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Venus #3
Carson of Venus
On the mist-shrouded planet of Venus, advanced civilizations blessed with eternal youth co-existed with cities haunted by the living dead, while bloodthirsty man-beasts stalked the luminous nights. Earth man Carson Napier knew how to survive the planet’s many perils-but now a merciless tribunal had condemned Carson’s beloved princess Duare to death. To save her life, the courageous Earth man stole the only airplane on Venus. But on the lovers’ flight to freedom, they learned that Duare’s father had been captured by a mad dictator.
Across uncharted oceans teeming with fierce sea monsters , and through skies where man had never flown before, Carson of Venus risked his life to thwart an evil tyrant’s plan…
Across uncharted oceans teeming with fierce sea monsters , and through skies where man had never flown before, Carson of Venus risked his life to thwart an evil tyrant’s plan…
276 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published February 15, 1939
49 people are currently reading
825 people want to read
About the author
Edgar Rice Burroughs
2,811 books2,735 followersEdgar Rice Burroughs was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and the heroic John Carter, although he produced works in many genres.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 71 reviews
October 15, 2025
Ad hoc ERB Venus read through Summer 2025
In this episode , having rescued his love Duare, Carson has to go on a secret mission and is being set up to be killed . Luckily he realise something is up and turns the tables and escapes.
Returning to danger to rescue his beloved’s father he manages to do so, but is left behind as they all escape and Duare believing he is dead, flies the anotar (Carson’s Venusian aeroplane) back to her and her father’s home the magnificent giant trees. However as she has spent time with a non royal male and professed her undying love for Carson, her father has to imprison her and is deciding if she should be tried for this awful behaviour, despite the fact Carson rescued her after she was kidnapped.
And there we leave this adventure until the next episode.
In this episode , having rescued his love Duare, Carson has to go on a secret mission and is being set up to be killed . Luckily he realise something is up and turns the tables and escapes.
Returning to danger to rescue his beloved’s father he manages to do so, but is left behind as they all escape and Duare believing he is dead, flies the anotar (Carson’s Venusian aeroplane) back to her and her father’s home the magnificent giant trees. However as she has spent time with a non royal male and professed her undying love for Carson, her father has to imprison her and is deciding if she should be tried for this awful behaviour, despite the fact Carson rescued her after she was kidnapped.
And there we leave this adventure until the next episode.
April 7, 2012
This is the first of Burrough's Venus series that I have read. It is clearly written for young readers. The Author does a very good job of keeping it interesting and moving compared to the John Carter books. There is less reliance on coincidence and more focus on the hero responding to mistakes. It makes the story feel more real. Ah, if Venus and Mars were as he presented them...
February 1, 2021
I've quite enjoyed this series thus far. Reading it feels a bit like daydreaming - it's pleasant and enjoyable in a way that makes you feel like you're putting the world on hold for a while, but also making you feel like maybe there's something else you should be doing instead.
Now that I've reached the third book, which is the one nominated for the 1939 Retro-Hugo, which is the whole reason I started this series in the first place, I'll probably move on to something else. But I may just come back and finish this delightful series if I get fed up with Earth again.
Now that I've reached the third book, which is the one nominated for the 1939 Retro-Hugo, which is the whole reason I started this series in the first place, I'll probably move on to something else. But I may just come back and finish this delightful series if I get fed up with Earth again.
April 17, 2020
So I thought this was a fairly interesting book. I liked the idea of a whole civilization existing on Venus that we didn't know about, yet somehow this Carson guy ends up on Venus as one of the only human beings, and he has yellow hair which is apparently not heard of on Venus. I liked the group of Warrior women that Carson and Duarte met, and that the roles were kind of reversed in terms of male and female genders. Maybe that was due to the time it was written?
