SFBC: January 1974 hardcover (copyright 1928, 1931.) Cover and 6 interior illustrations by Frank Frazetta, 348 pages. Condition is near-Fine in a near-Fine dustjacket: tight and square; ight bumping to spine ends; age tanning is negligable. Unclipped DJ has no tears; very light rubbing front and back. No stamps, marks or writing.

The Mastermind of Mars and A Fighting Man of Mars - 6th, 7th in "Mars/John Carter" series - with superb cover and interior illustrations by the imcomparable Frank Frazetta. They may have been Science Fiction when they came out, but these are more like Science Fantasy or Fantasy in a Mars that could have been, but now we know is not to be. That doesn't make them any less fun to read, or lessen Burrough's sense of adventure and storytelling ability.

A lot of good illustrators have done artwork for the series; I'd love to see an art book that had samples of just Barsoom art. I really like the work that J. Allen St. John did for many of the serials and original book publications, but you just can't find those at an affordable price. For paperbacks, I like the set of covers that Michael Whelan did for Del Rey. But for a nice hardcover edition that will survive a few readings, you can't beat the set from the SFBC with covers and interiors by Frazetta. Frazetta did dozens of covers for Burroughs paperbacks in the Sixties when he took over from Roy Krenkel - his ablitiy and style made him world-famous. SFBC got it very right when they commissioned Frazetta to do these.

The Master Mind of Mars: Ulysses Paxton, a long-time admirer of John Carter, is transported to Mars and materialized in the courtyard of Ras Thavas, a deranged, fanatical scientist. Ras Thavas finances his perverted experiments by performing brain transplants for wealthy Martians wishing to obtain young and beautiful bodies. But Thavas makes the mistake of stealing the body of Paxton's love, Valla Dia - setting off a bloody chain reaction of violence and intrigue across the sands of the crimson planet. (Serialized in Amazing Stories Annual: 1927.)

A Fighting Man of Mars was originally serialized in Blue Book Magazine (in 6 parts: beginning in April 1930.) A strange new weapon attacks the airfleet of John Carter, Warlord of Mars - and Sanoma Tora, princess of Helium, is kidnapped. Hadron of Hastor, one of Carter's finest warriors, takes to the field to avenge Helium and locate the hidden foe. His adventures among the little known ancient cities of Mars, his comradeship with the brave warrior-woman Tavia, and their struggle together against the hordes of a cunning monarch, make this a science fiction classic.