The Resurrection of Jimber Jaw

By Edgar Rice Burroughs

The story turns about an experimental aviator and a cryogenicist, who are flying over Siberia when forced to land, after an airplane mechanical failure. They survive the landing, and happen to find the body of a caveman, frozen into a newly uncovered glacier wall. Jokingly, the aviator suggests that the cryogenicist attempt to revive the man, which he proceeds to do, using transfusions and injections of drugs. The caveman proves to be intelligent, and immensely strong. His name is Kolani and he soon learns enough English to communicate. Returned to America, he is given the stage name of Jim Stone, after he proves to be a professional wrestling sensation who throws all contenders over the ropes, and into the crowd.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Otbebookpublishing
• Release date: Jul 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9783958647787

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Edgar Rice Burroughs, born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago, Illinois, is best known as the creator of the iconic character Tarzan, the lord of the jungle. Burroughs' life was as adventurous as the tales he penned. Before finding literary success, he tried his hand at various professions, including a cowboy, gold miner, and even an unsuccessful businessman. These diverse experiences greatly influenced his writing, imbuing his stories with a sense of authenticity and adventure that captivated readers. Burroughs' breakthrough came in 1912 with the publication of "Tarzan of the Apes" in a pulp magazine. The novel was an instant hit, leading to a series of 24 sequels and establishing Tarzan as a cultural phenomenon. The Tarzan series not only entertained readers but also reflected contemporary fascinations with the exotic, the unknown, and the primitive. At the time, American society was grappling with rapid industrialization and urbanization, and Tarzan's jungle adventures offered an escape to a simpler, more primal world. Burroughs' work, however, was not without controversy. Critics have noted that the Tarzan stories often perpetuate colonialist and racist stereotypes, reflecting the prejudices of their time. Despite this, Burroughs' influence on the adventure genre is undeniable. His vivid storytelling and imaginative worlds inspired countless writers and filmmakers, cementing his legacy in popular culture. The author's personal life was equally colorful. He married twice and had three children, with his family life often mirroring the tumult of his professional endeavors. During World War II, Burroughs, then in his late 60s, served as a war correspondent in the Pacific, showcasing his enduring sense of adventure. Understanding Burroughs' significance requires situating him within the broader historical and cultural trends of the early 20th century. This was a period marked by a fascination with exploration and a growing interest in psychology and the human psyche, themes that Burroughs deftly wove into his narratives. Moreover, his work prefigured the rise of the modern superhero, with Tarzan's superhuman abilities and moral code laying the groundwork for characters like Superman and Batman. In today's context, Burroughs' work can be seen through a critical lens that acknowledges both its imaginative appeal and its problematic aspects. Modern readers might find value in exploring how his stories reflect the complexities of their time while also considering how these narratives can be reinterpreted to resonate with contemporary values of diversity and inclusivity. The enduring popularity of Tarzan attests to the timeless allure of adventure and the human fascination with the natural world. In sum, Edgar Rice Burroughs was a man of his era whose works continue to captivate and provoke thought. His life and literature offer a lens through which to explore early 20th-century American culture, the evolution of the adventure genre, and the enduring human quest for meaning and heroism in an ever-changing world.

Book preview

Borroughs

CHAPTER I

CREDIT this story to Wild Pat Morgan, that laughing, reckless, black-haired grandson of Ireland's peat bogs. To Pat Morgan, one-time flying lieutenant of the AEF, ex-inventor, amateur boxer, and drinking companion par excellence.

I met Pat Morgan at the country-club bar, one of those casual things. After the third highball we were calling each other by our first names. By the sixth we had dragged the family skeletons out of the closet and were shaking the dust off them. A little later we were weeping on one another's shoulders, and that's how it began.

We got pretty well acquainted that evening, and afterwards our friendship grew. We saw a lot of each other when he brought his ship to the airport where I kept mine. His wife was dead, and he was a rather lonely figure evenings; so I used to have him up to the house for dinner often.

He had been rather young when the war broke out, but had managed to get to France and the front just before the end. I think he shot down three enemy planes, although he was just a kid. I had that from another flyer; Pat never talked about it. But he was full of flying anecdotes about other war-time pilots and about his own stunting experiences in the movies. He had followed this latter profession for several years.

All of which has nothing to do with the real story other than to explain how I became well enough acquainted with Pat Morgan to be on hand when he told the strange tale of his flight to Russia, of the scientist who mastered Time, of the man from 50,000 B.C. called Jimber Jaw.

We were lunching together at The Vendome that day. I had been waiting for Pat at the bar, discussing with some others the disappearance of Stone, the wrestler. Everyone is familiar, of course, with Stone's meteoric rise to fame as an athlete and a high-salaried star in the movies, and his vanishing had become a minor ten-days' wonder. We were trying to decide if Stone had been kidnapped, whether the ransom letters received were the work of cranks, when Pat Morgan came in with the extra edition of the Herald and Express that