I think I’ll ask for this for Christmas!
Today I offer up one of my own favorite series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, and a reader recommendation for a fantasy novel by George MacDonald from 1872.
For ages 12 and under–or over
A Princess of Mars and its sequels, by ERB–his justly famous novels of earthman John Carter’s adventures on Barsoom, the planet that we know as Mars.
These ignited my imagination as a teenager, and I still enjoy them today. My favorite is No. 5, The Chessmen of Mars, in which a barbaric nation devotes itself to a game of Martian chess played with real warriors who have to battle it out on the chessboard. This weird creation is simply fantastic; but all ten novels in the series are good.
Recommended by Heidi (I haven’t read them yet, but I can’t wait to do so, once my own book is finished), The Princess and the Goblin by George MacDonald, and other works by him–these sound like real winners. MacDonald was a huge influence on a lot of fantasy writers–and not just fantasy writers, either. G.K. Chesterton had very high praise for The Princess and the Goblin. It sounds like a work of truly unfettered imagination.
When I was in my teens, I read every book I could find that Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote. And he wrote a bunch of books and book series. He was my favorite author. He wrote the hollow Earth themed Pellucidar series with David Inns, John Carter of Mars Barsoom series, Carson Napier of Venus Amtor series, the lost world themed Caspak trilogy, and of course, the twenty-five books, starring Tarzan of the Apes (I read every one of them). I find it very hard to pick out a favorite series, or a favorite book. And now, it’s been decades since I read those books, I have forgotten many of the stories. However, a few months ago, I did reread three of the Pellucidar series, I did remember much of the story, and yes, they were just as good as I remembered they were.
The first ERB book I ever read was “Pellucidar”–which was enough to get me hooked for life.
I am enjoying “The White Nile”! Another book of exploration you might like is Edward Dolnick’s “Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell’s 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand Canyon”. The journal entries of John Wesley Powell and his crew make fascinating reading. Just skip the chapter on the geological millions of years though.
Yes, I understand how you could get hooked. Did you know Tarzan went to Pellucidar? He got lost within its wild lands. O the adventures he had in that place.
“Tarzan at the Earth’s Core”–no way was I going to miss that one.