Customer Reviews

Fighting Man of Mars

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The seventh book in the Martian series of Edgar Rice Burroughs, "A Fighting Man of Mars" is communicated to the author via the Gridley Wave (there is something rather quaint about the old convention of having a prologue purporting that what follows is true). Unlike the Tarzan series where ERB put his hero a series of similar adventures involving one lost civilization in the African interior after another, the Martian series offers up a series of heroes who have to rescue the woman they love. The titular character for this endeavor is Tan Handron, a Padwar of Helium who is in love with Sanoma Tora, daughter of Tor Haten, the Umak commander. Tan Handron is descended from a princess of Gatho, which pleases Tor Haten, who is only a minor noble, but Sanoma spurns the young padwar's love because he is poor. Tul Axtar, Jeddak of Jahar, is also interested in her hand, but before anything can be arranged, Sanoma is abducted by a mysterious flier and the chase is on.

"A Fighting Man of Mars" was originally published in six-parts in "Blue Book Magazine" during 1930 and appears to be rather different from ERB's earlier Martian stories in that for one the damsel in distress is not a Barsoomian princess. As Tan Handron pursues the woman he wants across Barsoom he encounters some of ERB's better villains (basically a new one for each installment in the series). As Handron deals with green men and white apes, spiders, mad scientists, and cannibals, he picks up a companion and uncovers a plot that puts all of Barsoom in danger and sets up the big climax.

This is one of ERB's better books, arguably in the Top 10 of his pulp fiction adventures mainly because of all the fantastic creatures, futuristic weapons, and deadly dangers he crams into its pages. With Tan Handron ERB has a hero who is more plagued by doubt that we usually find and I also appreciate that in the end our hero goes for a real relationship rather than some idealized notion of love from afar. "A Fighting Man of Mars" shows that ERB was a master of the serialized ("to be continued...") adventures.

Sanoma Tora, beautiful daughter of a rich and powerful leader on Barsoom has been kidnapped! Noone knows by who or why, but the poor but courageous Hadron of Hastur (who has been paying court to her) volunteers to charge off to her rescue. Never mind that Sanoma Tora is a spoiled little gold-digger who has snubbed our hero at every turn, making it clear that he is neither rich nor influential enough to get into *her* bed...

Guided by his passion for Sanoma Tora, he sallies forth to rescue her. In the process, he kills bad guys, rescues the innocent, enlists the aid of allies, becomes the hero to a poor escaped slave girl, and saves the entire fleet of Helium (the nation of John Carter, Warlord of Mars) from certain doom.

Romance figures large in this one, with unrequitted love, by and for Hadron being the essential themes of this book.

Needless to say, Hadron acts with honor, comes to his senses about the pampered princess/spoiled, self-serving brat (pick one or more), fights heroically, outwits his enemies, saves the day, and finds a more worthy love. All of the above is obvious, but getting there is a first rate ride.

Another tale of Barsoom, another winner, and another reason to read the next one.

E. M. Van Court

There are many parallels between A FIGHTING MAN OF MARS and STAR WARS. Actually, not just this book, but the whole series is chock-full of them.

Seeing as most of the other reviewers have already covered the plot, this review will point out some of the scenes in the book that bear slight, or even great resemblances to events in the STAR WARS movies.

1) An integral part of the plot has to do with a disintegrating-ray gun. Compare this to the laser of the Death Star that vaporizes planets.

2) There is a flier/spaceship that is invisible. Compare this to the cloaking device referenced in some of the Star Wars movies.

3) In the chapter "Cornered" there is a scene where the main character, Hadron of Hastor, fights a great white ape and cuts its wrist off with the sword. Compare this to THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK where Luke cuts off the arm of the white Wampa after escaping the cave on Hoth.

4) In the chapter "Sentenced to Die" there is a scene where two of the characters enter the chamber of a reclining female captive. This is somewhat similar to Han and Luke entering Princess Leia's chamber in STAR WARS.

5) In the chapter "The Death", upon the opening of a door, a once-trusted friend has apparently betrayed her friends as they find themselves staring into a room of warriors. Compare this to Lando's betrayal of Han and Leia to Darth Vader in the EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

6) In the same chapter, a sword lodged in the mouth of a lizard aids the victory of the victims. Compare this to the Rancor-pit in RETURN OF THE JEDI, where Luke lodges the bone in the Rancor's mouth.

Then of course there are the more obvious precursors to STAR WARS: The Jeds and Jeddaks being the Jedi and the banths being the banthas. Also many of the descriptions of the fliers and flying craft of Barsoom make it easy to visualize Jabba's pleasure barge-type vehicles and Star Destroyers.

Even without the parallels to STAR WARS, this is still a great book to read. Although I rate it at a 4 it's probably closer to a 4.25. Each chapter is full of adventure and leaves you ready to dive into the next. There is a great motto in "We Still Live!" that is used throughout. Finally, all the loose ends and side-plots get neatly tied up at the conclusion of the story.

With the exception of a few cases of Deus Ex Machina, there is very little to not recommend this book, and although it is part of a series, it can easily be read as a stand-alone.