Edgar Rice Burroughs Biography
Edgar Rice Burroughs created one of pop literature’s most enduring characters—Tarzan. Burroughs studied at several military schools as a youngster, including Philips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, and the Michigan Military Academy. But after failing to gain entrance into West Point, he enlisted in the army, only to be discharged early because of a heart problem. He then had a series of odd jobs for several years before deciding to write. After reading several popular stories in pulp magazines, he was determined to create something even more entertaining. Thus was Tarzan born. Though Burroughs did write many other stories, especially science fiction such as The Land That Time Forgot, he continued to capitalize on the Tarzan franchise, eventually turning the heroic man-ape into a cultural icon.
Facts and Trivia
- Burroughs was working as a pencil-sharpener wholesaler when he first started writing his Tarzan novels.
- In 1923, he set up his own company—Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc.—and began printing his own books. By doing so, he was able to make a good deal of money, even throughout the Great Depression.
- During the attacks on Pearl Harbor, Burroughs was living in Hawaii. He became the oldest war correspondent for the United States during World War II.
- In 1919, Burroughs bought a ranch near Los Angeles and named it Tarzana. The name was popular with local residents, who voted to rename the town Tarzana in 1928.
- Burroughs wrote roughly seventy novels before his death in 1950.
- There is a crater on Mars named after him.
Biography
Edgar Rice Burroughs, though not hailed as a literary icon in his time, became a pivotal figure in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. His tales, particularly those of Tarzan and John Carter, have left a lasting cultural imprint. Despite facing numerous challenges in his early career, Burroughs leveraged his knack for storytelling into a thriving, though often unacknowledged, legacy.
Formative Years
Born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois, Edgar Rice Burroughs was the youngest of four sons. His father, George Tyler Burroughs, had been a Union Army brevet major during the Civil War and later established himself as a successful businessman in Chicago. Edgar was raised in a comfortable, middle-class environment, surrounded by a loving family. With aspirations set high by their parents, his brothers graduated from prestigious universities like Yale and Harvard. Edgar, however, had a different path. Initially educated in private schools, he was sent to Idaho in 1891 during a flu epidemic. There, he found inspiration amongst the rugged cowboys and miners, developing a fondness for the Western lifestyle and horsemanship. This period of adventure ended when he was called back to Chicago, marking the start of a challenging phase in his life.
Upon his return, Edgar was enrolled at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts, a preparatory step towards an Ivy League education. His natural charm won him friends, but academic success eluded him, leading to his departure after just one semester. Subsequently, he attended Michigan Military Academy in Orchard Park, Michigan, where he fared better, although not without incident. Edgar aspired to attend West Point but failed the entrance exam. He then joined the Seventh Cavalry, seeking a career in the Army. However, by the time he arrived at Fort Grant in Arizona in 1896, the Indian Wars had concluded, and his military ambitions were dashed by illness. Returning to Idaho, he attempted to run a stationery store, which quickly failed, pushing him back to Chicago to work under his father. Despite a stable job and marriage to Emma Centennia Hulbert, the daughter of a prominent hotelier, Burroughs felt stifled and left the family business in 1903.
Path to Writing
Burroughs's journey to becoming a writer was neither straightforward nor planned. From 1903 to 1911, he experienced numerous career setbacks, launching businesses and taking on various roles, including a stint as a railroad policeman and a door-to-door salesman. Desperation even led him to unsuccessfully pursue a military commission in China. A brief period of stability came with a managerial role at Sears, Roebuck and Company, which he left in a quest for independence.
By 1911, financial hardship had escalated, with Burroughs struggling to provide for his family and resorting to pawning his wife's jewelry. In this dire situation, while seated at a borrowed desk amid a failing pencil-sharpener business, he penned an imaginative story set on Mars. This work introduced John Carter, a Confederate Army captain turned Martian hero. Burroughs sold the story to Argosy magazine, and it was published as A Princess of Mars in 1912, marking his entry into professional writing.
Literary Breakthrough
Burroughs quickly became a prolific writer, churning out novels at a remarkable pace. Among the early successes was Tarzan of the Apes, which captured readers' imaginations when it appeared in All-Story magazine in 1912 and was published as a book in 1914. The novel, chronicling the life of an aristocratic English child raised by apes in Africa, became a cultural phenomenon, spawning numerous adaptations and films starting in 1918.
In the novel, Tarzan is not the simplistic character seen in later films. He educates himself, becoming a...
(This entire section contains 1087 words.)
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linguistic prodigy fluent in several languages, including French and English. Once aware of his aristocratic roots, he seamlessly navigates both the jungle and civilized society, critiquing the latter's corruption. Burroughs credited Rudyard Kipling’sThe Jungle Book and the myth of Romulus and Remus as inspirations for Tarzan, reflecting contemporary American anxieties about urbanization and the loss of the frontier.
Legacy and Impact
Burroughs proved adept at capitalizing on his literary creations. His astute marketing strategies, coupled with his prolific output, secured him financial success. Although World War I stirred thoughts of joining the conflict, he ultimately served as a captain in the Illinois Reserves and later settled in California with his family, naming his new estate "Tarzana Ranch." This area eventually developed into the community of Tarzana, California.
Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, Burroughs continued to write, occasionally venturing into Westerns and "naturalistic" novels but frequently returning to his beloved characters on Mars and in Africa. He also expanded into new series, such as Pellucidar and Carson Napier of Venus. His personal life, however, faced strains with marital discord leading to two divorces.
During World War II, Burroughs moved to Hawaii and witnessed the Pearl Harbor attack. He served as a war correspondent in the Pacific but health issues, particularly with his heart, slowed him down. Returning to California in 1945, he spent his remaining years overseeing his business interests and spending time with family until his death on March 19, 1950.
Enduring Influence
Despite never achieving critical acclaim, Burroughs left an indelible mark on popular culture. His works, dismissed by literary critics, nonetheless found a vast audience and have remained in print since his death. Burroughs's storytelling prowess, vibrant settings, and compelling characters have inspired numerous adaptations and have been foundational to modern science fiction and fantasy genres.
In a field often resistant to change, Burroughs's novels stood out for their imaginative scope and entertainment value, even as they eschewed deep character exploration and moral complexity. While not a staple of academic study, Edgar Rice Burroughs’s contributions to American literature continue to resonate with readers, securing his place as an enduring figure in the literary landscape.
Further Reading
For those interested in exploring Burroughs's life and work further, several resources are available:
- Brady, Clark A. The Burroughs Cyclopedia. Provides detailed information about Burroughs’s fictional worlds.
- Fenton, Robert W. The Big Swingers. Offers insights into Burroughs's life and the impact of his Tarzan series, including film adaptations.
- Holtsmark, Erling B. Edgar Rice Burroughs. Analyzes Burroughs's fiction with a brief biography.
- Holtsmark, Erling B. Tarzan and Tradition: Classical Myth in Popular Literature. Discusses the themes and techniques in the Tarzan novels.
- Porges, Irwin. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Man Who Created Tarzan. A comprehensive biography based on extensive research.
- Taliaferro, John. Tarzan Forever: The Life of Edgar Rice Burroughs, the Man Who Created Tarzan. A concise biography of Burroughs.
- Zeuschner, Robert B. Edgar Rice Burroughs: The Exhaustive Scholar’s and Collector’s Descriptive Bibliography. Offers a thorough bibliography of Burroughs’s works.
