Bill Waters Comments ERB-APA #26: A Reply

I really enjoyed reading your articles, especially about Tarzan. You do marvelous research and do extremely accurate reporting. I have been reading your work for some time now and so far all I can do is agree with your flawless information.

ERB-APA #26

One thing I would like to offer some thought on is that I view the Tarzan saga in two ways. There is the real world which involves Edgar Rice Burroughs and his writings. There is a fictional world that involves Tarzan as a real person and his adventures are narrated by John Carter's great-nephew to ERB who then puts them into writing.

The Return Of Tarzan

So...at the end of your excellent article when you say... "ERB was simply unsure what to do with the personality of this character whose unexpected success had demanded a squeal." When you talk of reality I totally agree with you. When at play and one views Tarzan's world as real this is an unfair statement. In the fictional world, Tarzan is trying to adjust from beast to man. Tarzan is doing everything he can to become a man and during this period he reverts to monkey see monkey do. Remember, he also reverted to this same method while studying the tribe of Mbonga.

The Return Of Tarzan

Keep up your fantastic work. It is appreciated.

N. C. Wyeth

About The Author

James Michael Moody is a lifelong fan and collector of Edger Rice Burroughs. Moody has contributed over two hundred articles to various ERB-related fanzines, over a span of forty-five years. He also manages an unauthorized Tarzan blog titled, Greystoke Chronologist: James Michael Moody. There the researcher chronologies the Tarzan books starting in May 1872 (known as the pushback theory). instead of the more excepted date May 1888.

James Michael Moody is also the author of the action-packed Sci-Fi fantasy adventure Unium series. Pioneers On Unium, published December 31, 2019, and Exiled On Unium, published August 25, 2022. Swordsman On Unium is going through the publishing process.