June 4, 2012
Consonant with stories written to be produced in serial form, Edgar Rice Burroughs’ “Venus” series is predictable and, at times, inflated to meet the word counts and expectations of its original venue. Most people know this series as the inferior clone to the John Carter of Mars body of work and, as accurate as that assessment is, the stories have their own charm. One knows, as surely as a princess will need to be rescued in an early Nintendo game, a princess will need to be rescued in each of these volumes. One knows, as surely as Dejah Thoris is the obsession of John Carter, that the pulchritudinous Duare will be the obsession of Carson Napier. One also knows from the outset that all of the tropes of pulp fiction will be present in the story: kidnapping, betrayal, pirates, fanatic cults, and improbable infiltration and escapes.
Still, none of that makes the pulp fiction of Burroughs any less intriguing. Carson of Venus is the third novel (collection?) in the series. It follows up on the open-ended ending of Lost on Venus by offering Carson and Duare the full globe of the planet as potential homes. They cannot return to Duare’s native land because, in spite of Carson’s rescue of the princess, he has violated the taboo of daring to speak to her. Worse, he has spoken his love to her. So, they must seek a new home.
Naturally, in that seeking a new home, there will be those who desire Duare enough to wish to kill Carson to have their way with her. In addition, seeking that new home will bring the duo into situations where competing cultures make demands upon them. In pulp tradition, there is a spy-counterspy element and scenes which depend upon the success of improbable disguises. As established earlier in the series, Carson has used the available technology of the planet combined with his earth-bound technology to create what amounts to a secret weapon.
As a result, we end up with a heady brew of treachery, mistaken identity, serendipity, and reckless undertakings. Unlike John Carter, Carson is not a superior swordsman. Unlike John Carter, he is not endowed with bonus athletic ability due to lesser gravity. In that sense, the situations require more mental prowess than physical and that is relatively refreshing in an ERB novel.
To be honest, I’m glad that I’ve saved the “Venus” novels for so long after I devoured the “Mars” novels (not once, but twice). The action isn’t as non-stop and the perils are not so overwhelming as in the latter, but the character seems more compelling with his limitations. To be sure, I wish he had a tag line as memorable as “I still live!” and I wish certain predictable encounters such as the one with the pirates hadn’t artificially lengthened the book (This scene offered little of interest to me.), but I actually prefer Carson to Carter. I’ll wager that I’m in the minority on that score, but I recommend this series to all like-minded readers. While ERB’s Venus series may have the occasional déjà vu aspect, it is a delightful weekend getaway—even if you don’t want to take a long vacation on Venus.
Still, none of that makes the pulp fiction of Burroughs any less intriguing. Carson of Venus is the third novel (collection?) in the series. It follows up on the open-ended ending of Lost on Venus by offering Carson and Duare the full globe of the planet as potential homes. They cannot return to Duare’s native land because, in spite of Carson’s rescue of the princess, he has violated the taboo of daring to speak to her. Worse, he has spoken his love to her. So, they must seek a new home.
Naturally, in that seeking a new home, there will be those who desire Duare enough to wish to kill Carson to have their way with her. In addition, seeking that new home will bring the duo into situations where competing cultures make demands upon them. In pulp tradition, there is a spy-counterspy element and scenes which depend upon the success of improbable disguises. As established earlier in the series, Carson has used the available technology of the planet combined with his earth-bound technology to create what amounts to a secret weapon.
As a result, we end up with a heady brew of treachery, mistaken identity, serendipity, and reckless undertakings. Unlike John Carter, Carson is not a superior swordsman. Unlike John Carter, he is not endowed with bonus athletic ability due to lesser gravity. In that sense, the situations require more mental prowess than physical and that is relatively refreshing in an ERB novel.
To be honest, I’m glad that I’ve saved the “Venus” novels for so long after I devoured the “Mars” novels (not once, but twice). The action isn’t as non-stop and the perils are not so overwhelming as in the latter, but the character seems more compelling with his limitations. To be sure, I wish he had a tag line as memorable as “I still live!” and I wish certain predictable encounters such as the one with the pirates hadn’t artificially lengthened the book (This scene offered little of interest to me.), but I actually prefer Carson to Carter. I’ll wager that I’m in the minority on that score, but I recommend this series to all like-minded readers. While ERB’s Venus series may have the occasional déjà vu aspect, it is a delightful weekend getaway—even if you don’t want to take a long vacation on Venus.
