UPEP Reading Group IV: World Building Narratives discussion

Although we were down in numbers this week, we had a lively discussion around the first 2 John Carter novels. Readers quickly identified them as being similar to western novels they've read. They also said it was quite the gear shift after reading "Dune." There isn't a ton of philosophical depth in these novels, especially in the first book. But Burroughs does a great job of building a fun world (where science is on the back burner).

We talked about who the target audience was for these novels. They are filled with adventure and classic fights of good vs. evil, so it's tempting to think these were for young boys. But perhaps adults read them as well. They are simplistic and fun.

However, we did get into some the Christian overtones in the novel. John Carter? J.C. Jesus Christ? Certainly there's no mistake in many of the references to "First Born" and the cleansing of sins, the Tree of Life, and other allusions to Christian theology. One reader even read Tars Tarkas as Peter, as he continues on with John's mission after John is gone.

The novel is Victorian in its values, which, with John being a man from the 1860s, makes some sense. We talked about Burrough's role of race in these novels, as he clearly states that black men are the superior human on Barsoom. Was Burroughs trying to shift thinking in the impressionable minds of the 1910s? As we've discussed in previous book clubs, science fiction is a great way to tackle issues without dealing with them in the world of the reader. Yet, the ideas carry weight.

Overall, we acknowledged the fun of these novels, and we ended up talking a lot more about the 2nd novel than the 1st. And a few readers yearn for the remaining 9 novels in the series.