (born February 21, 1935 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American science fiction and mystery author, who has also written humor, satire, non-fiction and reviews. In addition to his two dozen novels and more than 40 short stories, he has also edited science-fantasy anthologies. He is an expert on the writing of Edgar Rice Burroughs and has an equally strong interest in H. P. Lovecraft. Before becoming a full-time writer in 1970 he worked in the computer industry.

Reviews

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very thoughtful and interesting look at Burroughs' works and serves as a good companion volume to Irwin Porges' exhaustive and definitive biography. Lupoff examines not only ERB's published works, but speculates on what his influences might have been, and the influences he had on later writers. My old Ace edition is nicely illustrated and features a wonderful Frazetta Tarzan cover. It's a great look at the work of a very influential author who's too often dismissed.

[Rick · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unparalleled summary of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs that has no equivalent for any other genre author. Lupoff's commentaries are not only complete and well-written, but offer fascinating insights into ERB's mind and career. When paired with Irwin Porges' excellent ERB bio, the pair creates the most complete overview of ERB's life to date.

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loads of fun to read this 40 year old biography/history/bibliography of ERB and get tons of other old and nigh-forgotten books of many authors to read.

This is a good read for any fan of the pulps, as you'll get a walk-through of the pulps from one writer's output and what contemporaries compare (or contrast) to Burroughs' stuff.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I found the book very interesting, I'm sure some of it, at least, is outdated these days. It was written in 1965. I don't know if the new Bison edition has any updates or not.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview book about Edgar Rice Burroughs and his works. Very well written. Recommended

[Leothefox · Rating 4 out of 5]

Edgar Rice Burroughs is timeless! Lupoff's book isn't, though.

There's a lot to like here, especially for somebody like me who has been maintaining a Burroughs obsession for like last 18 years or so. Lupoff devotes whole chapters to significant series, like Barsoom, Pellcuidar, Caspak, Amtor, Moon Maid, and, inevitably, Tarzan.

Lupoff gushes appropriately over first entries and is frank about which sequels displeased him. For some reason he's altogether unimpressed with the Carson Napier series. In fact, he goes into great detail on the theoretical “feud” between Burroughs and Otis Adelbert Kline and ultimately exposes it for the falsehood it is... only to later write off Burroughs' Venus series as having been instigated by Kline anyhow.

There seems to be an earnestness to cover the author's entire output, and we even get to hear about the 1963 opening of Burroughs' safe and the various unpublished manuscripts in it (I'm pretty sure they're all out there to be purchased now, I've read some). The 1960s ERB re-discovery and explosion of reprints would seem like a natural time to write “Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure”, although that's also a limiting factor in the perspective here.

I've never investigated the Tarzan series beyond the first two books, so it was kinda nice to hear about the other 25 books, or however many. There's a lot of rage from Lupoff and others about how the films and such give people the wrong impression of the character. I have to agree that Tarzan is fairly abused, since there appears to have been at least 1 Tarzan film for every decade since the character appeared, sometimes two. I remember being 18 and reading “Tarzan of the Apes” and then seeing that damned Disney version and screaming “Wrong wrong wrong!”

Lupoff addresses some things I've noticed about Burroughs, including the tragic anti-communist trend, although Lupoff is writing during the Cold War, so he thinks it's swell. Although he did open the topic of varying Burroughs controversies and reasons his books have sometimes been banned (I guess he was too “gory” for some. Screw them, give me those rivers of blood!).

Over the course of numerous forwards and introductions, Lupoff points out that some fans responded negatively to this books, as it isn't unbridled praise for ERB and all things ERB. Naturally, I also found room to differ with him. Lupoff seemed to think it was fine that the Barsoom series put John Carter in the background in favor of substitutes (Carthoris seemed pretty cool in “Gods of Mars”, so why is he such a dull lead in “Thuvia: Maid of Mars”?). He also has annoying habit of writing off the 40s sequels as “merely series of novellas” even though they hang together better than some of the other stuff (“Llana of Gathol” is and always will be better than “Thuvia”).

Oh! And for some reason, when discussing possible sources for Tarzan, for some reason Lupoff never thinks to mention William Tillinghast Eldridge's 1910 “The Monkey Man”.

Lupoff does reference the store Burroughs kept in 1898 and how he was able to obtain any book or magazine (per his ad), which puts the Edwin L. Arnold books back on the table as possible influences for Barsoom.

Anyhow, this wasn't perfect, but is you wanna read a whole lot about Burroughs and his various series (and a pretty exhaustive publication history of everything), this is worth the trip.

[Will Fenton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished. Only 5 months. Oy, well written and researched, if roughly 60 years old. I definitely appreciated the overview of his works and influences, both what influenced his writing as well as whom his writings have influenced. Unfortunately, I couldn't seem to read more than 4 pages at a time without falling asleep. So there's that.

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very nice and thorough examination of the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. I’ve read a lot of ERB’s novels and stories (all of Mars, Venus, Pellucidar and the first 7 Tarzan adventures, plus several stand-alones) and I still learned a lot about the ERB universe.

Most of the book is devoted to examining the works of ERB rather than biographical information about the author himself. Plot summaries are provided for practically every one of his 69 books as well as briefs on unpublished work. If this were a simple straight forward offering of plot summaries, however, it wouldn’t be nearly as interesting as it is. This is because the author frequently deviates within the summaries, tying in other ERB books, or series and it’s fun to go off on these tangents with him. They often lead to little gold mines of information.

