Why
A Princess of Mars?
Why create a uniquely designed, fully
illustrated version of Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous classic? Because it has
never been done before! In the 1970’s, Frank Frazetta’s masterful cover work,
accompanied by a handful of small ink illustrations, brought the Martian series
to life for a new generation of Bookclub readers. Many artists—before and after
Frazetta—have created their own version of Burroughs' Mars, including recent
comic book adaptations, but no one has created a total vision for the book, A
Princess of Mars, itself. That is exactly what I am doing.
I wish I could claim that the idea came to
me while standing outside at night on my terrace, looking up at the starry sky
with my arms outstretched to the red planet. But in reality, I was distractedly
watching a soccer game while trying to come up with a major project that would
represent the standards of excellence for which Dream Tower Media stands. I had
loved the Mars novels since first reading them about twenty years ago, and
illustrating scenes or characters from the book had crossed my mind. But that
night, three reasons inspired me to move forward. Firstly, A Princess of Mars
is a fantastic fantasy adventure with a strange picturesque setting and a
beautiful exotic princess, ideal subject matter for an illustrator. Secondly,
the book is in public domain, which removes a number of obvious obstacles.
Thirdly, Edgar Rice Burroughs authority, Ryan Harvey, had recently been a guest
on my Literary Wonder & Adventure Show. Our discussion had further fanned
the flame of my love for those books.
Despite the work that would be involved in
such an undertaking, it was an easy decision to make. Soon after, I contacted
Ryan about doing an extended introduction to the book. He was excited about the
idea, and I’m very excited to read what he’ll have to say.
So what can you expect from Zoltan's Dream
Tower Media edition of A Princess of Mars?
Exotic lush romance, mystery, and playful
humor.
When I re-read A Princess of Mars as
research for the creation of this new edition, what struck me most was how
incredibly romantic it was. It was romantic, not only in a big sense of the
word, Romance, as in sweeping poetic atmosphere and scope, but also romantic in
the more common usage of a powerful attraction turning to devotion turning to
deep love, between John Carter and Dejah Thoris. I'm not ashamed to say that I
actually found myself getting choked up during a scene between the two lovers.
If one can’t get choked up about true love, what can one get choked up about?
The mystery of the ancient ruins on Mars,
and the wonderful strangeness of everything in John Carter's eyes also seemed
an essential part of the book. Finally, I was rather surprised at the moments
of humor and tenderness that I had forgotten, such as John's relationship with
Woola, his unorthodox approach to thoat training, and the little
misunderstandings that happen between John and Dejah. I remember no artist
representing these delightful moments.
So, The Princess of Mars you will be seeing
from me will emphasize the romance, the exotic setting, the wonder, the
mystery, some heart-warming humor, and most of all, Dejah Thoris, the way
Burroughs really described her. Dejah Thoris, not John Carter, will be the main
focus of this book, because that is the book's title, A Princess of Mars. And,
Dejah Thoris is also the focus of John Carter! Would John Carter want to see
page after page of himself in battle scenes? Not the humble gentleman from
Virginia! He would want to see his princess, and so he shall, and so you shall!
I believe the sensual style of my work
lends itself especially well to A Princess of Mars. And my dislike of
gratuitous violence and gore (and Burroughs never distracts the reader with
unnecessary descriptions of gore, which in truth, few people would even notice
while fighting for their life), whether in literature, art or cinema, matches
perfectly the aesthetic, and one could say even the mission of Dream Tower
Media. For I believe there is too much that is grim and nihilistic, in our
culture, and specifically in our literature. I long for a renaissance of
storytelling, where wonder, adventure, mystery, and romance are the focus. I
long for more stories that celebrate the mystery and wonder of existence, and
the joy of life, stories that may present dangerous or even dire situations,
but inspire in the end. For that is what the golden age of fantasy and science
fiction created. Fritz Leiber's Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser saga, Jack Vance's
Dying Earth series, Bester’s The Stars My Destination, Frank Herbert’s Dune,
Cordwainer Smith’s tales of The Instrumentality, the work of C. L. Moore, even
many of Robert E. Howard's Conan stories (which had a lust for life and a noble
virtue, and which seem like PG-13 movies compared to some of what I read now)
inspired with a sense of wonder and heroics that made one glad to be alive. A
Princess of Mars is one of the early prototypes of that grand era.
And so, I hope when you eventually read
this new edition, and enjoy the seamless blending of wonderful story, elegant
design, and beautiful illustrations, you will escape to a place that is real in
the heart of every human being who has the commitment and courage to make that
journey. In this case, it is Burroughs' Mars. And whether you are visiting
Barsoom (the Martian word for Mars) for the first time, or going back to a
favorite place that will appear new and fresh to you, I hope this new edition
will open for you a literary pathway to bliss. For beyond fear and despair, the
ineffable mystery and joy of life is waiting for each of us. Come this
December, may you find it amplified by your visit to Barsoom through Dream
Tower Media and Zoltan's special edition of Edgar Rice Burroughs' A Princess of
Mars.
Robert Zoltan
April 17, 2017
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