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Miniatures Adventure => VSF Adventures => Topic started by: gloriousbattle on December 23, 2011, 06:02:18 PM

Title: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: gloriousbattle on December 23, 2011, 06:02:18 PM
Back when Mars had seas, and their technology level was higher?  It seems I remember reading in one of the books that they did, though this is a common trope for ancient Martian societies, so I may be transposing it from some other book.

Thanks
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: Dewbakuk on December 23, 2011, 07:35:46 PM
Aren't Humans descended from Martians in the Barsoom 'world'? Or am I mixing things?
If so then they must have.
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: gloriousbattle on December 23, 2011, 08:03:14 PM
Aren't Humans descended from Martians in the Barsoom 'world'? Or am I mixing things?
If so then they must have.

Hmm.  I have no clue as to that.  Another mystery.
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: Fuzzywuzzieswiflasers on December 23, 2011, 10:29:43 PM
I have the whole Mars set but I have only read the first 4. No mention of any interplanetary travel as yet.

Beside John Carter himself  ;)

Cheers
Fuzzy
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: Dewbakuk on December 23, 2011, 11:50:24 PM
I don't believe it ever comes up in the books. I seem to remember something about martians moving to earth eventually when Mars dies though. Obviously this doesn't happen in the books, I think it was just a reference, possibly from the earth side.
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: Commander Roj on December 25, 2011, 09:24:31 PM
I havent read them for a while, but i was a big fan when younger. There is interplanetary travel in "Swords Of Mars" (Book 11?). However, IIRC the mastermind who built the vessel didnt reverse engineer but built it from scratch. I dont believe it was a rocket ship either, but possibly powered by mysterious Barsoomian rays.

I dont believe that Barsoomian technology stagnated once the water of the planet dried up either, but continued to advance even though the world was dying. 
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: gloriousbattle on December 25, 2011, 10:07:39 PM
I dont believe that Barsoomian technology stagnated once the water of the planet dried up either, but continued to advance even though the world was dying. 

Come to think of it, while I have read many times that their technology evaporated with the water, and while I assumed this was canon, I don't remember reading that in the books either.  I may have just made the assumption from some books on Barsoom by other authors, or possibly from gaming materials.
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: The_Beast on December 26, 2011, 01:16:28 PM
Unfortunately, my readings are so old, and there have been so many other 'homages' that I get confused as to which is source for any recollection.

Did Barsoom have star traveling ancient ones, not represented in the current races? Rather than descended from Martians, I thought Earthers were 'coaxed' out of the trees and on the path to civ, but I could be thinking of one of the copies such as Gor, Space 1889, and the like, or even just mixing in Traveller.

Was 'the mastermind' one of the common races?

I suppose this memory hash means I've no leg to stand on for a critique of the upcoming movie.  :D

Doug
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: gloriousbattle on December 26, 2011, 09:19:20 PM
Unfortunately, my readings are so old, and there have been so many other 'homages' that I get confused as to which is source for any recollection.

Did Barsoom have star traveling ancient ones, not represented in the current races? Rather than descended from Martians, I thought Earthers were 'coaxed' out of the trees and on the path to civ, but I could be thinking of one of the copies such as Gor, Space 1889, and the like, or even just mixing in Traveller.

Was 'the mastermind' one of the common races?

I suppose this memory hash means I've no leg to stand on for a critique of the upcoming movie.  :D

Doug


Not sure.  Long time since I read the series (as you can probably tell).  Are the masterminds the Kaldanes?  Spider-brainy creatures that rode on the backs of headless Red-Martian Rykors?
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: YPU on December 26, 2011, 10:12:44 PM
Not sure.  Long time since I read the series (as you can probably tell).  Are the masterminds the Kaldanes?  Spider-brainy creatures that rode on the backs of headless Red-Martian Rykors?

its sentences like these which pull me to get into this series.
Title: Re: Did the ancient Barsoomians have space travel?
Post by: gloriousbattle on December 26, 2011, 10:50:50 PM
its sentences like these which pull me to get into this series.

Beware...