"The Gods of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs is a science fantasy novel first published in 1913. After ten years away, John Carter returns to Mars only to materialize in the Valley Dor—the Martian afterlife from which no one may leave. Reunited with his friend Tars Tarkas, Carter discovers that Mars's supposed gods are frauds who enslave pilgrims. He must navigate deadly plant creatures, false deities, and warring factions while desperately searching for his beloved wife Dejah Thoris, who may have journeyed to find him. (This is an automatically generated summary.)