LibriVox dies Martis: Listen to reading of 1905 novel Gulliver of Mars by Edwin L. Arnold

LibriVox, the website dedicated to the acoustical liberation of books in the public domain, has set many important literary works free, including Gulliver of Mars. An under-appreciated escapist science fiction/fantasy novel written by English author Edwin L. Arnold that was originally published under the title Lieut. Gullivar Jones: His Vacation (1905), Gulliver of Mars is often considered “a literary and chronological bridge between H.G. Wells and Edgar Rice Burroughs.” Here’s a description of the novel, taken from the back cover of the Ace paperback edition published in the mid-1960’s. Note the awful cover art by the late Frank Frazetta.

Lieutenant Gulliver Jones, U.S.N., arrived on Mars in a most unexpected fashion and promptly found himself head-over-heels in adventure. For Mars was a planet of ruined cities, ancient peoples, copper-skinned swordsmen, and weird and awesome monsters. There was a princess to be rescued, a River of Death to be navigated, and a strange prophecy to be fulfilled.

Here is a long-lost classic of interplanetary adventure which some science-fiction experts think may have helped to inspire the immortal Edgar Rice Burroughs. Though by no means a Burroughs novel, everyone who has ever enjoyed a novel of Barsoom will find Edwin L. Arnold's Gulliver of Mars a special reading delight.

Narrated by James Christopher, a volunteer reader and coordinator of LibriVox audiobook releases, Gulliver of Mars has a total running time of about 6:15 hours and is downloadable in several formats, including MP3.