When Kyra enters a virtual reality of Barsoom:
"...Phobos and Deimos hurtled aloft, bigger than Luna above Earth, to fill the world full of silver and hastening shadows." (p. 157)
The Martian moons bigger than the Terrestrial moon? Did ERB write that somewhere or did Anderson/Kyra add it as an extra exotic detail?
Sf writers could make more references to ERB. Larry Niven and Steven Barnes wrote The Barsoom Project but, from what I remember, it did not include any action inside the simulated Barsoom.
John Carter, like Superman, Doctor Who and Star Trek, is one of those series that could use a good rewrite from the ground up, removing some absurdities but rationalizing others. Poul Anderson would know how to do it.
4 comments:
As far as I know, Burroughs doesn't refer to the size of the Martian moons directly, but does mention their light and rapid passage through the sky.
Burroughs was using fairly good scientific theory (in general terms) when he started the Barsoom books; it just happened that early 20th century science was wildly off about Mars (and Venus).
Mind you, having egg-laying Martians interfertile with humans was odd even by 1912's knowledge of biology. As Larry Niven put it later, you'd be more likely to have offspring with a cauliflower.
Kaor, Paul and Mr. Stirling!
Paul: Well, Stirling gave us a kind of updated and far more plausible "Barsoom" in his IN THE COURTS OF THE CRIMSON KINGS. Which I loved!
Mr. Stirling: And that bit about humans mating with very MAMMALIAN egg laying Martian females has given some fans of the Barsoom books occasion for incredulous amusement! Any such egg laying intelligent species would not even look human. And have no need for milk secreting lactating glands.
But I loved, and still over ERB's Barsoom stories, never mind their absurdities.
Ad astra! Sean
I thought that ERB never mentioned the size of the moons!
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