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Southern Star, v. 1, issue 2, June 1941

Page 10

ERB: A Critique     SOUTHERN STAR     Page 10

The adventures of Tarzan, read on top of each other, make incredible reading, but in any given volume ERB can induce a certain specious acceptance of his adventures. But when Tarzan removes lions as easily as caterpillars, when he is tossed overboard out of sight of land and survives when he is dragged under by a crocodile and still lives, when neither Tarzan nor anyone else in whom ERB is interested is ever actually killed when bound to a stake around which dance howling savages, (which seems a bit unfair to the savages!) when all these things have been noticed, the reader cannot avoid acquiring a somewhat bored faith in Tarzan's immortality. This detracts a great deal from the interest in many of ERB's most spectacular scenes. When Tarzan faces certain death, bound on the altar of Opar -- fear not, for if nothing else, then the priestess who is to sacrifice him will save him instead. If it is the altar of A-Lur on which Tarzan lies, then look for the appearance of Kora, his son, just in time. One wonders somewhat why ERB rescuers never happen to arrive a few minutes or hours before the zero hour -- but ERB is economical, and if 15 seconds will suffice to save his meal-ticket, it would be silly to use more, so he must reason.
Quite naturally, when ERB came to write stories dealing with other than Tarzan's adventures, he employed many of the methods used in promoting his earlier hero. Thus, John Carter bears a life no less charmed than Tarzan's, but a piquant element is introduced in the lack of control ove r his interplanetary transportation which bothers him at times. Still when Thurid finds Carter climbing up a high building and kicks him back over the edge, ERB violates all known laws of psychology in that Carter is saved because Thurid, who hates him bitterly, does not come to the edge of the building to gloat over his enemy's death, and so does not notice Carter's miraculous preservation, which he could speedily have ended. This episode somewhat disgusted me. One can put up with only so much. And, of course, the Ras Thavak stories -- in particular the latest Giant of Mars -- are far lesser affairs than were the earlier Martian stories. The Venusian tales are equally negligible.
The Pellicudar adventures, however, are fresher and more vigorous -- until Tarzan is dragged in for no reason -- unfairly, I could not help but feel. I rather liked At The Earth's Core and Pellicudar -- particularly in respect to the attempt to forge a new civilization on better principles than those in current use.
Of the other books, The War Chief is not without interest, dealing as it does with Geronimo, 1st great Apache Chieftain. But of them all, two stand out, namely, The Land That Time Forgot, and The Moon Maid. I have a strong suspicion that Richard Tooker's The Tomb of Time more convincingly portrays what might be really expected of a survived section of the past. But ERB's wonderful and divertingly fantastic theme in The Land That Time Forgot is more striking. If it escapes rank as Burrough's best, it is only because of a certain superfluity of characters and a persistent over-thrillingness of episode is retained from Tarzan and other works.
My nomination for Burroughs' masterpiece must remain The Moon Maid. I speak of the complete trilogy published under that title, not merely of the first of the three. To me, the second part, telling of life among the conquered race and rebellion against the moon hordes is Burroughs writing as he has all too seldom bothered to write. Then, in the third part, I am especially appreciative of the passing comments on the new forgotten past achievements of man.
Inasmuch as I have already indicated Burroughs' salient literary defects, I will conclude by listing those scenes from his books which
(Concluded on page 16)

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ERB: A Critique SOUTHERN STAR Page 10 The adventures of Tarzan, read on top of each other, make incredible reading, but in any given volume ERB can induce a certain specious acceptance of his adventures. But when Tarzan removes lions as easily as caterpillars, when he is tossed overboard out of sight of land and survives when he is dragged under by a crocodile and still lives, when neither Tarzan nor anyone else in whom ERB is interested is ever actually killed when bound to a stake around which dance howling savages, (which seems a bit unfair to the savages!) when all these things have been noticed, the reader cannot avoid acquiring a somewhat bored faith in Tarzan's immortality. This detracts a great deal from the interest in many of ERB's most spectacular scenes. When Tarzan faces certain death, bound on the altar of Opar -- fear not, for if nothing else, then the priestess who is to sacrifice him will save him instead. If it is the altar of A-Lur on which Tarzan lies, then look for the appearance of Kora, his son, just in time. One wonders somewhat why ERB rescuers never happen to arrive a few minutes or hours before the zero hour -- but ERB is economical, and if 15 seconds will suffice to save his meal-ticket, it would be silly to use more, so he must reason. Quite naturally, when ERB came to write stories dealing with other than Tarzan's adventures, he employed many of the methods used in promoting his earlier hero. Thus, John Carter bears a life no less charmed than Tarzan's, but a piquant element is introduced in the lack of control ove r his interplanetary transportation which bothers him at times. Still when Thurid finds Carter climbing up a high building and kicks him back over the edge, ERB violates all known laws of psychology in that Carter is saved because Thurid, who hates him bitterly, does not come to the edge of the building to gloat over his enemy's death, and so does not notice Carter's miraculous preservation, which he could speedily have ended. This episode somewhat disgusted me. One can put up with only so much. And, of course, the Ras Thavak stories -- in particular the latest Giant of Mars -- are far lesser affairs than were the earlier Martian stories. The Venusian tales are equally negligible. The Pellicudar adventures, however, are fresher and more vigorous -- until Tarzan is dragged in for no reason -- unfairly, I could not help but feel. I rather liked At The Earth's Core and Pellicudar -- particularly in respect to the attempt to forge a new civilization on better principles than those in current use. Of the other books, The War Chief is not without interest, dealing as it does with Geronimo, 1st great Apache Chieftain. But of them all, two stand out, namely, The Land That Time Forgot, and The Moon Maid. I have a strong suspicion that Richard Tooker's The Tomb of Time more convincingly portrays what might be really expected of a survived section of the past. But ERB's wonderful and divertingly fantastic theme in The Land That Time Forgot is more striking. If it escapes rank as Burrough's best, it is only because of a certain superfluity of characters and a persistent over-thrillingness of episode is retained from Tarzan and other works. My nomination for Burroughs' masterpiece must remain The Moon Maid. I speak of the complete trilogy published under that title, not merely of the first of the three. To me, the second part, telling of life among the conquered race and rebellion against the moon hordes is Burroughs writing as he has all too seldom bothered to write. Then, in the third part, I am especially appreciative of the passing comments on the new forgotten past achievements of man. Inasmuch as I have already indicated Burroughs' salient literary defects, I will conclude by listing those scenes from his books which (Concluded on page 16)