Edgar Rice Burroughs

I mean, John Carter Mars, what a great setting.

And for those who aren't familiar with Edgar Rice Burroughs, I mean, it's public domain.

You can listen to the books or read the books for free.

You know, really, really fun, really, really a good time.

Yeah, what's your origin story as a reader? I want to know.

I was a huge fantasy and mystery kid growing up, and my dad, when I was really young, would read to me Edgar Rice Burroughs, who I feel like he was very...

I mean, I think he was sort of 1920s mostly, but I feel like he was... maybe writing in the 19th century at the very end.

Um, and my dad also read, like had this giant, like leather, beautiful bound copy of like Edgar Allen Poe also.

Um, this is kind of what gets lumped into the category of weird tales.

Um, this was stuff that was like in public, all published in pulp magazines alongside everything from Edgar Rice Burroughs, uh, to like flash Gordon.

But like you get this, the Gothic sensibility starts to merge with, uh, the weird tales with guys like Robert E. Howard, who created Conan, and then everyone's favorite racist shut-in, Howard Percival.

I don't actually know what his middle name is.

I'm now blanking on the author's name of Conan.

It's not Edgar Rice Burroughs.

That's Tarzan, right? Why can't I remember the Conan author? Um, anyway, it doesn't matter.

It's out there.

Who doesn't like a good yarn, Roger? Right? Yeah.

And I found that some of Waters' favorite sci-fi authors included Edgar Rice Burroughs, A.E. Van Vogt, and Arthur C. Clarke.

And according to Waters, it is aliens who have the ability to bring enlightenment to the world or at any rate add to it, hence the song's title.

So that's kind of what the song's about.

From the black core of dark Africa, land of enchantment, mystery and violence, comes one of the most colorful figures of all time.

Transcribed from the immortal pen of Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Tarzan, the bronzed white sun of the jungle.

And now in the very words of Mr. Burroughs, the story of Jungle Orchids.

It runs on narrow-gauge tracks, its engines are antiquated, and it passes through no great cities as it winds north from Africa's Gold Coast.

But it carries millions of dollars of gold bullion, a temptation to those who dream of wealth and are willing to brave the terrors of the jungle in order to achieve it.

Tarzan, a transcribed creation of the famous Edgar Rice Burroughs, is produced by Walter White, Jr., prepared for radio by Bud Lesser, with original music by Albert Glasser.

This is a Commodore production.

In exchange for the coupons and seven shillings, customers could receive one of six books.

The other five books to choose from were Jungle Girl by Edgar Rice Burroughs, The Sun Will Shine by Mae Edginton, The Veiled Delight by Marjorie Bowen, The Venner Crime by John Rode, and Q33 by George Goodchild.

The promotion appears to have been successful insofar as The Hound of Death is by far the easiest pre-war UK Christie book to obtain as a first edition in its dust wrapper.

An edition for sale in the shops appeared in February 1936, published by the Collins Crime Club.