A few weeks ago I decided I wanted to see what all of the John Carter fuss was about. So I went looking for the first book in the series. Which, after a few Google searches, told me was A Princess of Mars. The problem was I didn’t know if I’d like it, so I didn’t want a new copy. I checked two local used-book spots and struck out. There is also a waiting list to get one of the library copies, so I turned to eBooks. I didn’t originally start here as I like old vintage sci-fi artwork and I was hoping to get something along those lines (still am).
I knew that Edgar Rice Burroughs penned the Barsoom series books a long time ago and that they would be in the public domain, so I went to Project Gutenberg first. And there it was. In eight different formats. So I grabbed a .prc file and loaded it on my device, via email. I have to say that it’s great fun so far. If you like Golden Age-styled science fiction you should check it out.
Here are links and screenshots of the various online services. It’s interesting to see them all side-by-side so you can note the similarities and differences between them.
Since the book is public domain all of the platforms should have copies. I have no idea if these files differ, but Kindle, Nook and Google all have free e-book versions. In fact, Kindle, Google and Project Gutenberg all allow onine in-browser reading. Something that the nook service lacks. Plus, the Kindle, Nook and Google platforms all have syncing. So if you are on page 52 on your kindle and then run an errand, you can pull out your phone app and it will sync to the right place.
I’m waiting to see how this book ends before deciding if I’m going to complete the series. Have any of you read through the series?
I HAVE READ THE FIRST AND SECOND BOOK AND I GOT TO SAY ITS A GREAT SERIES
I’ve read the entire series many times since I first encountered them as a child- it remains to this day one of my favorite adventure series ever written. Burroughs may have been more than a a little shaky on the science, but he knew how to write a fun and fast adventure series.
I’ve only read the first two, but have to agree – it’s a great adventure tale! I’ve also started looking for them in the bookstores and it’s amazing how many different interpretations there are of each story in the series. Some really cool (and some bizarre) artwork to go with such a cool storyline.
My first encounter with the series was at the age of 12. And was my introduction to scifi and now 37 years later still one of my most favorite scifi series
Read them all when in my early 20’s. Now in my 50’s and am reading them again. Great adventures, and memories.