Years ago--I believe 1976 to be exact--someone on NBC News observed: "If it weren't for Edgar Rice Burroughs, we wouldn't be on Mars today."In days of gloom and doom and woes, the Phonenix Mars Mission is a reminder that there are still triumphs to be had. We are getting new pictures from the surface of Mars, Burroughs' Barsoom where John Carter drew his sword to save a princess and to stand for right and courage.
In spite of all, what a fabulous time we live in, where the pages of the pulps become real, where
the dreams and imaginations of eons past are realized.We find no canals nor men, but still we stand in surrogate at least on a distant land, distant world.
If we can do this, perhaps there is hope yet.
6 comments:
Burroughs certainly did his part to create a romance around Mars for many people, including me. It's a good example of how fiction that is often considered "throw away" or "nothing but a fun distraction" can actually have a lasting effect on the human race. We do live in exciting times and I love all these pictures from Mars. I would love for us to go there personally.
I was pleased to hear the most recent lander actually made it to the surface the other day. There was some concern at NASA that it wasn't going to make it.
I loved Burroughs' sword & planet stuff, too.
I may re-read the Mars books this winter in celebration!
I'm with you Charles. I heard them say on TV on a scale of 9-10 in difficulty this was a 9. I'm glad they made it. Yeah, Steve, I'm going to dive into some Mars books soon myself. I am reading a Carson of Venus book now and recalling the old days of reading Burroughs.
I agree. I frequently am struck by how prescient the SF writers of the Golden Age were, and I often recall things I read about that are now 21st century reality. And, by the way, I love the lyrical language of your post.
Amen. Burroughs grabbed my imagination about Mars early (and history, even if imagined).
Good stuff, these Martian Chronicles.
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