The first manned mission to Mars discovers a civilization living underground on Mars. About half are human, the other half are an alien race. They speak ancient Greek and Hebrew, and live by Jewish law!

The visitors learn that two thousand years earlier, an alien spacecraft visited Earth and collected many samples of Terran flora & fauna, including humans, some of whom were early Christians. Soon after settling on Mars, Jesus appeared and everyone, including the aliens, became Christians.

Jesus lives with the Martians still, and performs miracles for the visitors.

But is he really the same Jesus described in the Bible? He he really the Son of God? Or is he an alien masquarading as the human religious figure to gain trust and take over? Or all of above?

That's what the visitors and all of Earth must decide as they examine their own religious beliefs as Jesus prepares for his return to Earth.

I found this a fascinating book that I still often think about years later. I hope it is brought back into print.

This is a novel based on a short story from 1952. Unlike many such extended stories, Farmer succeds to create a coherent whole novel without boring material just intended to stretch a story to novel lenght.

The protagonist of "The Lovers" is Hal Yarrow, citizen of the Haijac Union, a totalitarian teocracy that has replaced the USA after a world war decimated most of the human race. Stifled by the unrelenting control by the state-church and its police over every aspect of his life, he is offered a way out of his bleak existence when he is drafted as a linguist for an interstellar expedition to the planet Ozagen, a world inhabited by a native species with a very complex language.

Things are not quite what they seem; the ostensibly peaceful scientific expedition is actually intended to pave the way for human colonization, starting with genocide by germ warfare on the native species. While Yarrow is working together with the local inhabitants to learn more of the world, the spaceship crew is working on producing bioweapons lethal to the natives. During a trip trough the wilderness, Yarrow meets Jeanette, a human survivor of an earlier, failed colony, founded by people who fled the Earth before the Haijac Union established hegemony over the western world.

Yarrow falls in love with Jeanette, and he realizes he would not be allowed to meet her, or any human not approved of by the state-church hierarchy and its local commissar, Pornsen. The existence of other humans on the planet is not known by Yarrow's superiors, and he decides to keep it a secret. As his secret love affair with Jeanette continues, he begins to change from a loyal subject of the state-church to a rebel. His love to Jeannette gives him the courage to bluff his superiors in a game of deceit that will cost him his life if he is found out.

"The Lovers" was considered controversial when it was published in 1952, since the explicit treatment of sexuality was anathema at the time (although modern readers are unlikely to find anything offensive in the book). Farmer has expanded the original story to create a beleivable background. A perfectionist may complain over minor detalils; for instance why are the local aliens only a few centuries behind the humans in technology, when both have evolved in a 15-billion year old galaxy (a common paradox in science fiction) ? Actually, technology transfer between the failed human colony and the locals would explain the narrow technology gap between humans and aliens, but Farmer misses the opportunity to explain the paradox. The near simultaneous evolution of two different intelligent alien species on Ozagen seems rather far-fetched, and would require a better explanation then mere coincidence. Another problem is the ability of local symbiotic species to easily adapt to the human presence. Farmer could have elaborated more on this detail, but all in all, the biology is convincing.

The literary treatment of the aliens in the book as different, but morally equal beings (neither monsters nor idealised noble entities) is a hallmark of Farmer's humanitarian values. In the end, the aliens with their inferior technology turn the tables on the humans, simply by relying on human arrogance; although the leaders of the expedition are paranoid towards their human subjects, they do not expect the simple locals to outwit them.

My minor objections are trivial in the context of a story that dates back to the fifties, and still remains a gripping tale of passion, rebellion and grief. The plot could easily have become a cliché, but Farmer injects new life in old ideas. Not much of the science fiction written today will still feel this fresh a generation from now.

Khichaka and Anana are absolutely unique:a goddess so human,a human so godlike.The pocket universe idea is wonderful,provided it's not used for making the heroes wander pointlessly from one zany universe to another.And the solution is so bizarre,so farmerish,one would say,but very humane.I only think that the petty wars between the immortal supergods who made the World of Tiers made me wonder about the desirability of immortality.And what happened to Wolff and Chryseis,by the way?

