Other editions of book The Chessmen of Mars Illustrated

The Chessmen of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial in the issues for February 18 and 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1922. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C. McClurg in November 1922.

In this novel Burroughs focuses on a younger member of the family established by John Carter and Dejah Thoris, protagonists of the first three books in the series. The heroine this time is their daughter Tara, princess of Helium, whose hand is sought by the gallant Gahan, Jed (prince) of Gathol. Both Helium and Gathol are prominent Barsoomian city states. (Wikipedia)

Impetuous and headstrong is Tara, Princess of Helium and daughter of John Carter. Tara meets Prince Gahan of Gathol, and is initially unimpressed, viewing him as some thing of a popinjay. Later she takes her flier into a typhoon and loses control of the craft, and the storm carries her to an strange region of Barsoom. After landing and fleeing from a % of ferocious Banths (Martian lions), she is captured by means of the horrific Kaldanes, who resemble large heads with small, crab-like legs. The Kaldanes have bred a symbiotic race of headless human-like creatures known as Rykors, which they could connect themselves to and trip like a horse. While imprisoned, Tara manages to win over one of the Kaldanes, Ghek, together with her lovable making a song voice.Fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story became first posted in Argosy All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial inside the troubles for February 18 and 25 and March four, 11, 18 and 25, 1922. It become later posted as a entire novel by using A. C. McClurg in November 1922."A daughter," he replied, "simplest a little younger than Carthoris, and, barring one, the fairest aspect that ever breathed the skinny air of death Mars. Only Dejah Thoris, her mom, could be greater stunning than Tara of Helium."For a moment he fingered the chessmen idly. "We have a game on Mars much like chess," he said, "very similar. And there is a race there that performs it grimly with men and bare swords. We call the game jetan. It is performed on a board like yours, except that there are one hundred squares and we use twenty portions on every aspect. I never see it played without thinking of Tara of Helium and what befell her the various chessmen of Barsoom. Would you want to pay attention her story?"I stated that I could and so he told it to me, and now I shall try to re-inform it for you as almost within the words of The Warlord of Mars as I can keep in mind them, but in the 0.33 person. If there be inconsistencies and errors, permit the blame fall no longer upon John Carter, but as an alternative upon my faulty reminiscence, where it belongs. It is a extraordinary tale and absolutely Barsoomian.

The Chessmen of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial in the issues for February 18 and 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1922. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C. McClurg in November 1922.

The Chessmen of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial in the issues for February 18 and 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1922. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C. McClurg in November 1922.

The Chessmen of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the fifth of his Barsoom series. Burroughs began writing it in January, 1921, and the finished story was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly as a six-part serial in the issues for February 18 and 25 and March 4, 11, 18 and 25, 1922. It was later published as a complete novel by A. C. McClurg in November 1922.

The Chessmen of Mars is the fifth novel in Edgar Rice Burroughs' amazing Barsoom series. John Carter's daughter, Tara, and her glider are lost in a storm. Gahan, a young noble man who is in love with Tara, must race into the storm if he is to have any hope of saving her. This edition has a new introduction by World Fantasy Award winner Darrell Schweitzer. Schweitzer, the former Editor of Weird Tales and a pre-emanate scholar of fantastic fiction, places the Barsoom novels in their proper context. These novels will transport you to a lush Mars that never was. A Mars filled with strange and wonderful flora and fauna; giants and monsters; and, most importantly, maidens in distress and fabulous adventures.

The fifth novel in Edgar Rice Burrough's classic Barsoom series, The Chessmen of Mars follows the adventures of John Carter and Dejah Thoris's strong-willed daughter Tara. When Tara spuns the advances of Prince Gahan, she flounces straight into danger. Her flyer is downed in a storm and she is captured by the crab-like Kaldanes. Smitten Gathan must find his lost love. But rescuing a recalcitrant princess on Barsoom is rarely simple. Tara, Gathan and her new friend Ghek try to escape the Kaldane prison not knwoing they will all become living chessmen in a game where the price of losing could be their lives.

MY father, Andrey Petrovitch Grinyov, had in his youth served under Count Miinnich and retired with the rank of first Major in 17—. From that time onwards he lived on his estate in the province of Simbirsk, where he married Avdotya Vassilyevna U., daughter of a poor landowner of the district. There had been nine of us. All my brothers and sisters died in infancy. Through the kindness of Prince B., our near relative, who was a major of the Guards, I was registered as sergeant in the Semyonovsky regiment. I was supposed to be on leave until I had completed my studies. Our bringing-up in those days was very different from what it is now. At tlie age of five I was entrusted to the groom Savelyitch, who was told off to look after me, as a reward for the sobriety of his behaviour. Under his supervision I had learned, by the age of twelve, to read and write Russian, and could judge very soundly the points of a borzoi dog. At that time my father hired for me a Frenchman, Monsieur Beaupre, who was fetched from Moscow together with the yearly supply of wine and olive oil. Savelyitch very much disliked his coming.'The child, thank heaven, has his face washed and his hair combed, and his food given him,' he grumbled to himself. 'Much good it is to spend money on the Frenchman, as though there weren't enough servants on the estate!'

There is a game on Mars similar to chess-very similar, save that it is played on a board of a hundred squares, and with ornate pieces. The Martians call it jetan, and it is as old as the civilization of Barsoom. But in the Martian city of Manator, jetan is no game. The chiefs of Manator play with living pieces--criminals, slaves, or warriors eager for fame. The opposing chessmen duel to the death for possession of their squares. The chiefs of Mantor play for great stakes, but the most closely fought contest in the huge arena was that in which the prize was Tara, Princess of Helium and daughter of the Warlord of Mars--a prisoner and slave in Manator.