This was not the case, however in the beginning. When ERB, the author, wrote the first book of the Greystoke chronicles, The Outlaw Of Torn, he did it in a manner as to make the reader think he was reading a history book of real-world events. There was not one hint these events were occurring in an alternate universe.
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J. Allen St. John |
When ERB, the author, penned the second volume of the Greystoke chronicles, Tarzan Of The Apes, he again described events that were occurring on the Earth as we know it. Again there was not one instance of any science fiction going on at all.
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J. Allen St. John |
After spending a week with Innes, ERB, the narrator, rushes to England where he purchased countless supplies for his new friend. While there ERB, the narrator, told Inne's strange story to the Royal Geological Society but the story was not believed by them, and later, ERB, the author, published the story under the title of, The Earth's Core. Just as his and Innes' needed supplies reached the end of the railroad tracks in Algeria ERB, the narrator was recalled to America on important business. There was little ERB, the narrator, could do but send Innes' supplies on ahead with a letter, and his American address.
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At The Earth's Core |
We are not told what that important business is, but to make him leave during the middle of an adventure of such magnitude must indeed have been important. One logical explanation would be the return of John Carter. We do know that offstage Captain Carter returns around this time period to give his great nephew the events of Thuvia Maid Of Mars.
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Thuva, Maid Of Mars |
Another explanation that research indicates is that ERB, the author, was contacted by agents of Lord Greystoke about the amazing coincidence between October 1912, the All-Story Magazine publication of, Tarzan Of The Apes, and the real life of the English lord. Naturally, ERB, the author, had to explain that he got his story originally from ERB, the narrator. It is then that the agents of Lord Greystoke requested ERB, the narrator, to visit the Greystoke plantation.
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Tarzan Of The Apes |
Even as, The Return Of Tarzan, becomes public ERB, the narrator, in the spring of 1913 is at the Greystoke plantation in British East Africa. Exactly why ERB, the narrator, is visiting in The Eternal Lover, is publicly avoided, but big game hunting is very unlikely since the Virginian is never mentioned joining any hunts. This fact supports that ERB, the narrator, is not there on one of his numerous vacations, because hunting is his favorite sport.
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J. Allen St. John |
It is also doubtful that ERB, the narrator, is visiting dear and close friends, because of the withholding of information on the Virginian's part. The information I am talking about is the David Innes adventure. The occurrence in Algeria takes place less than a year before ERB, the narrator's visit to the Greystoke plantation.
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At The Earth's Core |
Yet, by the dialogue that is reported in, Tarzan At The Earth's Core, we are led to believe Greystoke is totally unaware of David Innes' existence. Later when Jason Gridley tracks down the ape-man for aid and relates the Innes story, Greystoke in no way acts as if he is familiar with the tale. It is also interesting to note that during the telling of the tale, Jason Gridley makes no mention of being acquainted with ERB, the narrator.
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Tarzan At The Earth's Core |
From my research, I have reached the conclusion that ERB, the narrator's, first Greystoke visit was strictly heads-up business. That business was the publishing of, Tarzan Of The Apes. Offstage, evidently, a relative or close friend living in America, who knew the Greystoke's secret, spotted the story and informed the Englishman. In turn, an agent representing the Greystoke family contacted ERB, the author, in Chicago, who in turn contacted ERB, the narrator, in Algeria. The necessary arrangements were made for ERB, the narrator, to visit British East Africa.
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Tarzan Of The Apes |
On this 1913 visit Greystoke and ERB, the narrator, reached an agreement offstage acceptable to both. The Burroughs team would be allowed to continue their jungle series, as long as they made some efforts to protect Greystoke's true identity. The Englishman and ERB, the narrator, also formed a communication channel so they could keep in touch. From that time on the Burroughs team no longer stuck as close to the facts as they once did. Therefore, ERB, the author's stories began to get fantastic with Tarzan The Terrible, Tarzan And The Ant Men, and so on.
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Tarzan The Terrible |
What I am trying to say Brian is that if you believe that Tarzan was born in 1888, and is not of our earth, dimension, or whatever it's ok, because at the end of ERB, the author's, career that is exactly what he portrayed. The 'Burroughs Universe', of which John F. Roy was well aware.