Philip Jose Farmer makes an excelent job as always. Farmer known primarily for his Science Fiction, but has produced two Fantasy series World of Tiers and Riverworld, the latter an afterlife fantasy in the tradition of John Kendrick Bangs. Farmer words flow as easy as ever and this novel is a work of art. It aint as sexy or shocking as 'An exorcism: ritual one/two' or as deeply involving as 'The river world saga', but he builds his story up as the SF/horror/fantasy master he is. God fun, and with a nice climax as always.

If you're a fan of Philip Jose Farmer's brainchild, Riverworld, you've probably already read this. If you're not, it would probably be best to start with the original materal.
However, you certainly don't need to be familiar with his five-novel series to understand or appreciate this diverse collection of well-written and intriguing SF stories. In a nutshell, Riverworld is a vast, constructed planet where everyone who's ever lived on Earth since the dawn of history to 1983 is resurrected. This leads, naturally, to an infinite variety of character meetings and confrontations through amusing and ingenious historical "what-ifs".
Like what? Like what if Shakespeare came face to face with Richard III - who is not amused at the Bard's characterization of him (as in Jody Lynn Nye's excellent contribution). Or if Admundsen and Peary attempted to fly, on one of Riverworld's primitive planes, to that planet's South Pole. Why? "Because It's There," by Jerry Oltion. How about Patton fighting it out in Roman-style gladiator games (brought to you by a powerhouse in the SF field, Lawrence Watt-Evans)? Or for even more jingoistic John Wayne-style indulgence, what if American icons Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett tussled with some Nazis?
Philip Jose Farmer contributes two stories here as bookends, and they are both superb; in addition to being engaging and thought-provoking, he uses only his own ancestors as characters!
Fun and imaginative historical speculation by a lot of great talents in the field. Warmly recommended

It's been years since I've read this, but the title story still sticks in my mind. I can't tell you too much about it, since that would give away the powerful ending. The balance of the stories are also good, especially the hysterical "Jungle Rot Kid on the Nod" (what if William Burroughs instead of Edgar Rice Burroughs wrote Tarzan?). Definitely worth hunting for this collection.

The author once indicated that the title was imposed upon him, but outside of the title, the book is thoroughly enjoyable. As with "Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street," this book is a biography of the title character.

In Farmer's case, he had to explain, among other things, how the young Tarzan learned how to speak, when the known great apes don't. Reconciling the history of Tarzan with what was known then, and at the time of the book's writing, was an exercise that took a lot of time and effort, and Mr. Farmer was up to the task.

A family tree, linking Tarzan to other famous literary figures, is included.

I read this book so many years ago but still remember just how exciting and great read it was.
An American Indian military man goes into an alternate reality where the Germans are in charge.
A must read for action/adventure fans!

While some short story collections form an organic whole that show the author's strong unified vision, others, like this one, present a hodgepodge of varying styles, personae, and quality levels that show the artist to be wild, unruly, and ultimately, out of control. Certainly it is no coincidence that this volume begins with (and is titled after) the powerful short story "Riverworld", from which grew the series of novels so well known to readers of science fiction and fantasy. In this story, every human being that ever walked the earth is suddenly resurrected along the banks of the million-mile river that winds through this unknown planet. The friendship between Tom Mix and the mysterious Yeshua strikes at the heart of the religious implications of the Riverworld, yielding a truly unforgettable conclusion. But segueing from the sublime to the ridiculous, the remaining stories are considerably less deserving fare, starting off with the shockingly sacrilegious "J.C. on the Dude Ranch", where the guests "work" the cowboys. While this story certainly makes a strong impression, some readers might find themselves offended by this ribald science-fiction take on the son of man. And after these first two stories, the remainder of the book is utterly forgettable. Very little of it qualifies as science fiction, and many of the pieces seem more like writing exercises than entertainments. For example, "The Jungle Rot Kid on the Nod" is a send-up of William Burroughs writing a Tarzan story. While this may have seemed like a cute enough idea in conception, the result is almost unreadable, and certainly is of no interest to anyone who is not seriously into Burroughs. Farmer also tries his hand at a couple of detective stories, but both "The Volcano" and "The Problem of the Sore Bridge - Among Others" emphasize style rather than substance; no true fan would even consider these detective stories, but rather science fiction fantasies. Perhaps most disturbing are some of the more scatological entries, including the ultimately nonsensical "The Leaser of Two Evils", the excremental mess of "The Phantom of the Sewers", and the sadly wacky "The Henry Miller Dawn Patrol", which details sexual conquests at a retirement home. Farmer is certainly a great talent, but most of this collection shows him at his playful worst. Don't be afraid to give it a miss. And definitely keep this one out of the reach of children.

