Welcome to StarWarp Concepts!

StarWarp Concepts—I’ll admit it’s not exactly the kind of name you’d expect for a publishing company that mostly specializes in tales of horror and dark urban fantasy, but then we’ve always had that penchant for making unexpected (and sometimes unusual) left-hand turns on the road of life, so why shouldn’t that apply to our science-fictiony-sounding name as well?

After a brief start as a small-press comic house (our titles were digest sized and turned out on photocopiers) in 1989, we launched as a full-size-comics publisher in 1993 (thus making 2023 our 30th anniversary year!) with the release of the comic book Lorelei, Vol. 1 #0, which introduced readers to the world of Laurel Ashley O’Hara, a woman destined to become the soul-stealing succubus called Lorelei. Over the three decades that followed, we’ve grown into a publisher of novels, comic books, graphic novels, sketchbooks, nonfiction books, and classic reprints that are available for sale in brick-and-mortar stores and through online booksellers and distributors (as well as our own webstore, of course). 

Currently, our backlist spans the following genres:

Dark urban fantasy: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback is a young adult, dark-urban-fantasy novel series written by Steven A. Roman (that’s me!). It stars a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets a shape-shifting monster hunter named Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin, in the first novel, Blood Feud, that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. But before Pan can learn more about what she can do, she and her parents are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans that leads into Blood Reign, the second action-packed novel, in which Pan must deal with even greater threats. 

Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase is author Richard C. White’s collection of fantasy-noir, pulp-detective tales starring a private eye working the supernatural beat in the city of Calasia. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

Science FictionA Princess of Mars, by Tarzan creator Edgar Rice Burroughs, is a science-fantasy adventure about Civil War veteran John Carter, who finds love and adventure on the planet Mars by winning the heart of the beautiful Martian princess Dejah Thoris; as part of our Illustrated Classics line of books, it includes black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia. 

Nonfiction: Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is perfect for budding authors as well as RPG fans interested in building their own fantasy and science fiction environments. In this how-to book, author Richard C. White takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. It’s become such a popular book that it’s even become part of the syllabus for the Interactive Media Design (i.e., game design) program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

From the Stars…a Vampiress: An Unauthorized Guide to Vampirella’s Classic Horror Adventures, by Steven A. Roman, is a nonfiction history of Vampirella that takes an extensive look at her early days, from the debut of her series in 1969 to the death of Warren Publishing in 1983. In addition, you’ll find the tale of Hammer Films’ unproduced film adaptation of the 1970s that was to star Barbara Leigh and Peter Cushing (Grand Moff Tarkin of Star Wars); an in-depth guide to all her Warren stories; a checklist of all her Warren appearances; an overview of the six novelizations by pulp sci-fi author Ron Goulart that were published in the 1970s by Warner Books; and a look at the awful 1996 direct-to-cable-TV movie that was made, starring Talisa Soto and Roger Daltrey.

Fantasy adventure: For a Few Gold Pieces More is a collection of stories by Richard C. White that’s like Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of DollarsThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly), as a Rogue With No Name travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did). 

Harbinger of Darkness is Rich’s original novel in which a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. With thugs and fellow thieves and the king’s assassins hot on her trail, Perrin finds just staying alive is becoming a full-time occupation, which directly conflict with her secret life—and identity—as a humble bookseller’s daughter. It’s sword-swinging adventure at its finest!

Comic book and graphic novelsThe Saga of Pandora Zwieback Annual #1 features stories by author Steven A. Roman and comic writer Sholly Fisch (The Batman & Scooby-Doo Mysteries), with art provided by Eliseu Gouveia (Stargate Universe), Elizabeth Watasin (Charm School), and comic-art legend Ernie Colon (Amethyst, Princess of Gemworld). Heartstopper: The Legend of La Bella Tenebrosa is a three-issue 1990s miniseries “prequel” to Pandora Zwieback that introduced monster hunter Sebastian Mazarin in her “bad-girl comics” days, written by Steven A. Roman, with pencils by Uriel Caton (JSA Annual), Holly Golightly, aka Holly G! (Archie Comics’ Cassie Cloud), and David C. Matthews (Satin Steele), and inks by Alan Larsen (Femforce) and “Chainsaw” Chuck Majewski (Harvey Kurtzman’s New Two-Fisted Tales).

