Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) was an American author, best known for his creation of the jungle hero Tarzan and Mars adventurer John Carter. A Princess of Mars is Burroughs’ first novel, predating the Tarzan series, and the first of his Barsoom series. The story is set on Mars, a dying planet with a harsh desert environment which was based on the work of the astronomer Percival Lowell.