The story in one page
After a tantrum leads Tara of Helium to fly her scout craft into a violent Martian gale, she crash-lands in Bantoom, a valley ruled by the Kaldanes. These creatures are little more than mobile brains that parasitically attach themselves to the necks of mindless, bred bodies called Rykors. Captured as a specimen to be fattened and eaten, Tara finds an unlikely ally in Ghek, a Kaldane who discovers the joy of singing. Their escape leads them to Manator, a city where the inhabitants preserve their dead as statues and settle all disputes through Jetan — a chess-like game played with living warriors on a checkered floor where 'taking a piece' requires a duel to the death.
Who's who
- Tara of Helium
A headstrong princess and skilled pilot seeking to prove her independence.
- Gahan of Gathol
A prince who disguises himself as a panthan to win Tara's heart.
- Ghek
A Kaldane foreman who defects from his hive-mind after experiencing individual emotion.
- Luud
The king of the Kaldanes who seeks to evolve through pure logic.
- O-Tar
The cruel Jeddak of Manator who enforces the city's ancient, bloody traditions.
What it's really about
- Intellect vs. Emotion
- Contrasts the cold logic of the Kaldanes with human passion.
- Tradition as Stagnation
- Portrays Manator's obsession with the past as a literal death cult.
Why it's memorable
- A Kaldane detaching its spider-like legs to ride on the shoulders of a headless Rykor body.
- The Hall of Dead, where former Jeddaks are propped up in lifelike, silent poses.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
After winning the Great Game of Jetan through superior swordsmanship, Gahan reveals his true identity to Tara, who finally admits her love for him. John Carter visits Earth to recount the tale, leaving a physical mark on a concrete arch to prove the encounter wasn't a dream.
For your book club
- The biological horror of the Kaldanes remains one of the most inventive concepts in early sci-fi.
- Jetan's detailed rules became so popular they are still played by fans today.