September 8, 2016
This was wonderful, in many ways this is perhaps the best entry yet in the Amtor series! Although it builds slowly, “Carson of Venus” actually rises to a high rarely seen in Burroughs' work outside of the early Barsoom books.
Written after a 5 year gap, this entry differs in many ways from the first two entries. Little is wasted and human villainy drives the story. A lot of good solid plot is squeezed into this, and the meandering world-building of the second book is laid aside in favor of sustained adventure. In many ways, Burroughs later writings wallowed in self-parody, and while there is evidence of that here, it hardly slows down the energy of this story.
Burroughs was clearly inspired by current events as the Zani are thinly disguised Nazis (yes, the spelling makes it pretty obvious). Most Nazi-inspired villains, on Earth or elsewhere, are very tiresome as it has become one of the most overused tropes in fiction, but in 1938 it was fresh and it feels that way in the story. Carson Napier, under various assumed names, takes on fascism, informants, and backstabbers in what amounts to the tightest race-against-time in this series.
These books are a drug for me, so I delight in the fact that Burroughs didn't just let his ideas drop after a book or two. “Carson of Venus” brings back the royal obligation that weighed so heavily on Duare in the first book, and entwines it in the “Murphy's Law” blend that so successfully carries Burroughs' best adventures through. It's all the better that there are other books to come as the spring is still wound nice and tight.
Two curious points: 1) that the first episode with the female-dominated cave-people is a throw-away seemingly only there to illustrate that Duare would rather die than lose Carson, and 2) that very few science-fantasy elements are really present in the book apart from the odd guest-creature and the schizo-tech unmapped world setting.
Although oddly plausible, this story of warring kingdoms is high escapism, which is the dragon I'm always chasing. I'm very curious to see if the commie Thorists make a return in future entries.
To restate: I am delighted with this book! I will be jumping into “Escape on Venus” and “The Wizard of Venus” soon.
Written after a 5 year gap, this entry differs in many ways from the first two entries. Little is wasted and human villainy drives the story. A lot of good solid plot is squeezed into this, and the meandering world-building of the second book is laid aside in favor of sustained adventure. In many ways, Burroughs later writings wallowed in self-parody, and while there is evidence of that here, it hardly slows down the energy of this story.
Burroughs was clearly inspired by current events as the Zani are thinly disguised Nazis (yes, the spelling makes it pretty obvious). Most Nazi-inspired villains, on Earth or elsewhere, are very tiresome as it has become one of the most overused tropes in fiction, but in 1938 it was fresh and it feels that way in the story. Carson Napier, under various assumed names, takes on fascism, informants, and backstabbers in what amounts to the tightest race-against-time in this series.
These books are a drug for me, so I delight in the fact that Burroughs didn't just let his ideas drop after a book or two. “Carson of Venus” brings back the royal obligation that weighed so heavily on Duare in the first book, and entwines it in the “Murphy's Law” blend that so successfully carries Burroughs' best adventures through. It's all the better that there are other books to come as the spring is still wound nice and tight.
Two curious points: 1) that the first episode with the female-dominated cave-people is a throw-away seemingly only there to illustrate that Duare would rather die than lose Carson, and 2) that very few science-fantasy elements are really present in the book apart from the odd guest-creature and the schizo-tech unmapped world setting.
Although oddly plausible, this story of warring kingdoms is high escapism, which is the dragon I'm always chasing. I'm very curious to see if the commie Thorists make a return in future entries.
To restate: I am delighted with this book! I will be jumping into “Escape on Venus” and “The Wizard of Venus” soon.
June 12, 2013
Carson Napier and his beloved Duare, princess of Vepaja, are still searching for a place where they can live in peace. They think they find such a place in the city of Sanara, which is under siege by the Zani. Complications arise as the traitorous ruler of Sanara sends Carson on a secret mission to the rival city of Amlot, supposedly on a vital mission but in reality to get him out of the way so that he can claim the lovely Duare.
