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The Chessmen of Mars (Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, N0 5)
 
 

The Chessmen of Mars (Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, N0 5) (Mass Market Paperback)

~ Edgar Rice Burroughs (Author)
Key Phrases: ancient taxidermist, great jed, spiral runway, Tara of Helium, Gahan of Gathol, Djor Kantos (more...)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)


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Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, December 22, 2007 $1.59 -- --
  Hardcover, November 30, 2005 $25.00 $25.00 --
  Paperback, October 31, 2005 $12.95 $12.94 $24.05
  Mass Market Paperback, December 31, 1962 -- $5.98 $3.99
  Mass Market Paperback, April 12, 1987 -- $92.69 $1.61
  MP3 CD, Audiobook, CD, MP3 Audio $20.00 $12.05 $9.99
  Unknown Binding, December 31, 1947 -- -- $136.81
  Audio, Download Offsite Link $10.50 or less with new Audible membership

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Product Description

Held captive by grotesque bodiless heads, Princess Tara of Helium was rescued by a warrior who dared not reveal his name. But escape led the daughter of the Warlord of Mars into even more loathesome peril -- as the prize in a bloody game of living chess.


From the Publisher

This book is a standard print version using a minimum of 10 point type in a 6 by 9 inch size and perfect bound - a paperback. As with all Quiet Vision print books, it use a high grade, acid free paper for long life. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 220 pages
  • Publisher: Del Rey (April 12, 1987)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0345350383
  • ISBN-13: 978-0345350381
  • Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.5 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,426,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

More About the Author

Edgar R. Burroughs
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

The Chessmen of Mars (Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, N0 5)
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The Chessmen of Mars (Martian Tales of Edgar Rice Burroughs, N0 5) 4.6 out of 5 stars (21)
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21 Reviews
5 star:
 (14)
4 star:
 (5)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.6 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Burroughs' Best Martian Tale, July 8, 2000
By George R Dekle "Bob Dekle" (Lake City, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)      
Conventional wisdom has it that the first three books of Burroughs' Martian series, "A Princess of Mars," "The Gods of Mars," and "The Warlord of Mars" form an excellent trilogy and all the rest of the Martian tales are quite poorly done in comparison. I disagree.

I will cite two examples as to why "Chessmen" is Burroughs' best work in this series.

[1] You can hardly conceive of a more ghastly creature than a spider-being who lives as a parasite on headless human bodies, but that is a perfect description of Ghek the Kaldane, one of the central figures of the book. Burroughs takes this repulsive monstrosity and makes him such a loveable character that you cannot help but like him.

[2] Burroughs not only wrote a good yarn, he wrapped his tale around a striking boardgame that he had invented--jetan, or Martian chess.

It's no real trick to invent a chess variant. There are thousands of them, and most of them are rubbish. What is so singular about jetan is that it is a good chess variant. I read "Chessmen" as a child, and after reading it, the first thing I had to do was make a jetan set and play the game. I whiled away several enjoyable hours with the game. John Gollon, a noted authority on chess variants, had a similar experience when he was writing "Chess Variations." He thought he'd include a chapter on jetan for some comic relief, so he made a jetan set and played a few games. He found jetan "quite good--very playable and interesting." He then pronounced jetan "not a mere novelty, but ... a respectable game."

These two singular achievments (Ghek & jetan) are not the only details that make "Chessmen" so enjoyable. Gahan of Gathol (aka Turan the Panthan) makes for a satisfying hero, and Tara of Helium fills the bill quite nicely for a damsel in distress.

The heros are noble, the villians are wicked, the cause is just, and the action is nonstop. Great escapist reading.

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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars The Original and Authentic Magical Adventure, November 27, 1999
By William Barton (North Carolina) - See all my reviews
The Chessmen of Mars is, I think, the pinnacle of Burroughs career, and certainly the best of the Barsoom series. It's also one of the great science fiction romances of the Twentieth Century. As a boy, reading the typical John Campbell-influenced SF of the 1950s, nothing prepared me for finding this book (and about 30 other moldy Burroughs hardcovers) in my grandmother's attic. There's not an alienated child in the world who could read this book and not be struck deeply by the pathos and courage of Ghek the Kaldane, whose the real hero of the tale, rather than Gahan of Gathol, the golden boy who gets the girl.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars WORTH NOT FORGETTING, October 2, 2004
This review is from: The Chessmen of Mars (Paperback)
Burroughs' Martian Series is worth remembering and rereading from time to time. I first read these books well over 50 years ago and they, and this book, have lost none of their charm. For the student of SiFi and S&S, these are a must read. Granted, the style is certainly different than todays books, but this is a plus. We need to read and remember it. That being said, these books are just simply fun to read. Recommend them highly.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting to say the least
This was a bizzare installment to the Barsoom series, but nontheless exciting and entertaining. As the previous book featured Carthoris, John Carter's son, as the main character,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Curst Saden

5.0 out of 5 stars A treasure trove that has been mined for decades: Chessmen of Mars
"Surprise, surprise, surprise!" --as Gomer Pyle used to say on 60's television. What? You don't remember Gomer Pyle and Sarg? ("Gohooh-OOLLLLL-EEE" and "PIE-yull! Read more
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4.0 out of 5 stars Super Reader

A slightly jealous Princess Of Mars stormy aviatrix skipout. Please return.

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4.0 out of 5 stars good but not quite so good as Princess
In this novel, Burroughs introduces Tara of Helium, daughter of John Carter, Warlord of Barsoom. Although superficial at first, Tara in time grows up and becomes a very... Read more
Published on January 25, 2007 by Jay

4.0 out of 5 stars Tara and Gahan
This is the fifth book in Edgar Rice Burroughs "Mars" series. This time around, the stars are John Carter's previously unmentioned daughter, Tara; and her love interest, Gahan... Read more
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5.0 out of 5 stars The most creative of the ERB's pulp fiction Martian yarns
"The Chessmen of Mars" is the fifth novel in the Edgar Rice Burroughs Martian (a.k.a. John Carter of Mars, Barsoom) series. Read more
Published on June 5, 2004 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

5.0 out of 5 stars The most creative of all the ERB pulp fiction novels
"The Chessmen of Mars" is the fifth novel in the Edgar Rice Burroughs Martian (a.k.a. John Carter of Mars, Barsoom) series. Read more
Published on August 27, 2003 by Lawrance M. Bernabo

5.0 out of 5 stars A NEAR MASTERPIECE
"The Chessmen of Mars," Edgar Rice Burroughs' 5th John Carter novel out of 11, first appeared in serial form in the magazine "Argosy All Story Weekly" from February to April 1922... Read more
Published on March 7, 2003 by s.ferber

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Fantasy Story
...This story is a fun read, though not nearly as well written as the original Martian Trilogy, and it isn't as much fun (in my opinion). Read more
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First off, if you're expecting another "Princess of Mars" (or "Gods of Mars") you'll probably be disappointed. Read more
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