Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure by Richard A. Lupoff (Ace, 1968) and A Guide to Barsoom
by John Flint Roy (Ballantine Books, January 1976). Covers by Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo

Among my prized possessions are these two books. Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure, by Richard A. Lupoff, 1965 from Ace books with an early cover by Frazetta, and A Guide to Barsoom by John Flint Roy, 1976, from Ballantine Books, with a cover by Boris Vallejo and some interior illustrations by Neal MacDonald.

Lupoff’s book has quite a bit of biographical material on ERB, but is mostly an examination of his work. It isn’t just a love affair with ERB but includes plenty of critical analysis. I find myself disagreeing with Lupoff on one particular conclusion he draws, but that’s material for another post. I much appreciated this comprehensive examination and refer to it often.

[Click the images for Tarzan-sized versions.]

Back covers for Edgar Rice Burroughs: Master of Adventure and A Guide to Barsoom

Flint Roy’s book is just a delight. It remains the most comprehensive encyclopedia of Barsoom and everything about it, and does include some brief biographical materials at the end. It’s a very handy guide that I also keep within easy reach.

Both of these have been rereleased in later editions, which I don’t own, and they don’t have covers by these two masters.

I know there are other biographies of ERB available, Tarzan Forever: The Life of Edgar Rice Burroughs, by John Taliaferro; and Edgar Rice Burroughs and Tarzan: A Biography, by Robert W. Fenton but I haven’t read either of them. Does anyone know if they’re any good?

---

Charles Gramlich administers The Swords & Planet League group on Facebook, where this post first appeared. See all of his recent posts for Black Gate here.