Edgar Rice Burroughs
Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) was an American writer, one of the most popular and imaginative adventure authors of the 20th century. The creator of Tarzan and of the Martian hero John Carter, he was a founding figure of pulp fiction and science-fantasy, and his creations have inspired films, comics, and countless imitators.
His most famous creation is Tarzan of the Apes, the story of an English child raised by apes in the African jungle, who appears in more than twenty novels. His 'Barsoom' series, beginning with A Princess of Mars, sends the adventurer John Carter to a dying Mars of warriors, princesses, and strange beasts, and helped shape modern science fiction and adventure.
Burroughs wrote at a furious pace, inventing whole worlds — the jungle, Mars, Venus, the prehistoric land of Pellucidar — with boundless energy and imagination.
His storytelling is fast and thrilling. Our editions present it cleanly. Read the opening free, and read or listen with a membership.
Edgar Rice Burroughs in the library · 8 works
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Out of Time's Abyss
Tarzan of the Apes
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The Warlord of Mars
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Audiobooks by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Every Edgar Rice Burroughs title in the library is also a complete, professionally produced audiobook — 8 audiobooks in total. Members listen free on any device. Browse the audiobook library →
Frequently asked questions about Edgar Rice Burroughs
What did Edgar Rice Burroughs write?
Burroughs wrote dozens of adventure novels. He is most famous for the Tarzan series, beginning with Tarzan of the Apes, and the Barsoom (Mars) series, beginning with A Princess of Mars, featuring John Carter. He also created the Pellucidar series (set inside a hollow Earth) and the Venus series. Tarzan and John Carter are his best-known creations.
What is Tarzan of the Apes about?
It tells the story of a British aristocrat's orphaned son, raised in the African jungle by apes, who grows into the powerful, noble 'ape-man' Tarzan. The novel follows his life in the wild, his encounters with civilisation, and his romance with Jane Porter. It launched one of the most famous adventure characters in the world.
Where should I start with Edgar Rice Burroughs?
Tarzan of the Apes is the perfect starting point for his jungle adventures, and A Princess of Mars is the ideal entry to his science-fantasy. Both are fast, thrilling, and hugely influential. Choose Tarzan for jungle adventure or John Carter for interplanetary romance.
Did Burroughs influence science fiction?
Enormously. His John Carter of Mars stories, beginning in 1912, helped create the 'planetary romance' and inspired generations of science-fiction and fantasy writers, filmmakers, and scientists — Ray Bradbury and Carl Sagan among them. His boundless imagination and world-building shaped the entire adventure and science-fantasy genre.
Are Burroughs's books hard to read?
Not at all — they were written for a mass pulp audience in a fast, vivid, action-packed style, so they are very easy and entertaining to read. Occasional dated attitudes and vocabulary are the only old-fashioned elements. A clear modern edition keeps all the excitement of the adventures.
When did Edgar Rice Burroughs live?
Burroughs lived from 1875 to 1950. He published A Princess of Mars and Tarzan of the Apes in 1912, at the start of a prolific career, and wrote adventure fiction for decades. He became one of the most popular and commercially successful authors of his time.
Where can I read Edgar Rice Burroughs for free?
Burroughs's early Tarzan and John Carter novels are in the public domain and freely available. Older editions keep the original text. Here you can read the openings free in clear modern English, and read or listen with a membership.
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