Edgar Rice Burroughs Books in Order: The Complete Guide to Tarzan, John Carter of Mars & Pellucidar

Edgar Rice Burroughs invented two of pulp fiction’s most enduring heroes, Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars, and then spent four decades building worlds around them. The catch for new readers is that his books were serialized in magazines first, published as books years later, and sometimes released after his death in 1950. That makes the “right” order confusing.

This guide lists every major Burroughs series in the order the books were published, with a short description of each, so you can pick a series and read straight through without spoilers or gaps. Dates below are book-publication years; magazine serials often appeared earlier.

Quick Reading Guide: Where Should You Start?

Tarzan Books in Order (24 Books)

1. Tarzan of the Apes (1914): An English lord’s orphaned son is raised by the Mangani apes in the African jungle. He grows into a self-taught hero and meets Jane Porter.
2. The Return of Tarzan (1915): Tarzan follows Jane’s trail from Europe back to Africa. Old enemies and the lost city of Opar await him.
3. The Beasts of Tarzan (1916): Tarzan is kidnapped and marooned by his enemy Rokoff. He wins over jungle animals as allies to survive.
4. The Son of Tarzan (1917): Tarzan’s son Jack grows up drawn to the wild, becoming the ape-man Korak. The story shifts the spotlight to the next generation.
5. Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar (1918): Tarzan returns to Opar, the lost city of treasure and priestesses. Danger and memory loss complicate his mission.
6. Jungle Tales of Tarzan (1919): A collection of episodic stories from Tarzan’s youth among the apes. It’s a good look at how he developed his jungle skills and character.
7. Tarzan the Untamed (1920): Set during World War I, Tarzan is driven into a fierce quest for vengeance. The war brings him into conflict with German forces in Africa.
8. Tarzan the Terrible (1921): Tarzan searches for Jane in Pal-ul-don, a hidden land of strange tribes and prehistoric beasts. It’s one of the series’ strongest lost-world adventures.
9. Tarzan and the Golden Lion (1923): Tarzan’s bond with the golden lion Jad-bal-ja takes center stage. A rival impostor and jungle intrigue drive the plot.
10. Tarzan and the Ant Men (1924): Tarzan meets Minuni, a society of tiny people hidden in the wild. A Gulliver-style adventure follows.
11. Tarzan, Lord of the Jungle (1928): Tarzan faces new dangers in unmapped territory and among hostile outsiders. It’s a classic mid-series adventure.
12. Tarzan and the Lost Empire (1929): Tarzan finds a hidden civilization descended from Roman legionaries. Ancient customs collide with jungle survival.
13. Tarzan at the Earth’s Core (1930): Tarzan crosses into Pellucidar, the hollow world inside the Earth. It’s the main crossover between the two series.
14. Tarzan the Invincible (1931): Tarzan confronts plotters scheming to seize African territory. Spies and lost-race drama join the action.
15. Tarzan Triumphant (1932): Tarzan is pulled into another dangerous expedition that tests him in unfamiliar territory. It blends pulp action with lost-civilization intrigue.
16. Tarzan and the City of Gold (1933): Tarzan enters the rival cities of Cathne and Athne, ruled by Queen Nemone. Palace politics and arena battles make this a fan favorite.
17. Tarzan and the Lion Man (1934): A Hollywood film expedition lands in Africa and trouble follows. It mixes satire of the movie business with jungle adventure.
18. Tarzan and the Leopard Men (1935): Tarzan battles a murderous leopard cult. It’s one of the darker, more suspenseful entries.
19. Tarzan’s Quest (1936): Tarzan sets out on another far-reaching jungle search. Mystery and survival push him through new peril.
20. Tarzan and the Forbidden City (1938): Tarzan travels in search of a secret lost city. It adds another hidden civilization to the series.
21. Tarzan the Magnificent (1939): Tarzan confronts criminals and rival tribes in a late-1930s adventure. The pace is brisk and episodic.
22. Tarzan and the Foreign Legion (1947): Set in World War II, Tarzan helps stranded Allied soldiers in the Pacific. It shows the character in a modern wartime setting.
23. Tarzan and the Madman (1964): Published after Burroughs’ death, this story sends Tarzan into a strange jungle city. It was written around 1940.
24. Tarzan and the Castaways (1965): A posthumous collection that closes the series with shorter adventures. It includes material written in the early 1940s.

