The People That Time Forgot

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) was an American novelist best known as the creator of Tarzan and John Carter of Mars. Born in Chicago, Burroughs worked at a succession of jobs-including soldier, ranch hand, salesman, and office manager-before turning to fiction in his thirties. His first published novel, A Princess of Mars, appeared in serialized form in 1912, the same year Tarzan of the Apes began publication. Their immediate popularity launched one of the most successful careers in twentieth-century adventure fiction.Burroughs wrote more than seventy novels, creating expansive fictional worlds that included Barsoom, Pellucidar, Venus, and the prehistoric continent of Caspak. His fast-moving stories helped shape the development of science fiction, fantasy, planetary romance, and the modern adventure novel. Tarzan became an international cultural phenomenon through books, films, radio programs, comic strips, and merchandise, while Burroughs's imaginative worlds continued to influence generations of writers and filmmakers.