Book Anatomy · A Princess of Mars
A Princess of Mars: Genre craft
15 lenses on genre craft for A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: G1 G2 G3 G4 G5 G6 G7 G8 G9 G10 G11 G12 G13 G14 G15
G1. Genre and subgenre, and how well the book fits. AI
Science fiction adventure with romance. The book fits the genre well, featuring a new world, advanced technology, and exploration. It blends action, romance, and wonder.
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 3, Ch 8, Ch 20, Ch 25
I knew that I was on Mars; not once did I question either my sanity or my wakefulness (Ch 3, para 2)
The building in which I found myself contained the machinery which produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains life on Mars. (Ch 20, para 21)
G2. The genre's must have scenes: present or missing? AI
Science fiction must haves are present. The new world of Mars is fully realised. Technology like air ships and the atmosphere factory appear. The rules of lower gravity are established.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 8, Ch 20, Ch 21
the effort, which on Earth would have brought me standing upright, carried me into the Martian air to the height of about three yards (Ch 3, para 5)
A huge craft, long, low, and gray-painted, swung slowly over the crest of the nearest hill (Ch 8, para 3)
The building in which I found myself contained the machinery which produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains life on Mars. (Ch 20, para 21)
G3. The genre's conventions: which are used? AI
The book uses the stranger in a strange land convention, the lost world, and the advanced alien civilisation. It employs telepathy, air ships, and artificial atmosphere as tech.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 8, Ch 20, Ch 21
I knew that I was on Mars; not once did I question either my sanity or my wakefulness (Ch 3, para 2)
no one could read a jot from my mind under any circumstances. At first this vexed me, but later I was very glad of it (Ch 7, para 25)
The building in which I found myself contained the machinery which produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains life on Mars. (Ch 20, para 21)
G4. Mystery: clue list, red herrings, fair play test. AI
5 clues. See the full lens on the book page.
G5. Thriller: clocks, chases and set pieces. AI
Not a feature of this book. While chases and battles occur, they lack the tight time pressure and ticking clock that define thrillers.
G6. Romance: the meeting, the barriers, the grand gesture. AI
Romance is central. Carter meets Dejah Thoris in chapter 8. Barriers include her promised marriage to Sab Than and Martian custom. Grand gesture is Carter's attack on Zodanga to claim her.
Chapters: Ch 8, Ch 22, Ch 25
a slender, girlish figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past life (Ch 8, para 22)
there standing before the jeddak and not ten feet from me, her beautiful face radiant with smiles, was Dejah Thoris (Ch 22, para 7)
did Dejah Thoris, Princess of Helium, true daughter of Mars, the God of War, promise herself in marriage to John Carter, Gentleman of Virginia (Ch 25, para 33)
G7. Horror and gothic: how dread builds, when the monster is seen. AI
Not a feature of this book. While danger and violence appear, the book lacks gothic dread or horror atmosphere.
G8. Science fiction: the new idea and its rules. AI
The new idea is Mars as a living world with advanced civilisation. Rules include lower gravity allowing great jumps, telepathy, air ships, and the atmosphere factory sustaining life.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 7, Ch 20, Ch 21
the effort, which on Earth would have brought me standing upright, carried me into the Martian air to the height of about three yards (Ch 3, para 5)
no one could read a jot from my mind under any circumstances. At first this vexed me, but later I was very glad of it (Ch 7, para 25)
The building in which I found myself contained the machinery which produces that artificial atmosphere which sustains life on Mars. (Ch 20, para 21)
G9. Fantasy: moments of wonder, and the cost of magic. AI
Not a feature of this book. Magic does not appear. Carter's transportation between worlds is unexplained but treated as science.
G10. Adventure: stages of the journey and physical trials. AI
Adventure is strong. Stages include arrival on Mars, integration with Tharks, escape attempts, capture by Warhoons, infiltration of Zodanga, and final battle. Physical trials abound.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 4, Ch 5, Ch 6, Ch 16, Ch 17
the effort, which on Earth would have brought me standing upright, carried me into the Martian air to the height of about three yards (Ch 3, para 5)
a huge hand grasped me by the neck from behind and dragged me violently into the room (Ch 5, para 17)
a bolt of myriad-legged horror hurled itself through the doorway full upon the breast of my executioner (Ch 6, para 4)
G11. Literary: inner life and the moment of insight. AI
Not enough in the text to answer this one yet.
G12. Children's: age of the lead, level of peril, humour. AI
Not enough in the text to answer this one yet.
G13. Plays: entrances, exits and stage time per character. Count
Not a play. See the cast and speech lenses for who is on the page.
G14. Where the book bends or breaks its genre's rules. AI
The book bends science fiction by leaving Carter's transportation unexplained. It is treated as supernatural rather than scientific, creating ambiguity about the story's nature.
Chapters: Ch 2, Ch 27, Ch 28
it seemed to call across the unthinkable void, to lure me to it, to draw me as the lodestone attracts a particle of iron (Ch 2, para 19)
I closed my eyes, stretched out my arms toward the god of my vocation and felt myself drawn with the suddenness of thought through the trackless immensity of space (Ch 2, para 20)
I sank unconscious upon the ground. (Ch 27, para 49)
G15. Tropes present, with where they appear. AI
Tropes include the stranger in a strange land, the noble savage, forbidden love, the chosen one, and the lost world. Chapter 3 introduces the stranger. Chapter 8 begins forbidden love.
Chapters: Ch 3, Ch 8, Ch 11, Ch 13, Ch 15, Ch 24
I knew that I was on Mars; not once did I question either my sanity or my wakefulness (Ch 3, para 2)
a slender, girlish figure, similar in every detail to the earthly women of my past life (Ch 8, para 22)
My father’s name is Tars Tarkas. (Ch 15, para 42)
Ask A Princess of Mars a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
Weekly email: coming soon
One short email a week on new AI tools for authors. Sign up opens soon.