John Carter of Mars (Barsoom) Books in Order (11 Books)

1. A Princess of Mars (1917): Confederate veteran John Carter is mysteriously transported to Mars, called Barsoom by its people. He meets the green Tharks and Princess Dejah Thoris.
2. The Gods of Mars (1918): Carter returns to Barsoom and uncovers the secret behind its religion at the Valley Dor. His fight with the false goddess Issus raises the stakes.
3. The Warlord of Mars (1919): Carter searches for Dejah Thoris, held captive in the frozen north. He emerges as Warlord of Mars after a sweeping rescue.
4. Thuvia, Maid of Mars (1920): Carter’s son Carthoris takes the lead as he tries to save Thuvia of Ptarth. Phantom warriors and political schemes raise the danger.
5. The Chessmen of Mars (1922): Gahan of Gathol and Tara of Helium are caught up in the deadly living chess game of Jetan. It’s an inventive standout in the series.
6. The Master Mind of Mars (1928): Soldier Ulysses Paxton arrives on Barsoom and meets the surgeon Ras Thavas. Brain-swapping and surgical horror drive the story.
7. A Fighting Man of Mars (1931): Tan Hadron of Hastor, a young Heliumite warrior, races to rescue a kidnapped princess. It’s a fast-paced adventure with a new hero.
8. Swords of Mars (1936): Carter investigates the assassins’ guild of Zodanga. His mission carries him to Thuria, one of Mars’ moons.
9. Synthetic Men of Mars (1940): Ras Thavas returns with his lab-grown creations, the hormads. Vor Daj and Carter’s allies face a horror of artificial life.
10. Llana of Gathol (1948): Four linked stories follow Llana, daughter of Gahan and Tara. Carter appears alongside her across a range of Barsoomian adventures.
11. John Carter of Mars (1964): This posthumous book collects two novellas, including a story of Carter and a giant on Barsoom. It closes the series with a final burst of action.

Pellucidar Books in Order (7 Books)

1. At the Earth’s Core (1922): Inventor David Innes and Abner Perry drill into the Earth and break into Pellucidar, a hollow world of beasts and tribes. Innes sets out to free humanity from the Mahars.
2. Pellucidar (1923): Innes tries to rally the human tribes against the ruling Mahars. His journey across the inner world is full of capture and escape.
3. Tanar of Pellucidar (1930): A new hero, Tanar, carries the story forward. Perils at sea and on land fill out the plot.
4. Tarzan at the Earth’s Core (1930): Tarzan crosses over into Pellucidar. The book counts in both the Tarzan and Pellucidar series.
5. Back to the Stone Age (1937): Another adventurer lands in Pellucidar and must survive its fierce tribes and strange creatures. It showcases the series’ prehistoric side.
6. Land of Terror (1944): A wartime-era adventure in Pellucidar’s wilds. Danger and exploration drive the story.
7. Savage Pellucidar (1963): A posthumous collection that wraps up the series. It continues the hollow-earth adventures with a final batch of stories.

Venus (Carson of Venus) Books in Order (5 Books)

1. Pirates of Venus (1932): Earthman Carson Napier misfires a rocket trip to Mars and lands on Venus, called Amtor. He is soon swept into political and romantic intrigue.
2. Lost on Venus (1933): Carson is separated from his love and must cross a dangerous continent to find her. Capture, monsters, and betrayal fill the journey.
3. Carson of Venus (1939): Carson takes on a new mission in Amtor’s dangerous cities and wilderness. The tone stays true to the pulp adventure of the earlier books.
4. Escape on Venus (1946): A collection of linked stories on Venus. It adds more episodes to Carson’s career on the planet.
5. The Wizard of Venus (1970): This posthumous book completes the Amtor series. It collects shorter tales that fill in the saga.