Edgar Rice Burroughs satirizes the Nazis (rearrange the letters in 'Zani') in this story, which was published in the late 30s. The constant cries of "Malthu Mephis!" in praise of the cretinous leader of Amlot, the ridiculous salute which consists of standing on one's head until the great man passes, the fear of every citizen that they may be reported to the authorities by friends, family, or others all point to ERB's contempt of the German government of that time in probably his most political series. Of course, there is plenty of adventure and it benefits from being one of the least episodic of his stories. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit unfocused at the end. Naturally, the story ends with Carson and Duare separated once again, but there is only one book left in this series, so I'm sure they'll work things out soon.
Edgar Rice Burroughs satirizes the Nazis (rearrange the letters in 'Zani') in this story, which was published in the late 30s. The constant cries of "Malthu Mephis!" in praise of the cretinous leader of Amlot, the ridiculous salute which consists of standing on one's head until the great man passes, the fear of every citizen that they may be reported to the authorities by friends, family, or others all point to ERB's contempt of the German government of that time in probably his most political series. Of course, there is plenty of adventure and it benefits from being one of the least episodic of his stories. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit unfocused at the end. Naturally, the story ends with Carson and Duare separated once again, but there is only one book left in this series, so I'm sure they'll work things out soon.
August 10, 2014
Carson Napier and his beloved Duare, princess of Vepaja, are still searching for a place where they can live in peace. They think they find such a place in the city of Sanara, which is under siege by the Zani. Complications arise as the traitorous ruler of Sanara sends Carson on a secret mission to the rival city of Amlot, supposedly on a vital mission but in reality to get him out of the way so that he can claim the lovely Duare.
Edgar Rice Burroughs satirizes the Nazis (rearrange the letters in 'Zani') in this story, which was published in the late 30s. The constant cries of "Malthu Mephis!" in praise of the cretinous leader of Amlot, the ridiculous salute which consists of standing on one's head until the great man passes, the fear of every citizen that they may be reported to the authorities by friends, family, or others all point to ERB's contempt of the German government of that time in probably his most political series. Of course, there is plenty of adventure and it benefits from being one of the least episodic of his stories. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit unfocused at the end. Naturally, the story ends with Carson and Duare separated once again, but there is only one book left in this series, so I'm sure they'll work things out soon.
Edgar Rice Burroughs satirizes the Nazis (rearrange the letters in 'Zani') in this story, which was published in the late 30s. The constant cries of "Malthu Mephis!" in praise of the cretinous leader of Amlot, the ridiculous salute which consists of standing on one's head until the great man passes, the fear of every citizen that they may be reported to the authorities by friends, family, or others all point to ERB's contempt of the German government of that time in probably his most political series. Of course, there is plenty of adventure and it benefits from being one of the least episodic of his stories. Unfortunately, it becomes a bit unfocused at the end. Naturally, the story ends with Carson and Duare separated once again, but there is only one book left in this series, so I'm sure they'll work things out soon.
July 23, 2014
The third installment in the adventures of Carson Napier on Venus is very much like the first two. We still have Duare in constant need of rescue. We still have pirates. We still have strange creatures. (My favorite was the giant 3 eyed fish that uses its third eye like a periscope.)
This one is unique in that Carson is searching for a safe place to call home with his beloved partner. It's interesting that the previous book ended with them setting out to search for Duare's home kingdom of Vepaja, but in this one he actually had to rescue her from Vepaja.
This book was fun. While it is more of the same in many ways, that's certainly not bad. It's the same sort of adventure that I love about all Edgar Rice Burroughs books.
The ending was a little abrupt for me. I would have liked things to wrap up a little better, but I guess it leaves things open for the fourth book.
All in all, it's definitely worth reading. If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs you'll certainly like this.
This one is unique in that Carson is searching for a safe place to call home with his beloved partner. It's interesting that the previous book ended with them setting out to search for Duare's home kingdom of Vepaja, but in this one he actually had to rescue her from Vepaja.
This book was fun. While it is more of the same in many ways, that's certainly not bad. It's the same sort of adventure that I love about all Edgar Rice Burroughs books.
The ending was a little abrupt for me. I would have liked things to wrap up a little better, but I guess it leaves things open for the fourth book.
