Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Review: Under the Moons of Mars(New Adventures on Barsoom)

Ron Huber sends in a review!

On February 7, 2,012, Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers will release " Under the Moons of Mars(New Adventures on Barsoom)".

This collection of 14 short stories; each with its own original illustration, explores the parallel late19th century & early 20th century solar system created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Edited by John Joseph Adams - co host of the podcast Geeks Guide to the Galaxy , - this 368 pager filters Burroughs' earthman hero John Carter, Martian princess Deja Thoris and the whole Barsoomian cast of characters, through the 21st century minds of writers Joe R Lansdale, David Barr Kirtley, Peter S. Beagle, Tobias Buckell, Robin Wasserman, Theodora Goss, Austin Grossman, L.E. Modesitt, Jr, Jenevieve Valentine, Garth Nix, Chris Claremont, SM Stirling, Catherynne N Valente and Jonathan Maberry,

Their works riff off of Burroughs' proto-steampunk tales of Barsoom, where a rainbow array of mostly ill-tempered beings live precariously on the ruins of their dying world of Barsoom (Mars to you who've not had the chance to read Burroughs yet).

Like Burroughs original tales, in these new stories Red Martians, Green, Yellow Black & White Martians busily shed each others blood, and either swear loyalty to earthman John Carter or plot his demise.

Editor Adams' fine selection of illustrators (one per story) are:
Gregory Manchess, Charles Vess, Jeremy Bastian, Chrissie Zully, Misako Rocks!, Joe Sutphin, Meinert Hansen, Tom Daly, Molly Crabapple, Mike Cavallaro, John Picacio, Jeff Carlisle, Michael Wm Kaluta and Daren Bader.

Enjoy.

The Book is

Under the Moons of Mars: New Adventures on Barsoom,

edited by John Joseph Adams,

Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Release date February 7, 2,012

2 comments:

Rosehippi said...

Any thing by Edgar Rice Burroughs is worth the read. I have read most of his works... Mars, the moon, center earth, Always a good read for young and old alike. out of 5 stars, I give them 4 1/2. I'd rather see kids reading his books than watching tv and its twisted cartoons...

Beam Me Up said...

Well put Rosehippi. They were some of my earliest readings, but then I was exposed to Wells and and that ilk and later on Herbert and Clarke. I really was transported. I suspect now, listeners to the program know that I have a fascination with anime and animation in general which tends to be twisted but when push comes to shove, a thick book and a good writer is all you need for quality entertainment.