Lorelei: Sects and the City is a Mature Readers graphic novel involving a succubus battling a cult of Elder God worshipers, written by Steven A. Roman and illustrated by Eliseu Gouveia, Steve Geiger (Web of Spider-Man), and Neil Vokes (Tom Holland’s Fright Night). Lorelei Presents: House Macabre is an anthology comic containing tales written by Steven A. Roman and Dwight Jon Zimmerman (She-Hulk), with art by Uriel Caton & Chuck Majewski, Lou Manna (Young All-Stars), John Pierard (My Teacher Fried My Brains), and Juan Carlos Abarldes Rendo (Bloke’s Terrible Tomb of Terror). Lorelei: Genesis collects Lori’s original small-press comic appearances from 1989 and 1991, written and drawn by her creator, Steven A. Roman, whose other digital-only title, Heroines and Heroes, collects the superhero comic stories he’s drawn. 

Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings is a graphic novel starring a group of supernatural superheroes for hire on their first mission, written by the husband-and-wife team of Richard C. and Joni M. White, with art by Reggie Golden and Randy Zimmerman. And The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special is a digital-only, 48-page pirate-fantasy adventure by writer Richard C. White and artist Bill Bryan (House of Mystery).

Comic art booksThe Bob Larkin Sketchbook is a collection of rarely seen pencil drawings by the acclaimed cover painter for Doc Savage, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel Comics, Planet of the Apes, Conan the Barbarian, and our own Saga of Pandora Zwieback. Included is a pair of original Doc Savage–related pinups done especially for this book.

Classic literature: Know a reader with a passion for old-school genre literature? They might be interested in our line of Illustrated Classics. Carmilla, by J. Sheridan Le Fanu, is a 19th–century paranormal romance between a vampire and her next intended victim—or lover—that contains six black-and-white illustrations by Eliseu Gouveia. King Kong is the 1932 novelization by Delos W. Lovelace that adapts the screen story by Edgar Wallace and Merian C. Cooper used for the classic monster movie, enhanced by six black-and-white illustrations by Paul Tuma. And Snow White is the timeless Brothers Grimm fairy tale, made even more enchanting by a collection of full-color illustrations first published in 1883. 

We also have SWC Horror Bites, a digital-exclusive series of classic tales. White Fell: The Werewolf, by Clemence Annie Housman, is considered the first feminist werewolf story. And Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is the Halloween classic about schoolteacher Ichabod Crane and his unfortunate encounter with the terrifying Headless Horseman.

Most of our titles are available in both print and digital formats, so visit their respective product pages for further information. And then get ready for the titles we’ve got lined up for this year!

Posted in Classic Fiction, Comic Books, Dark Urban Fantasy, Digital Comics, Fantasy, Graphic Novels, Horror, Illustrated Classics, Nonfiction, Publishing, Science Fiction, Sketchbooks, StarWarp Concepts, Writing Reference Books, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Welcome to StarWarp Concepts!

Happy Science Fiction Day 2023!

According to the National Day Calendar, National Science Fiction Day was launched in 2011 and was meant to correspond with this being the birth date of legendary sci-fi writer Isaac Asimov—author of such renowned classics as the Foundation Trilogy and I, Robot—who was born in 1920. It’s a celebration, the NDC says, that “encourages reading or watching science fiction.”

Well, if you’re looking for some quality sci-fi to read on this special day, might we suggest an SWC Illustrated Classic?

