ERBzine 8217: Barsoom Maps

Over century ago, in 1911, Edgar Rice Burroughs (the creator of Tarzan) introduced an astonished readership to the extraplanetary adventures of John Carter, a Civil War soldier from Virginia who, in 1866, found himself magically transported to the planet Mars. Or, as the natives called it, Barsoom. The first novel was A Princess of Mars, and it was followed by ten more books over the next 30 years; plus countless comic books, and in 2012, a spectacular Disney movie, John Carter.

Enthralled readers encountered the incomparable Martian Princess Dejah Thoris; four-armed giant Green Men; hideous blue Plant Men; Thoats, Calots, Banths, Apts, White Apes and other multi-legged Martian beasts.

Burroughs’ Barsoom was a dying world of ancient ruined cities, dry seabeds, desert-spanning canals, towering mountains, polar ice caps, dense forests, and underground rivers.

These were the first sci-fi adventure tales ever written that took place on another world, with alien races, civilizations, and creatures—and they preceded and inspired every subsequent extra-planetary adventure series from Flash Gordon to Star Trek and Star Wars.

But despite locating the adventures of John Carter on the canal-covered Mars depicted by Victorian astronomers, Burroughs never provided a map showing the actual locations of his Barsoomian cities and other features. Over the past century, many fans have tried to compile such a map, but none have truly succeeded. Until now.

Painstakingly referencing clues in all eleven books, plus astronomical observations of the Red Planet spanning a hundred years, noted historian and cartographer Oberon Zell has created the definitive map of Burroughs’ Barsoom. This book details that process with three dozen colorful maps and other illustrations, a history of Barsoom over the past million years, and a Gazetteer for all locations mentioned in the novels.

Oberon has recently expanded this book, adding 16 pages of full-page color maps and other images of Mars/Barsoom through the ages, from the “Time of the Orovars” up to current explorations. A “must-have” book and map for all Burroughs fans and astronomy buffs!

Reviews of Oberon’s Map of Barsoom:

<>“This work brings both ancient and modern Barsoom to life in a new and exciting way.”<>
~Steve Warner

“Oh that is just so gorgeous!! Beautiful, beautiful work! This is the best I’ve seen yet!”
~Khanåda Taylor

<>“It looks fantastic! You did an incredible job with it.”
~Richard Craven

<> “An absolutely first-rate effort.”
~Den Valdron

“My customers and friends are going to be as fascinated with this as I was.
I loved that so many features now verified worked perfectly for Barsoom.”

~Barbara Criswell, Owner, Aquarius, LLC

“Fantastic! What a lot of work!
Now, if you’re not totally burned out you can take on Kim Stanley Robinson.”
~Ralph Aeschliman, Planetary Cartographer USGS

<>“I’ve been a fan of Edgar Rice Burroughs, and in particular of the John Carter of Mars series, since I was a young boy. I remember reading the books and imagining what Barsoom looked like and where all the wondrous locations described were located. The fascination I had with these novels led me to role-playing games, further science fiction, and my own writing. Yet, the world of Barsoom stayed with me.

“Over the years I have come across many maps of Barsoom, and while some of them were quite good, none of them “felt” right. That is, until I discovered the map created by Oberon. To say that this map of Barsoom is incredible just doesn’t do it justice. The loving attention to detail that has gone into the cartography is obvious right from the start, and the use of Schiaparelli’s canal system along with a real depiction of Mars gives this map the ring of authenticity.

“The location of the cities and other important locations have been researched and placed as closely to where Burroughs intended as possible. This is further illustrated by the accompanying book, which provides excerpts from the stories to justify Oberon’s placement of locations. The book itself is a useful resource, something that I can see myself referring to over and over again. I am very impressed with this work.

“As both a game designer and avid fan of Barsoom, I highly recommend this map of Barsoom to both the fans of Edgar Rice Burroughs and role players alike. This map has become an essential part of my collection and I recommend that it become part of yours too.”

~Darren Bulmer, Game Designer and Author

<>Books by Oberon
Pagan Support Guide by Rhiannon Zell
The Hunting of the Ri
Handbook For Our Future Parents
Hystory’s Mysteries
Goodbye Jesus, I’ve Gone Home to Mother
That Undiscover’d Country
GaeaGenesis: Conception and Birth of the Living Earth |Song of Gaea
The Wizard and the Witch
Barsoom: Mapping the Mythic Mars
Green Egg Omelette
Creating Circles & Ceremonies
Dragonlore
Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard
Companion for the Apprentice Wizard

MORE OBERON ZELL FEATURES IN ERBzine
A New Map of Barsoom :: ERBzine 3937
Clues to Barsoomian locations in the Chronicles :: ERBzine 3938
The Fall of Ancient Barsoom by Steven A. Warner and Oberon Zell :: ERBzine 4497
The Doom of Barsoom :: ERBzine 4851

Creations by Oberon The Millennial Gaia Plaques and Statues Jewelry Oberon’s Zazzle Store Posters Pinsz https://oberonzell.com/product/barsoom-map/

Creations by Oberon
The Millennial Gaia
Plaques and Statues
Jewelry
Oberon’s Zazzle Store
Posters
Pinsz
https://oberonzell.com/product/barsoom-map/