But on the other hand, the Tarzan series can still be taken as occurring on the planet Earth as we know it, because above I have shown you how it could be explained without using all those time warps that John does. Therefore, when Phil Farmer, Alan Hanson, and myself write about Tarzan as if he were a real man living on our planet Earth as we know it, we are not wrong either. It is called different perspectives. I personally prefer Tarzan as being an earthling over existing in a science fiction universe. Some don't.
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Tarzan Series |
Next, you write, "by the way, in answer to your quest to Bill Waters, ERB obviously was seeing into the future when he wrote his story." Well Brian I don't know where you came up with the groundwork to form your assumption that ERB, the narrator, or ERB, the author, either saw into the future so they could write, The Son Of Tarzan. Please share your research with me on this speculation, because I have never found any indication that either man could see into the future.
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J. Allen St. John |
You then follow with the statement, "After all, we cannot forget what happened between Ed and a young chap named Carson Napier." First of all. Who do you mean by Ed? If you are talking about Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author from Chicago, Il., he himself played no part in the stories. He was merely the guy who took the information provided by ERB, the narrator from Virginia and turned it into magazine stories.
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Pirates Of Venus |
Now if you are referring to Ed as being the narrator from Virginia who is John Carter's great nephew things change a bit. You state, "Pirates Of Venus clearly makes reference to ERB having abilities that others did not. Incredible hugh?' It is true that ERB, the narrator, did have a special gift, but seeing into the future was not one of them as far as I know. Carson described that gift as being "psychologically harmonious." In short, Carson had been taught telepathy by an old Hindu named Chand Kabi, and ERB, the narrator, happened to be a human receiver who could pick up Carson's mental projections. This is a kindred of the very gift which allows ERB, the narrator, to communicate with his great uncle John Carter.
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Pirates Of Venus |
ERB, the narrator, sums it up better than anyone. "Thus I am the medium through which the remarkable adventures of Carson Napier are being recorded on earth; but I am only that, like a typewriter or a dictaphone-." I could find no basis for your assumption that ERB, the narrator, could see into the future.
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Pirates Of Venus |
Just for a tidbit to keep in mind. Edgar Rice Burroughs, the author, also experienced a visit much like ERB, the narrator, did. ERB, the narrator, described his visit like this. "I sat up with a start just in time to see a female figure, swathed in what appeared to be a white winding sheet, enter my room through the door. You will note that I say door rather than doorway, for such was the fact; the door was closed. It was a clear, moonlit night; the various homely objects in my room were plainly discernible, especially the ghostly figure now hovering near the foot of my bed.
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Pirates Of Venus |
I am not a subject to hallucinations, I had never seen a ghost, I had never wished to, and I was totally ignorant of the ethics governing such a situation. Even had the lady not been so obviously supernatural, I should yet have been at a loss as how to receive her at this hour in the intimacy of my bedchamber, for no strange lady had ever before invaded its privacy, and I am of Puritan stock.
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Pirates Of Venus |
"It is midnight of the thirteenth," she said, in a low, musical voice.
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Pirates Of Venus |
"So it is," I agreed, and then I recalled the letter that I had received on the tenth.
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Pirates Of Venus |
"He left Guadalupe today," she continued; "he will wait in Guaymas for your letter."
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ARGOSY |
That was all. She crossed the room and passed out of it, not through the window which was quite convenient, but through the solid wall.
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Pirates Of Venus |
ERB, the author's, experience was much different. While working for his brothers in Idaho young Burroughs, was a bystander in a saloon when a fight broke out. One way or another he managed to get in the way of a policeman's billy club and received a severe blow which hospitalized him. For a long time afterward, he complained of dizziness and reported having strange hallucinations. In later years he even wrote to the Boston Society for Psychic Research the following.
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The Man Who Created Tarzan
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"In 1899 I received a heavy blow on the head which, while it opened up the scalp, did not fracture the skull, nor did it render me unconscious, but for six weeks or two months thereafter I was the victim of hallucinations, always after I had retired at night when I would see figures standing beside my bed, usually shrouded. I invariably sat up and reached for them, but my hands went through them. I knew they were hallucinations caused by my injury and did not connect them in any way with the supernatural, in which I do not believe."
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The Man Who Created Tarzan
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Evidently, ERB, the author, never fully recovered from this blow for throughout his adult years he was subject to nightmares. These occurred regularly and were of the type familiar to many dreamers. These involved the kind of situation where some fearful creature or unidentified peril approached and aware of the approaching danger the dreamer desperately tried to escape but found himself paralyzed or his movement seemed to be in slow motion.
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Library Review 30 |
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.
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