A Princess of Mars, originally published in 1912, is the first in the “John Carter of Mars” ten-novel series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, best known as the creator of the pulp-fiction jungle lord, Tarzan. Unlike Tarzan’s African adventures, Princess is the story of a post–Civil War era American who suddenly finds himself transported to the Red Planet, where he must constantly fight to stay alive against all sorts of alien threats—and where he falls in love with Dejah Thoris, the titular Martian princess. It served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter—a movie that didn’t deserve the poor treatment it got from the studio and is definitely worth checking out, if you’ve never seen it—and inspired works like Alex Raymond’s Flash Gordon, George Lucas’s Star Wars, and James Cameron’s Avatar.

The StarWarp Concepts edition of A Princess of Mars features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds.

A Princess of Mars is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Holidays, Illustrated Classics, Princess of Mars, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Science Fiction Day 2023!

Quality SWC Books for Your New E-reader

With yesterday being Christmas Day, and one of our ebook distributors, Smashwords, currently in the midst of its annual End of Year Sale, the timing couldn’t be better for those of you who either received a new e-reader as a Christmas or Hanukkah present, might receive one during Kwanzaa (which kicks off today), or already own one and are looking to add new books to your reading list.

Well, it just so happens that we have fantasy and dark urban fantasy e-books that would be perfect to add to your holiday reading list!

First off, there are the titles that form The Worlds of Richard C. White, from the bestselling fantasy and science fiction author of Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil and Star Trek SCE: Echoes of Coventry:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is his popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which Rich takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons. In fact, the book is so popular that it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media & Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

For a Few Gold Pieces More is a collection of fantasy short stories about a Rogue With No Name who travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did). Think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of DollarsThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly). It’s “entertaining, old-school sword and sorcery, in the tradition of [Fritz Lieber’s] Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser,” according to author Jim C. Hines of the Magic ex Libris book series, and we at SWC couldn’t agree more!

In the fantasy adventure novel Harbinger of Darkness, a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. With thugs and fellow thieves and the king’s assassins hot on her trail, Perrin finds just staying alive is becoming a full-time occupation, which directly conflict with her secret life—and identity—as a humble bookseller’s daughter. It’s sword-swinging adventure at its finest!

And Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase is Rich’s collection of fantasy-noir, pulp-detective tales starring a private eye working the supernatural beat in the city of Calasia. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

You can also obtain our Saga of Pandora Zwieback young adult novels, Blood Feud and Blood Reign—written by yours truly, Steven A. Roman. You know how popular young adult books are these days, don’t you? 

Pan is a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets an immortal monster hunter named Annie that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. You’ll find Pan battling her own brand of evil dead in the following titles:

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1: This critically acclaimed novel is the beginning of Pan’s story, explaining how she, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father. It’s a character-driven action-fest that leads immediately into the second novel:

Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2: Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover!

So if you’re looking to break in that new e-reader by adding some awesome titlesto your digital bookshelves, visit each title’s product page—you can order from us, or follow the links there to our distributors, like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and, of course Smashwords—and place your order today! Happy reading!

Posted in Dark Urban Fantasy, e-books, Fantasy, Holidays, Writing Reference Books, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Quality SWC Books for Your New E-reader

Happy Holidays!

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , | Comments Off on Happy Holidays!

Talking Editing on a Sunday Night: The Recap

For those who might have missed the livestream, last night I joined the latest laid-back panel discussion on J.D. Calderon’s YouTube interview series Indy Comics Explained, on the latest installment of his ongoing panel-chat series “Talking Comics on a Sunday Night.” Its topic: “Are Editors and Editing Necessary for Indy Comics?”

J.D. and his cohosts, publisher Jaydee Rosario (Unstoppable Comics) and artist C. Michael Lanning, had on former Marvel Comics editor and writer Alin Silverwood (publisher of PopSkull Press) and Odyssey Comics publisher Marcus McNeal. And me, of course! (In case you didn’t know, I was a professional mainstream editor for over a decade, first as an editor at book packaging company Byron Preiss Visual Publications, and then as editor in chief of its ibooks, inc. publishing imprint.)

