Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author whose prolific output in adventure, science fiction, and fantasy left a lasting mark on twentieth-century popular culture. Born in 1875, Burroughs is most famous for creating Tarzan, a character who went on to feature in twenty-four of his novels. Tarzan quickly became a massive multimedia success, spawning syndicated comic strips, films, and extensive merchandise, eventually establishing the character as an enduring cultural icon.
Beyond the jungles of Africa, Burroughs was a pioneer of early science fiction and planetary romance. He created the character of John Carter, who starred in an eleven-book series. Burroughs also penned other popular speculative fiction sequences, including the subterranean Pellucidar series, the Venus-based Amtor series, and the prehistoric Caspak trilogy. His commercial success allowed him to purchase a large ranch in California, which later became the foundation for the Los Angeles neighborhood of Tarzana, named in honor of his most famous creation.
While celebrated for his imaginative world-building and narrative pacing, Burroughs's work also reflected the controversial social theories of his era. He was an explicit supporter of eugenics and scientific racism in both his fiction and nonfiction, concepts that he intentionally integrated into his stories, particularly through the character of Tarzan. He continued writing and managing his literary empire until his death in 1950.
