The Master Mind of Mars [Paperback]

Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 5, 2007

The Master Mind of Mars is the sixth in the Barsoom series. It was first published in the magazine "Amazing Stories Annual" vol. 1, July 15, 1927.

Product Details

• Paperback: 324 pages
• Publisher: Wildside Press (November 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1434496570
• ISBN-13: 978-1434496577
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,083,253 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars ERB's pulp fiction adventure of brain transplants on Barsoom, September 18, 2003

By 

Lawrance M. Bernabo (The Zenith City, Duluth, Minnesota) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (COMMUNITY FORUM 04)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: THE MASTER MIND OF MARS (Mars, Bk. 6) (Mass Market Paperback)

For "The Mastermind of Mars," the sixth volume in his Martian series, Edgar Rice Burroughs introduces another new hero as American Ulysses Paxton crosses the void between Earth and Barsoom to become the chief assistant to the red planet's greatest scientist. Original published in the first "Amazing Stories Annual" in 1927, the story again begins with a letter, from Paxton, a Captain in the U.S. Army, to ERB in which he tells how he was fatally injured on a World War I battlefield and was transported to Barsoom, in the same way John Carter made the trip in "A Princess of Mars." Paxton has sent the author the manuscript, which allows Earthmen to "become better acquainted with the manners and customs of Barsoom." In what strikes me as an attempt to further explore the brain switching from previous novel, "The Chessmen of Mars," with the Kaldanes and Rykors, ERB's pulp fiction story has to do with human brain transfers performed by the title character, Ras Thavas.

Early in the novel Paxton witnesses the scientist transferring the brain of Xara, Jeddara of Phundahl, in the body of a young girl. Now called Vad Varo, Paxton becomes the bodyguard and assistant to Ras Thavas in the city of Toonol, and falls in love with Valla Dia, the young girl whose mind is now in the ancient body of Xara. Our hero helps Ras Thavas transfer his brain to a younger body as well, but extracts a promise from the scientist to help restore Valla's body. Of course, just to make things interesting, Valla is the daughter of Kor San, Jeddak of Duhor, so once again ERB's damsel in distress is Barsoomian royalty (that is to say, yet another princess of Mars). The remainder of the novel follows Vad Varo's attempt to restore his beloved to her own body, which is complicated by a series of brain transplants that alternately help and hinder his effort.

The brain switching angle is rather interesting, and actually makes more sense than your standard "strange alien device transfers consciousness between bodies" that we usually find in such science fiction stories (I just saw that on an old "Farscape" episode), but "The Master,ind of Mars" is pretty much an ERB potboiler where everything is resolved in the final chapter. The novel also has his standard indictment of the futility of war and a rather humorous little attack on false religions, as well as a rather confusing roster of characters. After the classic "Chessman" this next Martian yarn is a bit of a disappointment, but it is still at least an average offering in what is ERB's best series.

5.0 out of 5 stars VOLUME #6 IN THE MARS SERIES BY ERB ANOTHER GREAT BOOK!!, March 14, 2011

By 

duffy - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Master Mind of Mars (Paperback)

As one review stated the mars books are superior, I have to agree. I accidently picked up a paperback copy of JOHN CARTER OF MARS and I could not put it down,at age 16.I am almost 60 now and only wish the movies could capture the same intelligent wit of all the volumes! There would be a collection to have!All 11 volumes on film. There is so much in the books that it would be hard to transfer the feeling to film, but still it might get some people to resd the books to see.

4.0 out of 5 stars And I'm not even a fan of ERB, February 19, 2011

By 

Clerk02 "Clerk02" (Pittsburgh PA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Master Mind of Mars (Paperback)

I've tried to read a few novels in this famous SF series, but I just could not finish most of the books that I started. I'm not sure if the fault is mine, or the author's.

"The Mastermind of Mars" is the exception to the above. Once I started reading I could not stop until the story was finished.

Simply put, this is Golden Age high-quality space opera.

Maybe I'll try again with the other books in the John Carter series.

Highly recommended.