It was, as the saying goes, a spirited discussion involving what an editor is, their importance to a project, and what editors expect from writers; I tossed in an anecdote or two about working with both writers and fellow editors. Then we moved on to such topics as whether any of us would have taken a chance on publishing the original Eastman/Laird version of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—either back in the b&w comic days of the 1980s or today—the ins and outs of working with letterers, and promoting the participants’ various Kickstarter campaigns.

So now you know the basics, but to get the full experience, head on over to the actual “Talking Comics on a Sunday Night” panel at Indy Comics Explained and see for yourself!

Posted in Comic Book Writing, Comic Books, Interviews, On Writing, Publishing, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Talking Editing on a Sunday Night: The Recap

Smashwords’ End of Year 2022 Ebook Sale Is Underway!

Hey, book lovers! Today’s the day when e-book distributor Smashwords (and its parent company, Draft2Digital) launches its annual End of Year Sale, during which you can purchase thousands of digital books at special prices! It runs from December 15 to January 1, 2023—and yes, you’ll need to set up an account (it’s free) to take advantage of this promotion. 

Included among the many participating publishers is StarWarp Concepts (of course), which means you can get the following digital titles at 25% off:

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. A bonus feature is an exclusive interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

Blood Feud: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 1 is my young adult novel that’s perfect for lovers of dark urban fantasy. It introduces readers to Pandora Zwieback, a 16-year-old Goth girl who’s spent the last decade being treated for mental health problems because she can see monsters. It’s only after she meets professional monster hunter Sebastienne “Annie” Mazarin that Pan discovers she’s never been ill—her so-called “monstervision” is actually a supernatural gift that allows her to see into Gothopolis, the not-so-mythical shadow world that exists right alongside the human world. In Blood Feud, Pan, her parents and friends, and Annie are drawn into a conflict among warring vampire clans searching for the key to an ultimate weapon (or so the legend goes)—a key that just so happens to have been delivered to the horror-themed museum owned by Pan’s father.

In Blood Reign: The Saga of Pandora Zwieback, Book 2, Pan and Annie face even greater challenges as the vampire clans draw up plans to go to war with humanity. Leading the charge is a fallen angel named Zaqiel, whose previous attempt at subjugating the world was stopped by Annie—who, back in the day, was Zaqiel’s lover! But Pan isn’t about to let some ancient monster win the day, not when the lives of her parents and friends—along with those of every human on the planet—are at stake, so she leads a charge of her own. But whose side is going to emerge the victor remains to be seen…

For a Few Gold Pieces More is Rich White’s collection of linked fantasy short stories about a Rogue With No Name who travels a world of epic-fantasy adventure, looking for treasure, romance—and revenge against the woman who sent him to prison for a crime he didn’t commit (but she did). Think Lord of the Rings meets the “spaghetti Westerns” of director Sergio Leone (A Fistful of DollarsThe Good, the Bad, and the Ugly).

Harbinger of Darkness is Rich’s original fantasy-adventure novel in which a thief named Perrin steals an extremely valuable—and magical—gem from the evil king ruling her home country. With thugs and fellow thieves and the king’s assassins hot on her trail, Perrin finds just staying alive is becoming a full-time occupation, which directly conflict with her secret life—and identity—as a humble bookseller’s daughter. It’s sword-swinging adventure at its finest!

And Chasing Danger: The Case Files of Theron Chase is Rich’s collection of fantasy-noir, pulp-detective tales starring a private eye working the supernatural beat in the city of Calasia. From a sexy chanteuse who literally turns into a beast when the moon is full to a string of pearls that kills its owners, and from the ghost of a dead woman seeking justice to the Grim Reaper’s little girl seeking her stolen chicken, Theron Chase certainly has his hands full—of danger, death, and dames!