I like Philip Jose Farmer's works, or at least I thought I did until I read Riverworld and Other Stories. I devoured Dark Is the Sun when I was in junior high, and read the Riverworld series a half dozen times in high school. As an adult, I was amused by A Barnstormer in Oz. So, when I saw Riverworld and Other Stories at a book fair I picked it up, figuring the price (25 cents) was right.

Let's start with the non-Riverworld stories first. Several of them are . . . well, there's no other word for it besides obscene. Farmer himself tells us that one of the stories would only published by a hard-porn magazine, and one can see why. These stories must be what the Supreme Court means when they mention "the prurient interest." They're not erotic, just vulgar. And yet, as literary exercises they contain a certain amount of morbid fascination. "The Leaser of Two Evils" and "The Henry Miller Dawn Patrol" in particular show Farmer's remarkable ability to lose himself in a character's dementia. But is the cleverness worth the obscenity? One can't help but think that such pieces as "J.C. on the Dude Ranch" (I'd describe it, but I can't) are better left in Farmer's desk drawer never to see the light of day.

There are some pedestrian stories, too, including the amusing but uninspiring "The Problem of the Sore Bridge" which almost features a Sherlock Holmes cameo. It's the image of Henry Miller on the prowl in a nursing home that lingers in the memory, though, not the pedestrian stories.

As for "Riverworld" itself, the story is not, as the packaging suggests, the first Riverworld story Farmer wrote. His own introduction makes it clear that he wrote the stories that became "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" first. Nevertheless, "Riverworld" is an appropriate foray into the Riverworld. Tom Mix, a character I never cared for in the novels, is much more appealing here. Most provocative, however, is Farmer's take on Jesus - who finds himself resurrected along the river bank with everyone else. Farmer's "Yeshua" is a pacifist in the face of senseless violence, a man struggling to maintain serenity when his life's belief has turned out to, perhaps, be false. There was a reference Jesus in Gods of Riverworld; this story fleshes it out. To my surprise, part of me was offended by Farmer's take on Jesus; yet Yeshua should serve to spark healthy discussion over the nature of Jesus, what he really stood for, and what he would make of the way his teachings have been passed down by Paul and two thousand years. Such spiritual examinations are, in my view, nearly always healthy.

"Riverworld" alone makes this collection worth getting and keeping. As for the other stories . . . . I really don't know. Perhaps if one knows going in that one is going to get X-rated material it would be easier to digest. Perhaps not. Either way, except for "Riverworld", none of these are stories that one would ever want to read a second time.

