John Carter Books Parents Guide & Content Advisory
Are the John Carter of Mars books by Edgar Rice Burroughs appropriate for kids?
In short, there are three answers to this question:
- Language: The first book, A Princess of Mars, was written in 1912 in the very stylized "pulp fiction" language of the day. I have two very intelligent boys (9 and 12) who are avid readers, and the language is outdated enough that it could not hold their attention. This was the main reason I began working on the Revived Modern English Version of John Carter of Mars.
- In terms of "adult content," these books are very tame by today's standards, with no overt sex (except on the cover art), but with continuous sci-fi action violence making up a majority of the narrative.
- There are some underlying themes skeptical toward religious dogma, so if this is important to you then see below.
Outmoded Language
The language of the John Carter of Mars series of books, even for well-read and intelligent children, may be challenging enough that they will lose interest. You can skim through the free versions online to get an idea of whether or not it will hold your children's interest. You may also consider the Revived Modern English Versions of the John Carter ebooks. Here is a simple comparison of the original vs the modern versions:
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Original:
My revolvers were strapped to my lifeless body which, for some unfathomable reason, I could not bring myself to touch. My carbine was in its boot, strapped to my saddle, and as my horse had wandered off I was left without means of defense. My only alternative seemed to lie in flight and my decision was crystallized by a recurrence of the rustling sound from the thing which now seemed, in the darkness of the cave and to my distorted imagination, to be creeping stealthily upon me.
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Revised:
My revolvers were still strapped to my lifeless body on the floor, but for some unknown reason I could not bring myself to touch it. My carbine rifle was in its holster, strapped to my saddle, so since my horse had wandered off I was left without any way to defend myself. My only option seemed to be to flee and my decision to do so was finalized when I heard again a rustling sound from the thing that now seemed, in the darkness of the cave and to my paranoid imagination, to be creeping stealthily toward me.
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Adult Content
The John Carter books were pulp fiction novels, written around the central theme of an alpha-male-type warrior character. Since the first books was written 100 years ago, though, the violence of gladiatorial combat, battlefield fighting, and man-vs-beast battles is pervasive but not at all gruesome or gory. It is exactly the type of violence that may earn a modern film a PG-13 rating for "Sci-Fi Action Violence." Each parent will have to decide for themselves whether they feel the violence is suitable for their children, but you can easily scan through the free online versions for a sample of the battle scenes.
In terms of language, again thanks to the age of the text, there is no overt profanity.
Sex does not play a role at all in the books (except in some of the Conan-style cover art), because the main story is really a romance between John Carter and the princess Dejah Thoris, and there is little mention of any physical contact beyond a kiss.
Religious Themes
Mostly in the second book, The Gods of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs shows a constant distain for superstitious beliefs of the Martian people through the character of John Carter. Their belief systems are much closer to the pagan religions of old than any modern religion, and the characters primary struggle is more against a racial or class-based system where certain races consider themselves to be deities, and that the rest of the citizens of Mars exist only to serve them. John Carter's struggle is against the Martian peoples' blind belief in certain rituals that feed into this racial/class heirarchy with little mention of a divine supernatural God that modern religions are based on.
Other Themes
There is a common theme of warriors taking slaves from battle, and certain races of Martians considering other races to exist only to serve them, but John Carter is obviously very much against this practice, and the stories paint the practice of slavery in a very negative light.
Racism is definitely a theme in the books, but it is treated with the same distain that the Martian's superstitious beliefs are. It is true, though, that the worst of the worst race of Martians are the "black men" or "black pirates" who enslave and kill the other races of Martians who they consider themselves to be superior to.
