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<blockquote data-quote="Wofano Wotanto" data-source="post: 9318804" data-attributes="member: 7044704">Definitely seemed to evolve that way to me, which suggests at least some contributors were collaborating more closely as time went by.&nbsp; Seems like a natural development when you've all agreed to share a world, although I'm not enough of a writer to know if that's really true.&nbsp;&nbsp; Coincidentally, that's the last ERB I re-read after randomly finding a copy at a library sale - late last year IIRC.&nbsp; I think I'm happy it was that one, and am inclined to agree with folks who say the stories were some deliberate (albeit mild) self-parody by Burroughs.&nbsp; It certainly takes itself less seriously than some of the earlier books in the and turns the dial up on absurd coincidences, the wry humor and sheer weirdness a fair bit.&nbsp; The ending's a bit unsatisfactory, but considering the whole thing's effectively a fixup novel built out of four short stories that's not too shocking.&nbsp; Serialized the same year as Pearl Harbor, and the last completed Barsoom story arc before ERB died, since Skeleton Men is just the first part of a larger unfinished story.Still has some memorable bits of worldbuilding for all its age.&nbsp; The whole setting of Horz (and the catacombs beneath it) would be at home in a non-Barsoomian weird horror or swords &amp; sorcery tale,[SPOILER=&quot;and later spoilers.&quot;]Panar's cryogenically-preserved army is an interesting if utterly implausible touch, and the Invak/Onvak situation is both strange and farcical enough to feel like something from the Dying Earth. [/SPOILER]</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Wofano Wotanto, post: 9318804, member: 7044704"] Definitely seemed to evolve that way to me, which suggests at least some contributors were collaborating more closely as time went by. Seems like a natural development when you've all agreed to share a world, although I'm not enough of a writer to know if that's really true. Coincidentally, that's the last ERB I re-read after randomly finding a copy at a library sale - late last year IIRC. I think I'm happy it was that one, and am inclined to agree with folks who say the stories were some deliberate (albeit mild) self-parody by Burroughs. It certainly takes itself less seriously than some of the earlier books in the and turns the dial up on absurd coincidences, the wry humor and sheer weirdness a fair bit. The ending's a bit unsatisfactory, but considering the whole thing's effectively a fixup novel built out of four short stories that's not too shocking. Serialized the same year as Pearl Harbor, and the last completed Barsoom story arc before ERB died, since Skeleton Men is just the first part of a larger unfinished story. Still has some memorable bits of worldbuilding for all its age. The whole setting of Horz (and the catacombs beneath it) would be at home in a non-Barsoomian weird horror or swords & sorcery tale, [SPOILER="and later spoilers."]Panar's cryogenically-preserved army is an interesting if utterly implausible touch, and the Invak/Onvak situation is both strange and farcical enough to feel like something from the Dying Earth. [/SPOILER] [/QUOTE]

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