After the American Civil War, John Carter leaves Virginia for the deserts of Arizona and the silver lodes found throughout the region. When Carter and his partner find a deep silver vein they try to make it to town for supplies to mine their claim, but carter and his partner are set upon by Indians. Carter ends his partner's misery and they pursue him, but before the Indians can kill him, Carter hides in a cave where deadly fumes end his life.
Carter finds his specter fascinated by the glowing star Mars and is suddenly upon the Red Planet. Upon mars, Carter has superhuman strength and ability. When he encounters a green warrior race, Carter uses those abilities to rise through the ranks. He becomes a chief, despite being a prisoner.
He blends into their culture until the green men capture the red-skinned martian princess Dejah Thoris. She is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen and Carter falls in love with her. When they escape the green men it appears they can live and love together, but that is only the beginning of their adventures.
John Carter becomes a great hero upon Mars, but returns to Earth where he lives for another 10 years. During his final time on Earth, Carter writes his story as we read it, and twenty years after his first journey to the Red Planet he vanishes.
Burroughs's story is imaginative and shows how a race of people so like ourselves could be so different. The Martians of Carter's visit are living breathing characters in a growing and evolving landscape. The early twentieth century language of A Princess of Mars makes reading the story difficult for readers still beginning to understand the intricacies of English, making it a suitable read for advanced readers and adults.
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