All in all, it's definitely worth reading. If you like Edgar Rice Burroughs you'll certainly like this.
October 25, 2014
Another rip-roaring adventure with Carson Of Venus and the love of his life, Duare. If you've read the previous books in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus series, then it's more of the same. Carson and Duare are flying their plane in search of somewhere that they can call home. Of course, along the way Duare gets captured and it's up to Carson to rescue her. They eventually make it to the city of Sanara, which is under seige from the Zani. The main part of the story has Carson on a secret mission from Sanara to infiltrate the city of Amlot and the Zani and deposing their leader Malthu Mephis, and then back to Sanara to rescue the ever in peril Duare, first from the advances of the nefarious ruler of Sanara and then from her home city of Vepaja.
All full of the usual Edgar Rice Burroughs stuff. If you're a fan of the vintage pulp interplanetary action adventure stories, then I'd recommend this.
All full of the usual Edgar Rice Burroughs stuff. If you're a fan of the vintage pulp interplanetary action adventure stories, then I'd recommend this.
October 10, 2010
I love stories where there is a charismatic and brave hero who needs to rescue a princess to win the fair damsels heart. This is all this book really is. The girl gets kidnapped, a lot, and Carson saves her.
If you dig the archetype then you should read it, if not, I'd not waist my time on old science fiction.
(This is the same thing that I wrote for the last addition to the series because the next book was really just more of the same. Same hero, same princess, she gets kidnapped, and he saves her.)
If you dig the archetype then you should read it, if not, I'd not waist my time on old science fiction.
(This is the same thing that I wrote for the last addition to the series because the next book was really just more of the same. Same hero, same princess, she gets kidnapped, and he saves her.)
July 14, 2014
1939 Retro Hugo Nominee for Best Novel
Not as good as other novels I've read by Burroughs.
Not as good as other novels I've read by Burroughs.
June 27, 2020
#3 in the fantasy adventures of Carson Napier on the planet Venus. Carson, 27 years old, is a rich, handsome blond haired, blue eyed man has the idea of exploring Mars. He builds a rocket to do that, but because he fails to consider the moon's gravity in his calculations, ends up on Venus. On the mist-shrouded planet, advanced civilizations blessed with eternal youth co-existed with cities haunted by the living dead, where bloodthirsty man-beasts stalked the luminous nights; Napier knew how to survive the planet’s many perils. His adventures are recorded via telepathy to a man on Earth. This is also a political satire aimed at communism in which the villains, the Thorists, who start a revolutions solely to benefit themselves, play a background role. The ones Napier encounters are often stupid or incompetent.
Part 3 continues the perilous adventures of Napier and Duare as they continue to make their way around Venus as he seeks to bring her back to to her home. After a tribunal had condemns Duare to death, Napier helps her escape the city in an airplane he had built with the help of those people hoping fly her home. They soon learn that Duare’s father had been captured by a mad dictator. So across uncharted oceans with fierce sea monsters and through skies where man had never flown before, Napier risks his life to thwart an evil tyrant’s plan. It follows the same pattern: lose Duare, find Duare, lose Duare with various life threatening adventures in between.
Part 3 continues the perilous adventures of Napier and Duare as they continue to make their way around Venus as he seeks to bring her back to to her home. After a tribunal had condemns Duare to death, Napier helps her escape the city in an airplane he had built with the help of those people hoping fly her home. They soon learn that Duare’s father had been captured by a mad dictator. So across uncharted oceans with fierce sea monsters and through skies where man had never flown before, Napier risks his life to thwart an evil tyrant’s plan. It follows the same pattern: lose Duare, find Duare, lose Duare with various life threatening adventures in between.
May 22, 2024
Certi libri semplicemente invecchiano male. Questo è uno di quelli.
Non posso fare vere critiche, sarebbero inutili, è un libro della sua epoca, ingenuo, misogino, razzista, uomo bianco centrico, prevedibile e piatto.