First things first. Phil Farmer is not always the most elegant writer - often, his prose is clumsy and his characters wooden. In all likelihood, you won't like everything you read by him. He's best known for labyrinthine series (Riverworld, Dayworld, World of Tiers) and 'fictional histories' of iconic characters such as Sherlock Holmes, Tarzan & Doc Savage, which may or may not be your cup of tea. Okay, enough with the caveats: on the plus side of the ledger, he's an unduplicable and inspired madman with no fear and no restraints upon his literary curiosity. I can't think of anyone even remotely like him, ever. We desperately need more writers in his imaginative weight-class....he may be audacious and outrageous, but he never shatters taboos simply to shock and tittilate (as so many Celebrated Prose Stylists do), but simply to see what might emerge from behind this or that Forbidden Curtain. This paperback, long out of print (WHY??), is not only my favorite Farmer, but one of all time favorite books by anyone. It's the initial Riverworld novella which preceded the series (which incidentally works beautifully as a standalone work - in fact, it's so powerfully surreal and magical that the subsequent series might disappoint you, as it did me), along with a number of Farmer's most unforgettably deranged short stories, many of which sping from premises which would never have occured to anyone BUT Farmer (i.e., 'The Jungle Rot Kid On The Nod' came from Farmer's asking himself: what if WILLIAM Burroughs, rather than Edgar Rice, had written Tarzan?) Usually, in a collection of this type, the novella is the centrepiece and the rest is filler; here, every single collected work is equally brilliant. A couple of these stories -'JC on the Dude Ranch', 'The Leaser of Two Evils', 'The Phantom of the Sewer', and the two mentioned previously- have been etched permanently in my mind since I first read them over 25 years ago. (And though I've read quite a bit of Farmer since then, none of it has ever quite equalled this incredible collection - though there've been some close calls.) I'm sure that among sf aficionados, this early version of RIVERWORLD might be considered a nonessential larval-stage curiosity - there never seems to be a shortage of RIVERWORLD novels in print, and that may be keeping this neither-fish-nor-fowl book locked away in obscurity. But please trust me on this one - RIVERWORLD AND OTHER STORIES is Phil Farmer's single greatest collection/definitive statement, and the world needs to see it back in print as soon as possible.

This adventure took us about as deep into the heart of Burrough's jungle as we've been in many a year. I can't say it was either my favorite Tarzan or Farmer novel but it was well put together, fast paced, and kept me interested. I have long admired Farmers work and his reverance for the classic adventure authors like ERB and Jules Verne. This novel made me realize how much I missed the steel grey eyed Lord of the Jungle and I hope Farmer will do it again!

This is Farmer's first 'offical' Tarzan novel, but not his first time writing about the Lord of the Jungle. Those of you familiar with A FEAST UNKNOWN, LORD OF THE TREES, LORD TYGER, THE PEERLESS PEER and of course TARZAN ALIVE (Farmer's biography of Lord Greystoke), know that only ERB himself knows Tarzan better. And lets not forget TIME'S LAST GIFT, HADON OF ANCIENT OPAR, FLIGHT TO OPAR and IRONCASTLE, all with connections to Tarzan.

THE DARK HEART OF TIME takes place between TARZAN THE UNTAMED and TARZAN THE TERRIBLE. It picks up a thread left by Burroughs (but never explored) as events cause Tarzan to temporarily abandon his search for Jane, who has been kidnapped.

This book is non-stop action, has one of the toughest escape scenes that even Farmer has written, and no one except Tarzan could have pulled it off. A definite read for fans of Farmer or ERB and the many fans of both.

It's hard to continue other authors' works with honor, but Philip Jose Farmer has a better track record than most. This is the exciting sequel to the loose threads in Burroughs' TARZAN THE UNTAMED, and I eagerly read it in one sitting. For the record, Farmer does not characterize Tarzan the way Burroughs did, but rather treats him as the infrahuman that Farmer believes him to be. Farmer's use of collective ape language nouns (like "Kando" for ants) with plural verb conjugations was a bit unBurroughsian (for example, "Kando were..."), but that's probably nit-picking. Also, the end of the book contained more science fiction than any previous Tarzan story by ERB. But the book is quite entertaining, and surprisingly, Farmer DID surpress a bit of his own style in favor of more Burroughs-like dialogue and plot devices. If you liked this one, find copies of Farmer's Opar books and TIME'S LAST GIFT and wonder if there's a double meaning behind Tarzan's moniker as "the Uncaused Causer"...