The Wizard of Venus

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

The Wizard of Venus

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

Carson Napier, a daring adventurer, finds himself stranded on Venus after a navigational error. Trapped in a wizard's castle, he must navigate hypnotic powers, mythical beasts, and political intrigue to rescue his companion and restore peace to a valley terrorized by a self-proclaimed sorcerer.

Summary up to 500 words

In Edgar Rice Burroughs' *The Wizard of Venus*, the reckless but loyal explorer Carson Napier, known as the Tanjong of Korva, suffers a navigational error caused by a violent storm, forcing his flying ship, an anotar, to crash-land on Venus instead of Mars. Along with his friend Ero Shan, Carson finds himself stranded in the unexplored valley of Gavo, ruled by Vootogan Morgas, a man who claims to be a powerful wizard. Morgas maintains a reign of terror over the valley, utilizing fear and hypnosis to control his followers. He convinces them that he possesses the magical ability to transform humans into beast-like creatures called zaldars, which he then consumes as meat. This deception allows him to seize the herds of other families who refuse to eat the transformed people. Upon arriving at Morgas's formidable castle, Carson and Ero Shan discover that the "zaldars" are merely humans acting out a role, and that Morgas is a fraud relying on simple sleight-of-hand tricks and psychological manipulation. The protagonists realize that Morgas's power is an illusion, yet the valley remains under his control through the genuine belief of his captives. Carson, drawing upon telepathic abilities learned from an old Indian mystic named Chand Kabi, decides to expose the wizard's imposture. He uses his mind to project visions to the terrified prisoners, convincing them that Morgas is a fake and that the zaldars are not magical transformations but humans playing a part. As the spell of fear breaks, Morgas's followers turn against him. Realizing his authority is an illusion, Morgas flees to the highest tower of his castle and jumps to his death. With the wizard defeated, Carson and Ero Shan liberate the valley, returning stolen families to their homes and ending the reign of terror. The narrative highlights themes of courage, the power of the mind over superstition, and the triumph of reason against manufactured fear, concluding with the heroes departing for civilization after restoring peace to the region.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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