Carson continua a saper far tutto, adattarsi a tutto, vincere tutto, diventa pure principe ereditario perché salva la principessa ed allora il padre di lei lo adotta come ringraziamento e lo fa suo erede. Perché. Perché non fare, che so, tua figlia erede? Oppure un tuo futuro figlio maschio? Perché Carson? Dagli una casa ed il titolo di lord qualcosa come ringraziamento. Ridicolo. Duare si fa rapire da tutti, anche dall'aria che respira, e vuole suicidarsi tutte le volte che non vede Carson per più di 3 ore filate. Che profondità di personaggio. Però lei guida l'aereo che il Grande Carson ha fatto costruire ai venusiani, perché lui sa pure come si fanno gli aerei.
Scusate, dovevo sfogarmi, ma in realtà sono critiche inutili, perché i romanzi d'avventura dell'epoca sono così: dei grandi monumenti alla grandiosità dell'uomo bianco, a quanto è figo, intelligente, adattabile, forte e sicuro di sé. È così e basta. Grazie a qualsiasi divinità vogliate, ora questa cosa c'è ampiamente meno ed i personaggi non sono tutti macchiette ridocole ed inverosimili.
Grazie progresso, addio Borroughs, è stato palloso.
Non posso fare vere critiche, sarebbero inutili, è un libro della sua epoca, ingenuo, misogino, razzista, uomo bianco centrico, prevedibile e piatto.
Carson continua a saper far tutto, adattarsi a tutto, vincere tutto, diventa pure principe ereditario perché salva la principessa ed allora il padre di lei lo adotta come ringraziamento e lo fa suo erede. Perché. Perché non fare, che so, tua figlia erede? Oppure un tuo futuro figlio maschio? Perché Carson? Dagli una casa ed il titolo di lord qualcosa come ringraziamento. Ridicolo. Duare si fa rapire da tutti, anche dall'aria che respira, e vuole suicidarsi tutte le volte che non vede Carson per più di 3 ore filate. Che profondità di personaggio. Però lei guida l'aereo che il Grande Carson ha fatto costruire ai venusiani, perché lui sa pure come si fanno gli aerei.
Scusate, dovevo sfogarmi, ma in realtà sono critiche inutili, perché i romanzi d'avventura dell'epoca sono così: dei grandi monumenti alla grandiosità dell'uomo bianco, a quanto è figo, intelligente, adattabile, forte e sicuro di sé. È così e basta. Grazie a qualsiasi divinità vogliate, ora questa cosa c'è ampiamente meno ed i personaggi non sono tutti macchiette ridocole ed inverosimili.
Grazie progresso, addio Borroughs, è stato palloso.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 1, 2020
Sí el segundo libro era una aventura continua, una huida y una búsqueda constante este tercero es una grandiosa aventura bien hilada y entrelazada, a veces predecible, pero es una inmensa aventura que no deja que respires en todo el capítulo.
Aunque los personajes son sencillos y las aventuras blancas, te impresiona como el autor te lleva de la mano por todos los parajes y contempla las posibilidades y las soluciones, normalmente salen bien para los personajes, pero te mantiene en esa tensión de lo que pueda pasar en la escena, algún giro inesperado para torturar un poco más a los personajes.
No falta el drama y los sentimientos, siempre a favor del hombre, pues aunque los personajes femeninos tengan más diálogo e inteligencia, continúan siendo meros objetos o premios. Al que por lo que parece, nunca ha podido superar el autor.
A por el próximo libro y seguir disfrutando de tantas aventuras.
Aunque los personajes son sencillos y las aventuras blancas, te impresiona como el autor te lleva de la mano por todos los parajes y contempla las posibilidades y las soluciones, normalmente salen bien para los personajes, pero te mantiene en esa tensión de lo que pueda pasar en la escena, algún giro inesperado para torturar un poco más a los personajes.
No falta el drama y los sentimientos, siempre a favor del hombre, pues aunque los personajes femeninos tengan más diálogo e inteligencia, continúan siendo meros objetos o premios. Al que por lo que parece, nunca ha podido superar el autor.
A por el próximo libro y seguir disfrutando de tantas aventuras.
September 6, 2019
This is pretty run-of-the-mill Burroughs. I read the Barsoom series as a kid and loved it, and while a lot of those books don't hold up well as anything but pulp, Carson of Venus is a new level of silliness.
