'''A Princess of Mars is a science fantasy novel by American writer Edgar Rice Burroughs; the first of his Barsoom series. Full of swordplay and daring feats; the novel is considered a classic example of 20th-century pulp fiction. It is also a instance of the planetary romance; a subgenre of science fantasy that became highly popular in the decades following its publication. The story is set on Mars; imagined as a dying planet with a harsh desert environment. This vision of Mars was based on the work of the astronomer Percival Lowell; whose ideas were widely popularized in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.The Barsoom series inspired a number of well-known 20th-century science fiction writers; including Jack Vance; Ray Bradbury; Arthur C. Clarke; Robert A. Heinlein; and John Norman. The series was also inspirational for many scientists in the fields of space exploration and the search for extraterrestrial life; including Carl Sagan; who read A Princess of Mars when he was a child.'''