Publisher's Synopsis
he novel revolves around the mysterious life and times of John Carter, a Confederate veteran of the American Civil War. Shortly after the end of the war, he decides to become a prospector in Arizona and strikes it rich, locating a particularly prolific vein of gold. The gold however is located within Native American (Apache) territory and they do not take kindly to John's intrusion upon their land. They kill his business partner, James K. Powell, while he is on his way to town to replenish their equipment and supplies and now they plan to finish off Carter as well and give him chase. John Carter flees from his pursuers and escapes them by hiding in one of the sacred caves, and exhausted from running he quickly falls asleep. He wakes up on horror though realizing that despite being fully awake, he is unable to move. He tries desperately to will himself into motion but finds himself having an out-of-body experience, seeing his own naked form looking down upon his still body lying motionless on the cave floor. He panics and leaves the cave in a hurry. Looking up at the night sky, he sees Mars and as he reaches out to the remote planet he is suddenly pulled through the vast distance of space.
