While hiding in a cave in the Arizona desert, John Carter apparently dies, only to reawaken on Mars where he is re-embodied in a body identical to his old one on Earth. Thus begins John Carter's many adventures on Mars, one of the greatest adventure fantasies of all-time. In an interesting twist, Burroughs cast himself as John Carter's nephew, entrusted with Carter's manuscripts relating his many Martian tales. Moving back and forth between earth and Mars via astral projection, John Carter fights alongside six-armed green Martians, a woos a Martian princess to become Prince of Helium, fights plant men and pirates, leads revolts and mutinies, explores the red planet from the equator to the poles, fights against and befriends several Martian races, uncovers fantastic creatures, explores lost civilizations, rises to become the Warlord of Mars along with many other exploits. Other Martian adventures follow in subsequent Barsoom books, each as rich and imaginative as the last, thrilling with telepathic warriors, flying ships, rescued princesses, games of strategy, the storied deeds of John Carter's progeny on Mars, the feats of Ulysses Paxton, an Earthman like Carter who is also sent to Mars by astral projection, and the escapades of other Martian heroes. This rich collection includes the following seven Barsoom books: A Princess of Mars (1912) The Gods of Mars (1913) The Warlord of Mars (1914) Thuvia, Maid of Mars (1916) The Chessmen of Mars (1922) The Master Mind of Mars (1927) A Fighting Man of Mars (1930) Burrough's Mars is imagined as a dying planet with a harsh desert environment packed with ancient races and civilizations, hostile creatures, complex relationships, and deep mysteries. Filled with a clever blend of fantasy, romance, action, science fiction, and western influences, Barsoom is a world as rich in ideas as adventurous stories. This fantasized vision of Mars was based on the work of the astronomer Percival Lowell, whose ideas were widely popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but which Burroughs made uniquely his own. One of the original space operas, the incomparable Barsoom series inspired a number of well-known 20th-century science fiction writers including Jack Vance, Alan Moore, Ray Bradbury, Philip José Farmer, Arthur C. Clarke, Dan Simmons, Robert A. Heinlein, Stephen King, John Norman, and others. John Carter of Mars was a major influence on other science fiction and fantasy tales and characters through the 20th century including Flash Gordon, Superman, Buck Rogers, Dune, Warp!, Adam Strange, Den, George Lucas' Star Wars (and the Jedi), James Cameron's Avatar, and many others. The Barsoom series was also inspirational for many scientists in the fields of space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life, including Carl Sagan. Burrough's Barsoom continues to inspire and delight to this day. This illustrated edition includes many images from the original books and serials.