Who was Edgar Rice Burroughs? Everything You Need to Know

Quick Facts

Died At Age: 74

Family:

Spouse/Ex-: Emma Hulbert, Florence Gilbert

father: Major George Tyler Burroughs

mother: Mary Evaline Zieger Burroughs

children: Hulbert Burroughs, Joan Burroughs, John Coleman Burroughs

Born Country: United States

Novelists Science Fiction Writers

Died on: March 19, 1950

place of death: Los Angeles, California, United States

City: Chicago, Illinois

Ancestry: British American

Cause of Death: Heart Attack

U.S. State: Illinois

Founder/Co-Founder: Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.

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1

What are some famous works by Edgar Rice Burroughs?

Some famous works by Edgar Rice Burroughs include "Tarzan of the Apes," "A Princess of Mars," "The Land That Time Forgot," "The Gods of Mars," and "The Warlord of Mars."
2

What inspired Edgar Rice Burroughs to create the character Tarzan?

The idea for Tarzan was inspired by Burroughs' fascination with the concept of a man raised by apes, as well as his interest in the concept of a "noble savage."
3

Where did Edgar Rice Burroughs get the inspiration for his Mars series of novels?

Burroughs' inspiration for his Mars series of novels came from his fascination with astronomy and his love of creating fantastical worlds and civilizations.
4

What impact did Edgar Rice Burroughs have on the genre of science fiction and fantasy literature?

Edgar Rice Burroughs is considered a pioneer in the genres of science fiction and fantasy literature due to his creation of iconic characters and imaginative worlds that have influenced countless authors and filmmakers.
5

How did Edgar Rice Burroughs' military experience influence his writing?

Edgar Rice Burroughs' military experience, particularly his time in the cavalry, provided him with valuable insights and inspiration for creating scenes of adventure, heroism, and conflict in his novels.

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Childhood & Early Life

Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875 in Chicago, Illinois, as the fourth son to Major George Tyler Burroughs, who served in the Union army during the Civil War, and Mary Evaline Zieger Burroughs.

He received his formal education at various public and private schools, due to the outbreak of various deadly diseases. He learnt Greek and Latin, and later English composition.

In 1891, when the influenza epidemic broke out, his parents sent him to Idaho, where two of his brothers, Harry and George, were running a ranch at the Raft River.

His parents called him back after six months and sent him to Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, where he was expelled after the first semester due to his rebellious acts against the existing curriculum.

To get him disciplined, his father sent him to Michigan Military Academy, Orchard Lake, in 1892, where he made another attempt to escape in the first year, but gradually found the atmosphere favorable and graduated in 1895.

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Career

After graduating, he worked as an instructor and assistant commandant where he taught geology, cavalry, and Gatling gun for a brief period.

He prepared for the United States Military Academy (West Point) entrance examination, but failed to clear and was hence, deployed in the ‘B’ Troop of the 7th US Cavalry at Fort Grant, Arizona Territory.

Just before being promoted to officer grade, he was diagnosed with a heart murmur during a routine medical check-up and discharged off his duties in 1897.

He opened a stationery store in Idaho, went to Snake River ranch to his brothers, joined his father in Chicago at the American Battery Company in 1899 and returned to his brothers’ gold dredging business, but felt dissatisfied.

In 1904, he went to Salt Lake City, Utah, and worked as a railroad policeman. He worked with Champlain Yardley Company in 1910 and System Service Bureau in 1912, but was heavily frustrated and depressed, and saw only failures.

He became a lead pencil sharpener wholesaler, where he was struck by the idea of writing fiction after browsing through pulp all-fiction magazines.

In 1912, he wrote his first serialized story ‘A Princess of Mars’ under the title ‘Under The Moons of Mars’ which was published in ‘The All-Story’ magazine under the pen name, Norman Bean.

The ‘Barsoom’ series in ‘Under the Moons of Mars’ got him $400 as his first pay, which was published as a book in 1917.

After his second novel ‘The Outlaw of Torn’ was rejected by Al-Story’s editor, Thomas Newell Metcalf, he wrote his third fiction ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ in 1912, which earned him $700.

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In 1919, when he became financially strong, he moved to San Fernando Valley, California, with his family and bought a large 550-acre estate, later renaming it Tarzana Ranch.

By serving as a war correspondent in the South Pacific, he became one of the oldest American journalists in the World War II, in December 1941, covering news for United Press.

He returned home at the end of the war after suffering many heart attacks and settled in Encino, California.

Major Works

His novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’, a story about the son of an English nobleman abandoned and raised by apes in the African jungle, became a runaway hit.

Some of his fictional stories included ‘At the Earth’s Core’ (1922), ‘The Land That Time Forgot’ (1924), ‘The Eternal Savage’ (1925), ‘The Cave Girl’ (1925), ‘The War Chief’ (1927), ‘The Monster Men’ (1929), and ‘Pirates of Venus’ (1934).

In 1923, he became one of the first authors to launch his company, Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc. and print his own stories and books.

Awards & Achievements

His best-selling adventure novel ‘Tarzan of the Apes’ was released as a silent movie in 1918, starring Elmo Lincoln, and made a record, grossing more than one million dollars.

Ever since the fictional jungle hero, Tarzan, was introduced to the world, 41 films have been produced and 57 one-hour television episodes have been telecast, each one being a major hit.

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The first sound Tarzan movie ’Tarzan the Ape Man’ was released by MGM in 1932, featuring Johnny Weissmuller in the lead role.

In 1932, the first radio show on Tarzan adventures was produced, where his daughter played Jane and her husband Tarzan.

A new series featuring half-hour episodes was started in 1951 and aired every Sunday night, which was produced for a year.

During his lifetime, he penned 91 novels, of which 26 were on Tarzan, with millions of copies published and sold in over 34 languages across the world, including Russian, Hebrew and Esperanto.

Personal Life & Legacy

In January 1900, Burroughs married his childhood love, Emma Centennia Hulbert, who traveled with him and supported him during his struggle for over 11 years. The couple had three children - Joan in 1908, Hulbert in 1909 and John Coleman in 1913.

He divorced Emma in 1934, and four months later, married actress and divorcee Florence Gilbert Dearholt, thus adopting her two kids. However, the relationship ended with a divorce in 1941, due to his increased alcoholism habits.

He died on March 19, 1950 at his home in Encino, California, of a heart ailment. His ashes were laid to rest at his corporation headquarters on Ventura Boulevard, under a black walnut tree.

Upon the popularity of the first ‘Tarzan of the Apes’, a community in Texas was named Tarzan in 1927 by US Postal Service.

In 1930, ‘Tarzana’ was voted as the name for the new suburb surrounding the Tarzana Ranch by its residents, upon the establishment of a new post office.

He was honored by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2003.

Facts About Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote all of his manuscripts in longhand using a pencil.

Despite being known for his adventure novels, Burroughs also wrote science fiction, westerns, and historical fiction.

Burroughs was a big fan of physical fitness and maintained a strict exercise routine throughout his life.

He was a self-taught artist and often sketched illustrations for his own stories.

Burroughs was a pioneer in the field of self-publishing, establishing his own company to release his books when traditional publishers rejected them.

Edgar Rice Burroughs Biography

You wanted to know

What are some famous works by Edgar Rice Burroughs?

What inspired Edgar Rice Burroughs to create the character Tarzan?

Where did Edgar Rice Burroughs get the inspiration for his Mars series of novels?

What impact did Edgar Rice Burroughs have on the genre of science fiction and fantasy literature?

How did Edgar Rice Burroughs' military experience influence his writing?