Again, the Smashwords End of Year Sale runs December 15, 2022 to January 1, 2023, so head over to the StarWarp Concepts publisher page at Smashwords and start your holiday-reading shopping!

Posted in Dark Urban Fantasy, e-books, e-tailers, Events, Fantasy, Writing Reference Books, Young Adult | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Smashwords’ End of Year 2022 Ebook Sale Is Underway!

Teach Your Kids to Game the SWC Way!

The holiday shopping season is in full swing, and among the presents being delivered by Santa will no doubt be a plethora of roleplaying games purchased by parents hoping to introduce their children to the joys of RPGing. And it just so happens that StarWarp Concepts has a book that’s perfect for budding gamemasters!

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is our popular how-to book for writers and gamers in which bestselling fantasy author Richard C. White (For a Few Gold Pieces More, Gauntlet: Dark Legacy: Paths of Evil, The Chronicles of the Sea Dragon Special, Troubleshooters, Incorporated: Night Stalkings) takes you through the step-by-step process of constructing a world for your characters, from societies and governments to currency and religion. Included is an interview with New York Times bestselling author Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance) that discusses his methods of world building, as well as his creative experiences during his time as a designer for gaming company TSR, the original home of Dungeons & Dragons.

What you’ll find in its pages is information that’s vital for just about any writer, especially when it comes to world building, and Rich shows you how to do it:

  • Avoiding the pitfalls of naming characters, regions, and countries
  • Applying the technique of “outside in” to develop and then refine ideas for your world
  • Creating a world your readers can relate to, regardless of its technological levels
  • Identify how to create backstories and conflict by observing how your world comes together
  • Adding details to make your story richer without overwhelming your readers
  • Identifying useful resources for research

From its first publication, the book has been a hit with not just fantasy writers, but role-playing gamers as well. When it debuted in October 2015 at the e-book distributor DriveThru Fiction and its sister sites DriveThru RPG and RPGNow, it immediately shot to the #1 position on all three as their top-selling title, and then remained for weeks as DriveThru Fiction’s #1 Hottest Nonfiction Book and #1 Hottest How-To for Writers! If you’re a writer or gamer, you might just want to check it out. In fact, it’s currently being used as a textbook in the Interactive Media & Game Development program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worchester, Massachusetts!

“I think Terra Incognito is a solid introduction to the subject of world building. The book succeeds in helping the aspiring writer in creating a skeletal framework for which to hang the moving parts required of a believable fictional setting.”The Gaming Gang

Terra Incognito: A Guide to Building the Worlds of Your Imagination is available in trade paperback, hardcover, and digital editions, so visit its product page and order a copy today!

Posted in Fantasy, Nonfiction, Publishing, Writing Reference Books | Tagged , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Teach Your Kids to Game the SWC Way!

Talking Comics Editing with J.D. Calderon

Hey, comic and fiction fans! This coming Sunday night, December 18th, I’ll be making a return appearance to J.D. Calderon’s YouTube interview series Indy Comics Explained, on the latest installment of his ongoing panel-chat series “Talking Comics on a Sunday Night.”

(J.D., by the way, is the writer/creator of the fantasy series The Oswald Chronicles and the anthropomorphic fantasy comic series Tall Tails, both published through his Dream Weaver Press company. He’s also been a friend of mine since we met back in the 1990s’ days of the indie comics explosion.)

My last appearance was back in October, when I was promoting the ultimately successful Kickstarter campaign for Piko Interactive’s The Legend of Calamity Jane: Box-Set DVD and Comic, which includes The Legend of Calamity Jane: The Devil Herself, the one-shot comic I’m collaborating on with artist/colorist Eliseu Gouveia (Lorelei: Sects and the City and the Saga of Pandora Zwieback comics) for Piko’s Virtual Comics imprint.

