Edgar Rice Burroughs and Cover Art

One of the recent prompts of the Author Blog Challenge brought back a childhood memory.

"Describe your process for choosing and designing your book cover.  Who created your cover?  How did you find him/her?  What do you love about your cover?  What might you do differently next time?"

Book covers - it brings back memories of the first author who influenced my writing.


When I was 10 years old, I broke my leg, and was treated at a hospital in the Bronx.  I had to go back to the hospital periodically to see the doctors during my recovery.   On one visit, at the hospital gift store, one of my parents bought me a book to read.  I don't know how or why, but they picked "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

It changed my life.

I don't know how many young people have heard of Edgar Rice Burroughs.  Even in my day (I am talking the early 60's) enough children may have known Edgar Rice Burroughs mainly through Tarzan movies.  Reruns of old Tarzan movies featuring Johnny Weissmuller were a staple of weekend movie afternoons on non-network local New York City channels.

But this book my parent bought me was something different.  The cover attracted me immediately - an exotically dressed woman in peril, with a muscular man, holding a sword, defending her.  Although the book started slowly, I very quickly got into the story once the hero, John Carter, reached Mars.  I ended up devouring the other 10 books of the series over the next few years.  Then, I went on to other series written by Burroughs - the Venus books, many of the Tarzan books, one of the Pellucidar books, and a couple of his non-series books.

I loved those book covers on the Ballantine and Ace versions of the Martian books from the 1960's.  In doing research, I found that other Edgar Rice Burroughs books were graced with unforgettable covers.  They really wanted to make you buy and read the contents.    Even after I grew up, the tradition of spectacular book covers continued.

Here, Burroughs himself writes about his experiences with illustrations of his books.

I don't have a book written yet, but if I did, I would like someone like Burroughs as my self-publishing mentor. Something tells me Burroughs would have been right at home in this Challenge and in the world of self-publishing. 

Incidentally, if you are interested in reading the Martian (Barsoom) books of Edgar Rice Burroughs, or some of his other books in the public domain, they are available for free online.

Did you find Edgar Rice Burroughs when growing up?  Are you a fan of "his" cover art/illustrations?  Do you long to visit Barsoom one day?

My Childhood on Barsoom

 A 10 year old in New York City, housebound because of a leg broken in three places due to a roller skating accident.  Waiting in the hospital for her leg to be checked during her recovery, her mother went to the hospital book store and bought a paperback book for her to read.  The girl loved to read.

The girl, now grown, has no idea why her mother picked this book.  Maybe it was because she enjoyed Tarzan movies, and her mother saw the author - Edgar Rice Burroughs, and thought her daughter would enjoy it.

The name of the book?  A Princess of Mars.  The year?  Let's just say the 1960's.

Within 50 pages, she had fallen in love.  She devoured the books, which were being released one by one by Ballentine books.  Eventually she found, and read, all 11 books.  And by the way, she still has them, every one.  They are so fragile she doesn't dare touch them but they are a treasured part of her past.  Read over and over (except the last book which I admit, never caught my interest in the same way as the other 10).

I am waiting to see what my Facebook friends and my blog readers think of the movie John Carter of Mars, because this little girl, now grown and the author of this blog, is waiting to see if this movie is a disappointment or something she should see.

I have walked the surface of Barsoom (Mars) so many times in my imagination.  And when I met a man in college who also loved the series....well the rest was history.

If you have seen the movie, please tell me - what did you think?  Should a middle aged woman who fell in love with John Carter (not in a romantic way, but as an action hero) when she was 10 see this movie?