A fighting man of Mars — A Closer Reading

Improvised Technology and Escape

The most striking sequence in the excerpts is Hadron's escape from a tower prison. Lacking tools, he and his companion Nur An use a dagger and needle to cut fabric from the walls and ceiling, stitching it into a large bag. The bag is then rigged with ropes and a slip knot, positioned over the tower's edge to catch the wind and lift them away. Burroughs describes the process in methodical detail: “I worked quickly for I knew that we had little time… Working in the dark, more by sense of feel than by sight, I must have been inspired by some higher power.” The escape relies on the same principles as a hot-air balloon, but without heat—the bag is simply a wind-catching device. This scene exemplifies the novel's recurring pattern: the hero uses available materials and clever mechanics to overcome seemingly impossible constraints. The plan is described as “worthy of the mad brain of Ghron himself,” acknowledging its audacity while grounding it in plausible craft.

Allies and Antagonists in a Hostile World

The excerpts reveal a network of characters defined by their shifting loyalties. Sharu, a woman sent to pressure Hadron into a decision, instead provides the dagger and needle that enable his escape, confessing, “My heart had hoped… that you would decide to remain with me, but I am glad that I have not been mistaken in my estimate of your character.” Her act of defiance against Ghron, the impatient captor, introduces a theme of unexpected kindness from within enemy ranks. Later, the narrative mentions “the cannibals of U-Gor” and “the spider of Ghasta,” suggesting a bestiary of threats that range from monstrous creatures to human savages. Burroughs populates Barsoom with factions that are morally ambiguous: not all enemies are evil, and not all allies are trustworthy. The hero must navigate these relationships while pursuing the primary goal of rescuing Sanoma Tora, the kidnapped princess of Helium.

The Frame Narrative and Martian Authenticity

The foreword establishes that the story is not a direct invention but a transmission received by Edgar Rice Burroughs from Ulysses Paxton on Mars via the Gridley Wave. This device, credited to Jason Gridley, is described as a “simple, automatic device for broadcasting signals intermittently” that sends the letters “J.G.” into space. Burroughs positions himself as a mere transcriber, lending the narrative a veneer of documentary authenticity. The frame also connects this novel to Burroughs' other series: Pellucidar, the interior world, is mentioned as a previous recipient of Gridley's experiments. This intertextual link rewards readers familiar with the author's broader universe. The foreword thus serves not only as a prologue but as a world-building tool, grounding the fantastic events of the story in a pseudo-scientific rationale that was a hallmark of early pulp science fiction.

Readers approaching A Fighting Man of Mars should attend to the way Burroughs balances action with invention. The escapes and battles are not merely set pieces but demonstrations of the hero's adaptability. The frame narrative, while a conceit, adds a layer of texture that rewards attention to the author's broader fictional cosmos. For those familiar with John Carter, Hadron offers a different kind of protagonist—one whose primary weapon is not a sword but a quick mind.

Returning to Hadron’s stubborn hope among those invisible ships, I found myself thinking of another kind of quiet endurance—the sort that doesn’t announce itself, just persists. There’s a similar pulse in And Gone Tomorrow — A Reader’s Guide, though its deserts are internal. Both books leave me a little breathless, missing a world I never truly inhabited.