Books like A Princess of Mars

A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs reads as adventurous, imaginative. These 12 books share its genome — matched by how they actually read, not just their shelf label.

What A Princess of Mars is like to read

A propulsive planetary-romance adventure narrated in earnest, slightly archaic first person — swordfights, alien vistas, and a chivalric love story delivered with breathless forward momentum. Best for: readers who want foundational pulp sci-fi adventure with sword-and-planet spectacle and a clear heroic arc.

The War of the Worlds

H.G. Wells · 1898

A quasi-journalistic first-person account of Martian invasion that reads as both eyewitness reportage and philosophical meditation on empire and human insignificance.

intensely scarycomplete story

Dune

Frank Herbert · 1965

A dense, deliberately paced epic where ecology, religion, and imperial politics braid into a messianic coming-of-age.

mildly eeriecomplete story

The Gods of Mars

Edgar Rice Burroughs · 1918

A pulp-planetary-romance adventure: John Carter crash-lands back on Mars into a lethal 'Eden' and fights his way through, driven by the search for his lost love.

mildly eeriecliffhangerdeep cut

The Lost World

Arthur Conan Doyle · 1930

A rollicking Edwardian expedition novel narrated in dispatch form — brisk chapters, larger-than-life Challenger blustering through, and genuine wonder at the plateau's prehistoric menagerie.

creepy, not gorycomplete story

Conan

Robert E. Howard · 1967

A collection of episodic sword-and-sorcery adventures pulled from pulp origins, each story a self-contained clash of barbarian brawn and dark magic.

complete storydeep cut

Legend

David A. Gemmell · 1984

A gritty siege-and-vengeance epic centered on an aging warrior forced back into violence, blending brutal battle scenes with a surprisingly tender inner struggle.

mildly eeriedeep cut

Nomads of Gor

John Norman · 1969

A brutal survival narrative following Tarl Cabot through Gor's warring factions and hostile social hierarchies, maintaining the series' dark, high-stakes tone without relief.

deep cut

Eight Hundred Leagues on the Amazon

Jules Verne · 1881

A methodical descent into the Amazon's dangers and wonders, balancing scientific curiosity with moral urgency as characters navigate wilderness perils in pursuit of justice.

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