Other Notable Burroughs Series and Standalones

• The Land That Time Forgot (1918): A submarine crew finds Caspak, an island where creatures evolve in strange stages. It’s the start of the Caspak trilogy, followed by The People That Time Forgot and Out of Time’s Abyss.
• The Moon Maid (1926): A trilogy of stories about a future Earth, a lunar invasion, and generations of conflict. It’s one of Burroughs’ more ambitious sci-fi efforts.
• The Outlaw of Torn (1927): A historical adventure set in medieval England. It’s a good choice if you want Burroughs outside the sci-fi world.
• The Mucker (1921): A rough city kid is stranded in the Pacific and must change to survive. It’s a gritty pulp adventure.
• The Cave Girl (1925): A sheltered American gets stranded in a prehistoric-feeling wild. It blends romance and survival.

Chronological vs. Publication Order: Which Should You Use?

For Burroughs, publication order is the best choice. The Tarzan books don’t follow a strict internal timeline, but they do build on earlier events and characters. The Barsoom books also work best in release order, since recurring characters like Carthoris, Gahan, and Ras Thavas are introduced gradually.

About the Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875–1950) was born in Chicago and worked a string of jobs before turning to writing in his mid-30s. His first story, Under the Moons of Mars, appeared in a pulp magazine in 1912, and Tarzan of the Apes followed soon after. He was an early adopter of self-branding: he founded Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., one of the first author-owned companies of its kind, to control his characters and publishing rights. His work shaped the pulp era, inspired generations of science fiction writers, and led to countless film, TV, and comic adaptations.

Why Trust This Guide

This guide is compiled by Emon, founder of Whimsy Read, a book discovery blog focused on clear “books in order” guides. Lists are organized by original book publication date and cross-checked against standard bibliographic records, so you can follow each series without confusion. If you spot an error or a missing title, let us know and we will update the guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many books did Edgar Rice Burroughs write?
Burroughs wrote roughly 80 novels and many shorter works. The big series are Tarzan (24), Barsoom (11), Pellucidar (7), and Venus (5), plus standalones and trilogies.

What is the first Edgar Rice Burroughs book to read?
Most new readers start with Tarzan of the Apes or A Princess of Mars. Pick Tarzan for jungle adventure or Barsoom for sword-and-planet science fiction.

Do I need to read the Tarzan books in order?
Reading in order is recommended, especially the first few books, since they build on each other. Later books are more episodic, but characters and events carry forward.

What is the John Carter book series called?
The John Carter books are called the Barsoom series, or the Martian series. It starts with A Princess of Mars and ends with John Carter of Mars.

Is A Princess of Mars the same as the John Carter movie?
The 2012 film John Carter is based on A Princess of Mars, the first Barsoom novel. The book is more detailed and sets up the entire series.

Which Burroughs books are crossovers?
Tarzan at the Earth’s Core is the main crossover, linking Tarzan to Pellucidar. It appears in both series lists.

Are Burroughs’ books in the public domain?
Many of his earlier works are in the public domain in the US, depending on publication date, and are available through free libraries. Later works and some posthumous collections may still be protected, so check before sharing or republishing.

What order should I read the Pellucidar series?
Start with At the Earth’s Core and then follow publication order. Tarzan at the Earth’s Core is the fourth entry, so you can read it in that spot.

Which books were published after Burroughs died?
Several books were published posthumously, including John Carter of Mars, Tarzan and the Madman, Tarzan and the Castaways, Savage Pellucidar, and The Wizard of Venus.

What are the best Edgar Rice Burroughs books?
Popular picks include Tarzan of the Apes, A Princess of Mars, The Land That Time Forgot, and At the Earth’s Core. They show his range across jungle, planetary, and lost-world fiction.

Final Note

Burroughs wrote with an almost relentless sense of adventure, and that’s why readers keep returning more than a century later. Pick one series, read it in order, and you’ll see how he built entire worlds from a single idea. If you’re unsure, start with Tarzan of the Apes or A Princess of Mars, and let the rest of the shelf come to you.

Written by

Emon Anam

Hi, I’m Emon. I’m the voice and heart behind Whimsy Read. After nine years in the world of banking, I followed my passion for storytelling into the world of SEO and content strategy. Now, I blend that analytical eye with a deep love for literature to bring you book reviews that are thoughtful, honest, and always focused on the stories that stay with you. When I’m not reading or writing, you’ll find me enjoying joyful chaos with my wife and three kids, getting lost in a new series, or revisiting my old loves: theater, music, and gaming. At the end of the day, I believe great books are meant to be shared, and I’m so glad you’re here to share them with me.