The Chessmen of Mars Author:Edgar Rice Burroughs Fifth Book of the Mars series Tara, a spoiled princess of Helium and John Carter's daughter, rejects Gahan, Jed of Gathol, as a suitor and foolishly flys off into a great storm. Gahan gives chase. By the time he finally catches up to Tara, she has forgotten who he is, and he assumes the name Turan, a panthan mercenary. Together they challe... more »nge the power of O-Tar, Jeddak of Manator, whose barbaric nation of Red Men have preyed upon Gathol for centuries. The Manatorians have elevated Jetan, Martian chess, to an unprecedented level of skill and excitement: they use live chessmen who fight for live princesses. Gahan finds himself fighting for Tara on the chessboard of Manator, and haunting O-Tar's palace "Chessmen of Mars" was first published in Argosy All-Story Weekly (February 18, 25,; March 4, 11, 18, 25; April 1 1922). The first Hardcover edition was published by A.C. McClurg & Co., November 29, 1922. The original edition was bound in red cloth with black lettering on the spine and front. The dust jacket, a frontpiece, and seven illustrations were done by J. Allen St. John. The text of this edition is from the 1922 A.C. McClurg edition. The front cover picture of this edition is a restored copy of the front of the original dust jacket. All the original interior illustrations are reproduced in this edition.« less
Throughout the novel, Gahan is forced to prove himself in the approved heroic manner of all Burroughsian protagonists in his effort to win Tara's heart. As always, the heroine must be rescued from numerous perils and sticky situations.