There's a tacked-on warrior woman adventure and a main plot that hinges on a father determined to kill anyone who courts his daughter but isn't a prince, even if that person saves his life and his daughter's. You can only suspend disbelief so many times, so many ways.
Burroughs has always been hokey--everyone's a perfect man or perfect woman, or a conniving evil-doer, but ultimately Venus just isn't as interesting as Mars, I guess.
It is pretty hilarious to see all the ways Burroughs has people send messages to an airplane, though, since he couldn't conceive of any kind of radio or communicator. Light some fires! Shoot some rockets! There's a lot of that going on.
There's a tacked-on warrior woman adventure and a main plot that hinges on a father determined to kill anyone who courts his daughter but isn't a prince, even if that person saves his life and his daughter's. You can only suspend disbelief so many times, so many ways.
Burroughs has always been hokey--everyone's a perfect man or perfect woman, or a conniving evil-doer, but ultimately Venus just isn't as interesting as Mars, I guess.
It is pretty hilarious to see all the ways Burroughs has people send messages to an airplane, though, since he couldn't conceive of any kind of radio or communicator. Light some fires! Shoot some rockets! There's a lot of that going on.
June 14, 2019
Carson has again rescued Duare this time from the evil clutches of Skor, the jong of death. But after returning to the grand city of Havatoo, Duare is sentenced to death for just being a stranger. This time Carson and Duare are able to escape by flying off in the plane he was able to design and build with the help of the scientists of Havatoo.
But since, Carson would be under sentence of death for having spoken to Duare, a princess, they cannot return to Vepaja either. They have unlimited fuel and are safely above the dangers on the ground, but where are they to go?
Fave scenes: making the black dye, Carson meeting his dinner companion, Carson interrupting Muso’s announcement and Zerka’s revenge.
But since, Carson would be under sentence of death for having spoken to Duare, a princess, they cannot return to Vepaja either. They have unlimited fuel and are safely above the dangers on the ground, but where are they to go?
Fave scenes: making the black dye, Carson meeting his dinner companion, Carson interrupting Muso’s announcement and Zerka’s revenge.
August 18, 2024
Carson of Venus by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
The third book narrating Carson Napier's experiences on Venus steers away from adventures in the primeval wilderness and instead focuses on political intrigue and war. It begins with Carson and Duare flying through the sky of Amtor searching for a new land to call home (since due to cultural taboos their love will not be accepted by her Father, the king). Carson ends up being involved in a war between two cities and infiltrates the enemy city in disguise . The story never got dull and continued to build on the detailed world established in the previous books.
The third book narrating Carson Napier's experiences on Venus steers away from adventures in the primeval wilderness and instead focuses on political intrigue and war. It begins with Carson and Duare flying through the sky of Amtor searching for a new land to call home (since due to cultural taboos their love will not be accepted by her Father, the king). Carson ends up being involved in a war between two cities and infiltrates the enemy city in disguise . The story never got dull and continued to build on the detailed world established in the previous books.
October 4, 2025
I may well have given this story four stars had I really been able to suspend my disbelief of life on Venus. I think you have to give scifi/fantasy writers of the past a bit of a pass on their scientific accuracy regarding some knowledge that wasn't available then, but is now.
As far as the story goes, it's a fun adventure yarn filled with fighting, escaping, and rescuing, and to give Burroughs kudos, his is not a "damsel in distress" story, but one in which the women fight alongside the men. Which is why I have always liked his writing, from Tarzan to the science fiction included in his body of work. No weakling women.
As far as the story goes, it's a fun adventure yarn filled with fighting, escaping, and rescuing, and to give Burroughs kudos, his is not a "damsel in distress" story, but one in which the women fight alongside the men. Which is why I have always liked his writing, from Tarzan to the science fiction included in his body of work. No weakling women.
May 16, 2018
I read this many decades ago. I think I was lured by the front page picture, which is not the one on the cover for this review. I remember there were Amazon women and submissive wimpy men in one part. I thought it might be along the line of Conan the Barbarian in space or something like that. It was ok, but it was not a story that gripped me. Obviously, pulp sci-fi/fantasy which is fine if you like this sort of thing. There are many people that like such escapism but it was not for me and I never followed the series after reading this.