Also included are chapters and segments on related subjects such as possible influences on ERB and how his work influenced later authors. Of course, this was written in 1965 so the “later authors” are not exactly today’s superstars but that’s fine. Other interesting topics include whether or not ERB and Otis Adelbert Cline had a competition going (trying to out-do each other) and what the future might hold for the major ERB characters. The author does offer plenty of his own personal opinions on which books are best and which should be read only for academic interest but he is careful to point out that this is his opinion only.

Good reading, especially for ERB enthusiasts like me.

[Creature · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hello Fellow Bibliophiles:
I've actually had this book for a couple years before reading it a couple months back. Richard A. Lupoff really has written a nice bibliographic history called; "Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure." He covers the life and times of the great master of adventure fantasy with a look at his early days and how he created some of his memorable characters such as John Carter, Tarzan, and Carson Napier to name a few. He also gives insight as to Burroughs dealings and meetings of other famous writers and personalities. Though Burroughs died in 1950 his works live on, as popular as ever. Evidence of this is the release of "John Carter" just within the last few weeks by Disney studios. Another version of John Carter was released to television within the last two years.
If you are interested in timelines then this book will fill your needs as Lupoff offers a grand accounting of the release of Burroughs stories as well as the formats in which they were first seen by the reading public. Burroughs is famous in creating some of the earliest and most popular since fiction stories in the genre that we now affectionately call; "Space Opera."
If you've ever wondered about ERB and some of the books and stories he created over the course of several decades then this is a good place to start. For a little over a hundred years ERB has endured the test of time with his wonderful stories of adventure which cover many genres, including a few Westerns. That's a good run for anybody. So, if you have never read anything by Edgar Rice Burroughs, by all means, check him out.
I really liked Richard A. Lupoff's book and learned a lot from it. So much so that I'll probably read it again, this time taking some notes. Check this one out. I think you'll like it. I give it a full four screams on the Creature scale.
Have an incredibly wonderful Book-filled day!!!
John (aka, The "Creature")

[Michael P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book could use a new edition and rewrite of some sections, it is an informative and lively survey of an author that interests me, but whose prose to too turgid and formulaic for me to read. Lupoff satisfies my curiosity about Burroughs, and that is most of what I want a book like this to do.

[Vince · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative. I read the first Ace Books paperback edition years ago. The Bison edition has updates & revisions by the author 40 years after its' first publication. Should have called it "The 40 Anniversary Edition"!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really good overview of ERB's life and writings. Mainly the latter. Talks a lot about the various series' and how/when many of the books came to be written. Recommended highly to anyone who is an ERB lover.

[Kieran Reilly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard A. Lupoff does a good job with this. If you're looking for some background information on the different series of books produced mainly during the lifetime of ERB then this is a fine place to start.

I had started reading Princess Of Mars and found this book sitting on my shelf. Princess was put on hold while I read this with interest in the man himself but also in conjunction with other authors books released around the same time.

While this is not a biography as such it does have historical value on the impact of ERB on the development of science fiction and on where possibly he might have been influenced by others.

[Michael Ritchie · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3-1/2 stars) Not a biography but a literary evaluation of the works of Burroughs, known best for creating Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, but also a prolific author sci-fi, fantasy, westerns and adventures. Lupoff keeps his summaries fairly short and clear, and is fair in his criticism, but the book is repetitive and padded out. For example, in a chapter tracing the influences on Burroughs, Lupoff spends several unnecessary pages to tell us that Burroughs was influenced by Kipling's Mowgli (from Jungle Book). Still, a good read for fans of fantasy.

[Peveril · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now very dated but still an excellent overview of Burroughs works, especially good on the Martian series and on several standalone novels not often seen or mentioned.

[Brent · Rating 4 out of 5]

More bibliography than biography but a very thorough and fun look through the many wonderful works of a fantastic storyteller.

[Ronald · Rating 5 out of 5]

possibly read in 1965, ERB's books broken down into their genres

[Mary Knuckles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly good look at the books and characters that made Edgar Rice Burroughs the literary giant that he is. One thing that I like is the balanced view the various writers give as to how well or badly written some of Burroughs' works were at the time.

Another point that I am very proud of, is the importance the Lupoff and others place on looking and reading materials in their proper historical context. We cannot read something from over one hundred years ago, and expect people to think as we do in the present day. Matters may very well change one hundred years from now, and our descendants may judge us in the same harsh manner that we are judging Burroughs! Only history will be the judge.

This book contains a great deal of spoilers, so unless you have read the books contained therein, go ahead and read it. However, if you haven't read the books, and want to be surprised, read them first before reading this one. I was forced to finally sit down and read all of the Tarzan books and Carson of Venus series before finishing this book. It also introduced me to some of his lesser-well known series, trilogies, etc. that I am curious to read sometime.

This is a great book to help one delve into the worlds of Edgar Rice Burroughs, who in my estimation, still is one of the masters of adventure.

[Haley · Rating 3 out of 5]

A behind-the-scenes look at Burroughs' work. Not a biography.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of the works of ERB. Not a biography really. Lupoff covers ERB's inspiration and influences for certain series and discussion about his works.

[Gene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Informative, but not very exciting. While I learned much about his life & books that I didn't know, I would have preferred more about him.