Pirates of Venus
Dust-jacket of Pirates of Venus
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| Author | Edgar Rice Burroughs |
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| Cover artist | J. Allen St. John |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | Amtor |
| Genre | Science fantasy |
| Publisher | Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. |
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Publication date
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1934 |
| Media type | Print (hardback & paperback) |
| Pages | 314 |
| Followed by | Lost on Venus |
Pirates of Venus is the first book in the Venus series (also called the "Carson Napier of Venus series") by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs, the last major series in Burroughs's career (the other major series were Tarzan, Barsoom, and Pellucidar). It was first serialized in six parts in Argosy in 1932 and published in book form two years later by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. The events occur on a fictionalized version of the planet Venus, known as "Amtor" to its inhabitants.
The novel contains elements of political satire aimed at communism. The novel's villains, the Thorists, start a revolution in the nation of Vepaja for their own good only, cheating the uneducated masses and killing or driving away those doctors and other highly educated that form the foundation of the society. Throughout the book the Thorists remain distant and unreal, and those few that the hero Carson Napier meets are often stupid or incompetent. The Kalkars, villains of Burroughs' other novel The Moon Maid, were also modeled on the Russian Communists.)
Carson Napier
When the author receives a letter saying a woman in white will come to him on the night of the thirteenth, he dismisses it as nonsense. Jason Gridley calls, and the author visits him to discuss the latest news about von Horst, Tarzan, David Innes, Captain Zuppner and Abner Perry in Pellucidar. Having forgetten the letter, however, the woman does appear on the thirteenth, walking through a closed door. She tells him that "he" awaits a reply. Aided by his secretary Ralph Rothmund, the letter is found again and a reply to the sender, Carson Napier, is sent. A few days later Carson shows up at Tarzana, telling the story of his life including how he grew up in India, learning telepathy from the Hindu mystic Chand Kabi, how he lived with his mother's grandfather John Carson, and how he lost his mother. Revealing an intent to fly a rocket to Mars, he fades from view only to enter through the door again. He has used telepathy for the meeting to ascertain they can uphold telepathic communication so that the author may become the medium through which he tells the story of his adventures. Before returning to his rocket on Guadalupe Island Napier also leaves the author in charge of his personal fortune.
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