Post by Finarvyn on Mar 11, 2012 9:07:57 GMT -6
I have some friends who have never read the John Carter books. They asked me what made the setting so cool, and this got me to thinking about a list of what makes the world of Barsoom so neat for me.
1. It’s basically a naval setting. I love sailing ships and the Horatio Hornblower kind of thing, and with the flying ships Barsoom is a lot like this. The problem with ocean adventures is that if you fall overboard you tend to die if you don’t find an island in a hurry, but on Barsoom you get to wander a dead seabottom. I suppose on Barsoom you might die if you don’t find a ruined city in a hurry, but overall you can adventure a while first.
2. The whole chivalry thing. I’m a big fan of King Arthur and knights of the round table, and this type of code of honor style setting has long been a favorite of mine. Of course there are no knights on Barsoom, but the feeling of honor is pervasive throughout the books. Someone attacks you, you fight back with an equal or lesser weapon. Everyone behaves like a gentleman or they get ostracized by society.
3. Good versus evil. I like settings where the you can tell the good guys from the bad guys. Something where the bad guys have a twisted master plan and the good guys have to stop it. Helium is good, Zodanga is evil. No real discussion about “a certain point of view” or anything like that. (Sort of like comparing the original Star Wars to the eventual six-movie Star Wars epic -- in the original it was clear that Vader was a bad guy but in the epic he is just misguided.)
4. Fun blend of tech and non-tech. Maybe this is part of the “age of pirates” thing, but I like the idea of a hero with sword in one hand and flintlock in the other. Barsoom has firearms but not nukes or machine guns. Barsoom has guns but you may be using a sword instead. Something about that era makes me happy.
5. Lost civilizations. While there are populated cities on Mars, there are also a wealth of ruined cities. Something “Indiana Jones” about wandering through a ruined city not knowing if you’ll find a monster, some cool piece of lost technology, or maybe some long-lost treasure. Cities have the “pits” (megadungeon) as well, which makes for lots of potential adventure.
6. It’s basically familiar. There may be some strange critters out there, but most of the people are basic humans doing basic things. Barsoom has a nice blend of the familiar with the exotic.
How about you? What makes you love Barsoom?
1. It’s basically a naval setting. I love sailing ships and the Horatio Hornblower kind of thing, and with the flying ships Barsoom is a lot like this. The problem with ocean adventures is that if you fall overboard you tend to die if you don’t find an island in a hurry, but on Barsoom you get to wander a dead seabottom. I suppose on Barsoom you might die if you don’t find a ruined city in a hurry, but overall you can adventure a while first.
2. The whole chivalry thing. I’m a big fan of King Arthur and knights of the round table, and this type of code of honor style setting has long been a favorite of mine. Of course there are no knights on Barsoom, but the feeling of honor is pervasive throughout the books. Someone attacks you, you fight back with an equal or lesser weapon. Everyone behaves like a gentleman or they get ostracized by society.
3. Good versus evil. I like settings where the you can tell the good guys from the bad guys. Something where the bad guys have a twisted master plan and the good guys have to stop it. Helium is good, Zodanga is evil. No real discussion about “a certain point of view” or anything like that. (Sort of like comparing the original Star Wars to the eventual six-movie Star Wars epic -- in the original it was clear that Vader was a bad guy but in the epic he is just misguided.)
4. Fun blend of tech and non-tech. Maybe this is part of the “age of pirates” thing, but I like the idea of a hero with sword in one hand and flintlock in the other. Barsoom has firearms but not nukes or machine guns. Barsoom has guns but you may be using a sword instead. Something about that era makes me happy.
5. Lost civilizations. While there are populated cities on Mars, there are also a wealth of ruined cities. Something “Indiana Jones” about wandering through a ruined city not knowing if you’ll find a monster, some cool piece of lost technology, or maybe some long-lost treasure. Cities have the “pits” (megadungeon) as well, which makes for lots of potential adventure.
6. It’s basically familiar. There may be some strange critters out there, but most of the people are basic humans doing basic things. Barsoom has a nice blend of the familiar with the exotic.
How about you? What makes you love Barsoom?