September 28, 2020
Top Notch Burroughs
At 79 I'm re reading my ERBs read over 60 years ago. Since the Carson of Venus books were the last books of ERB I had read, I decided to begin with those. This is the 3rd book in the series and while not as exciting as the Mars books, they are giving me much joy. Don't start with these if you are new to ERB , begin with Tarzan or Princess of Mars. But if you already love ERB then Venus is your planet
At 79 I'm re reading my ERBs read over 60 years ago. Since the Carson of Venus books were the last books of ERB I had read, I decided to begin with those. This is the 3rd book in the series and while not as exciting as the Mars books, they are giving me much joy. Don't start with these if you are new to ERB , begin with Tarzan or Princess of Mars. But if you already love ERB then Venus is your planet
September 9, 2025
Written in 1937, the author wasn't even trying to disguise his references to current events, with a land on Venus largely taken over by the fascist Zani Party, and one holdout having a ruler named Muso. When Carson Napier and his fiancee Duare end up in this place, he agrees to fly bombing missions for Muso in his airship, and eventually travel to the Zani capital to deliver a letter. Not surprisingly, Muso secretly wants to have him killed so he can marry Duare himself, because of course the protagonist's love interest is irresistible to everybody. Carson spends some time as a double agent working for the Hitler analog Mephis, and learns that rebels have secretly influenced the Zani symbols and rituals to make them so stupid that as to undermine their authority. I wish that had worked in real life. Eventually, both Muso and Mephis die and their oppressive regimes are overthrown. There's also a brief stopover in a place where warrior women rule over meek men. For the most part, this one is more intrigue than adventure.
November 22, 2025
(2 Stars)
This was a slight bit better than the previous books in the series, being that the plot was a small amount more than just a series of independent set pieces. But I just really don't care for this kind of adventure book, and I really don't care for the paternalism that infests every single system of government (including the one group where women ruled, by force of course).
Not my thing.
This was a slight bit better than the previous books in the series, being that the plot was a small amount more than just a series of independent set pieces. But I just really don't care for this kind of adventure book, and I really don't care for the paternalism that infests every single system of government (including the one group where women ruled, by force of course).
Not my thing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2018
In this third Venus novel, Carson Napier and his beloved Duare, Princess of Vepaja, are seeking a place to live - they have had to leave it is taboo for anyone to speak to a princess, let alone love her. So they are off, with bad folks seeking to kill Carson and all kinds of fast-paced ERB adventures.
July 31, 2018
Más flojo que los dos anteriores. Durante la lectura no he sentido la aventura, me ha hecho bostezar más de una vez. Se pierde en intentar engañar y trabajar en lo que le sale, en vez de correr, saltar, volar y pelear.
May 4, 2019
It’s okay. It’s just not as good as the Barsoom books that ERB wrote. And Carson is no John Carter. I did appreciate the satire of Fascism. It has the same thing as the 2nd book where there is a side character introduced that is a way more interesting woman than his love interest.
April 27, 2020
I still think the characters were shallow. But it was so entertaining! Specially when the whole Nazi city thing started with all spying back and forth. I found myself cheering for the characters every time.
June 1, 2022
This was pretty much what I expected. Essentially just more of the same, i.e. good clean old-time escapism. Not quite as good as the two previous ones, but still highly entertaining (if you like this type of stuff).
3.5/5, rounded up to 4.
3.5/5, rounded up to 4.
March 14, 2024
Written just before World War 2, it's interesting to see Burroughs depicting a fascist nation run by the Zanis (rearrange those letters). Other than that, it's just typical Burroughs fare. We'll see what the next book holds, which was published the year after WW2 ended.
March 3, 2019
A bit better
Quite a fast paced adventure story! Characters are becoming more familiar, but still a very light story with simple villains and not a complex plot
Quite a fast paced adventure story! Characters are becoming more familiar, but still a very light story with simple villains and not a complex plot
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