Edgar Rice Burroughs (1875-1950) was a prolific American author, best known for his characters Tarzan and John Carter of Mars, although he wrote in a number of genres including westerns and non-fiction. A native of Chicago, Burroughs served briefly in the southwest in the U.S. Cavalry, but was discharged due to a heart condition. He worked at several odd jobs before writing fiction in 1911. The success of TARZAN a few years later cemented Burroughs' reputation as a pulp writer. He completed more than seventy books during his career.