Synthetic Men of Mars
Encyclopedia
Synthetic Men of Mars is a science fiction novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs
, the ninth of his Barsoom
series. It was first published in the magazine Argosy Weekly in six parts in early 1939. The first complete edition of the novel was published in 1940 by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Despite a successful career stretching back more than two decades, Burroughs had trouble finding a publisher for the serialized version of the novel. Both Liberty and Blue Book turned him down; Argosy was his third choice. He received $1200 for the magazine rights.
personal guard. Vor Daj narrates the action in the first person, so that when John Carter appears in the story, he is described in the third person (unlike other Barsoomian novels that feature Carter as the first-person narrator).
Synthetic Men also brings back a familiar character, Ras Thavas, a brilliant but evil scientist who functions as the villain in The Master Mind of Mars
.
and genetic engineering
, years before these themes became commonplace in science fiction. Nevertheless, Burroughs' treatment is well within the tradition of scientist-created monsters going back to Mary Shelley
's Frankenstein
, including his own earlier novel The Monster Men
.
for this story has expired in Australia
, and thus now resides in the public domain
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg Australia
.
Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic Mars adventurer John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.-Biography:...
, the ninth of his Barsoom
Barsoom
Barsoom is a fictional representation of the planet Mars created by American pulp fiction author Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote close to 100 action adventure stories in various genres in the first half of the 20th century, and is now best known as the creator of the character Tarzan...
series. It was first published in the magazine Argosy Weekly in six parts in early 1939. The first complete edition of the novel was published in 1940 by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.
Despite a successful career stretching back more than two decades, Burroughs had trouble finding a publisher for the serialized version of the novel. Both Liberty and Blue Book turned him down; Argosy was his third choice. He received $1200 for the magazine rights.
Plot
Like several previous novels in the Barsoom series, Synthetic Men introduces a completely new character as its protagonist: Vor Daj, a warrior from Helium and a member of John Carter'sJohn Carter (character)
John Carter is a fictional character, created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who appears in the Barsoom series of novels. Though actually a Virginian from Earth and a visitor to Mars, he is often referred to as "John Carter of Mars" in reference to the general setting in which his deeds are recorded, in...
personal guard. Vor Daj narrates the action in the first person, so that when John Carter appears in the story, he is described in the third person (unlike other Barsoomian novels that feature Carter as the first-person narrator).
Synthetic Men also brings back a familiar character, Ras Thavas, a brilliant but evil scientist who functions as the villain in The Master Mind of Mars
The Master Mind of Mars
The Master Mind of Mars is an Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novel, the sixth of his famous Barsoom series. It was first published in the magazine Amazing Stories Annual vol. 1, July 15, 1927. The first book edition was published by A. C...
.
Importance
One notable aspect of the novel is its exploration of the potential dangers of cloningCloning
Cloning in biology is the process of producing similar populations of genetically identical individuals that occurs in nature when organisms such as bacteria, insects or plants reproduce asexually. Cloning in biotechnology refers to processes used to create copies of DNA fragments , cells , or...
and genetic engineering
Genetic engineering
Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification, is the direct human manipulation of an organism's genome using modern DNA technology. It involves the introduction of foreign DNA or synthetic genes into the organism of interest...
, years before these themes became commonplace in science fiction. Nevertheless, Burroughs' treatment is well within the tradition of scientist-created monsters going back to Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley
Mary Shelley was a British novelist, short story writer, dramatist, essayist, biographer, and travel writer, best known for her Gothic novel Frankenstein: or, The Modern Prometheus . She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley...
's Frankenstein
Frankenstein
Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a novel about a failed experiment that produced a monster, written by Mary Shelley, with inserts of poems by Percy Bysshe Shelley. Shelley started writing the story when she was eighteen, and the novel was published when she was twenty-one. The first...
, including his own earlier novel The Monster Men
The Monster Men
The Monster Men is a science fiction novel written by Edgar Rice Burroughs in 1913 under the working title "Number Thirteen." It first appeared in print under the title of "A Man Without a Soul" in the November, 1913 All-Story Magazine, and was first published in book form in hardcover by A. C....
.
Reception
Reception of the novel has been mixed. A noted Burroughs scholar, Richard Lupoff, concludes that the novel "has little to recommend it." On the other hand, Burroughs' biographer, John Taliaferro, regards Synthetic Men as "imaginative," and considers it superior to his other work of the late 1930s.Copyright
The copyrightCopyright
Copyright is a legal concept, enacted by most governments, giving the creator of an original work exclusive rights to it, usually for a limited time...
for this story has expired in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and thus now resides in the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
there. The text is available via Project Gutenberg Australia
Project Gutenberg Australia
Project Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. The site hosts free ebooks or e-texts which are in the public domain in Australia. The ebooks have been prepared and submitted by volunteers...
.
External links
- ERBzine.com Illustrated Bibliography entry for Edgar Rice Burroughs' Synthetic Men of Mars
- Text file Zip File at Project Gutenberg AustraliaProject Gutenberg AustraliaProject Gutenberg Australia, abbreviated as PGA, is an Internet site which was founded in 2001 by Colin Choat. The site hosts free ebooks or e-texts which are in the public domain in Australia. The ebooks have been prepared and submitted by volunteers...
- Edgar Rice Burroughs Summary Project page for A Fighting Man of Mars