This time around, the subject will be editing (in comics and otherwise), and considering my background as a comic and book editor for the past three decades, J.D. asked me to join him and former Marvel Comics editor and writer Gary Barnum—who writes under the pen name Alin Silverwood—for a discussion. No doubt at some point it’ll turn into a collection of trench-warfare stories about our harrowing experiences working with comic creators. 🙂

So, be sure to tune in December 18th for “Talking Comics on a Sunday Night”!

Posted in Comic Books, Interviews, Publishing, Steven A. Roman | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Talking Comics Editing with J.D. Calderon

Happy Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day 2022!

Hey, book lovers! Today marks the twelfth annual Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day

Founded in 2010 by author Jessica Milchman, the event, held on the first Saturday in December, “is about instilling a love of bookstores in children so that they will value and support this most precious of resources as they go on to enter and create communities of their own” (according to its website).

Kids + reading + brick-and-mortar bookstores? Always a great combination!

For more information, including a map of the bookstores that are celebrating with events of their own, visit the TYCBD site.

Posted in Events, Reading | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Happy Take Your Child to a Bookstore Day 2022!

Happy Red Planet Day 2022!

According to the calendar site Happy Days 365, Red Planet Day “honors the launch of the spacecraft Mariner 4, a robotic interplanetary probe on 28th November 1964 by NASA and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). In the eight months it was on its journey, the Mariner 4 became the 1st spacecraft to fly by Mars successfully. It also gave the world the first close-up pictures of Mars.”

Of course, these days Mars is on the minds of a lot of people, now that NASA has taken the first steps toward having astronauts return to the Moon with the launch this month of the Artemis unmanned spacecraft that’s currently orbiting our rocky satellite. Because what’s the next goal for humanity venturing back into space? Exploring Mars, of course! Hey, if Matt Damon can do it with a bunch of pooptatoes and an Abba playlist, why not?

So how can you celebrate this special day? Well, we recommend reading a book about the red planet!

A Princess of Mars, originally published in 1912, is the first in the “John Carter of Mars” ten-novel series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, best known as the creator of the pulp-fiction jungle lord, Tarzan. Unlike Tarzan’s African adventures, Princess is the story of a post–Civil War era American who suddenly finds himself transported to the Red Planet, where he must constantly fight to stay alive against all sorts of alien threats—and where he falls in love with Dejah Thoris, the titular Martian princess. It served as the basis for Disney’s 2012 film adaptation, John Carter—a movie that didn’t deserve the poor treatment it got from the studio and is definitely worth checking out, if you’ve never seen it—and inspired a century’s worth of SF works, including Flash Gordon, Star Wars, and James Cameron’s Avatar (whose second installment is about to hit theaters).

The StarWarp Concepts edition—available in both print and digital formats—features six incredible illustrations by SWC artist supreme Eliseu Gouveia (Carmilla, Lorelei: Sects and the City), and a special introduction by Mars-fiction expert John Gosling, author of Waging the War of the Worlds. Here’s the back-cover synopsis:

Captain John Carter thought his days as a fighter were over. The South had lost the Civil War, and as a soldier now without a battle to fight or a cause to believe in, he journeyed west in search of a new life. 

But not even Carter could have expected that his new life would begin with his death in the Arizona desert, and his inexplicable arrival on the barren plains of the planet Mars. Or that he would find love in the eyes of the beauteous Dejah Thoris, princess of Helium. 

A prisoner of the giant, green-skinned warrior race called the Tharks, Dejah Thoris is meant to be used as a pawn in the ongoing war between the Tharks and her people, the red Martians—unless the gentleman from Virginia takes sword in hand to free her…and thus unite a divided world.

Once more, John Carter has a cause to fight for—and this time, a love to win, as well….

A Princess of Mars is available in print and digital formats. Visit its product page for ordering information.

Posted in Classic Fiction, Holidays, Princess of Mars, Science Fiction | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Happy Red Planet Day 2022!