Gulliver of Mars

In Short

This early science fiction fantasy follows Lieutenant Gulliver Jones, a disgruntled U.S. Navy officer who is magically transported from a stormy New York night to an ancient Martian civilization. On Mars, he encounters the indolent, flower-like Hither folk, falls in love with their princess Heru, and battles fierce barbarian ape-men and impending cosmic disasters to save her. Blending planetary romance with satire, the narrative endures because it establishes foundational tropes of interplanetary adventure, contrasting mundane human impulses against a beautiful, dying world of lazy paradise and primordial violence.

The Story

Seeking escape from a bleak New York night and a sense of professional disappointment, Lieutenant Gulliver Jones finds himself miraculously transported to the planet Mars. Upon arrival, he encounters the Hither folk, a light-hearted, slothful, and remarkably delicate race who live among the grand, ruined marble monuments of their ancestors without performing any real work. Guided by a native named An, Gulliver explores their ethereal city of Seth, marveling at their carefree nature, their strange customs of casual marriage, and their total dependence on a servant class to maintain their society.

During a late-night gathering at the palace, Gulliver meets the ethereal Princess Heru, who communicates with him telepathically and shares ancient cosmic texts detailing the creation of life across the universe. However, their peaceful existence is shattered during a feast when an ambassador from Ar-hap—the brutal ruler of the warlike Thither folk—arrives to demand Heru as tribute. Enraged by the passivity of the Martian youths and fuelled by wine, Gulliver savagely brawls with the envoy, knocking him unconscious into the feast tables. Despite his intervention, Heru is captured, forcing Gulliver to embark on a perilous rescue mission across alien landscapes.

Gulliver journeys through hazardous forests and waterways, encountering strange beast-haunted wildernesses, giant rat-like monsters, and coastal communities of woodmen who fashion sea-going canoes out of giant melon fruits. Along his journey, he grapples with harsh elements, accidentally resurrects a frozen ancient king in a cavern, and observes primitive toolmaking among the locals. Reaching the domain of King Ar-hap, Gulliver endures grueling conditions, including a catastrophic drought brought on by a burning comet hovering in the sky. As the scorching heat threatens to destroy everything, Gulliver stands bound near a dry water spout, watching the cosmic threat slowly pass behind a distant hill just as a final drop of water falls, saving the land and leaving the king’s servant Si dead and Heru unconscious.

After securing Heru’s freedom, Gulliver returns her to Seth with the aid of island boatmen. Yet, upon their arrival, the citizens celebrate brainlessly with endless festivals, entirely ignorant of the political dangers that surround them. Disillusioned by their superficiality and neglected by the court, Gulliver plunges into nights of heavy drinking and indulgence. Soon after, he is mysteriously returned to New York, where he reunites with his sweet earthly fiancée, Polly. Equipped with news of a helpful inheritance, Gulliver wins over Polly’s skeptical mother, promises to marry Polly on Monday, and agrees to her jealous request that he write a book about his journey while minimizing the role of the alien princess he left behind.

How It Unfolds

A dark night in New York Brooding over an undeserved snub from his authorities and longing for a warm meal of steak and stout, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Gulliver Jones picks his way through a stormy city slum. Suddenly, he finds himself swept away across the void of space, leaving his mundane struggles behind for an incredible fantasy.

Arrival in a lazy paradise Gulliver wakes on Mars among the Hither folk, an exquisitely delicate, cheerful race living in the grand ruins of an ancient civilization. Guided by a light-hearted native named An, he learns about their effortless lifestyle, their lack of industry, and their casual attitudes toward love and marriage.

A violent feast at the palace While attending a mysterious gathering at the white palace, Gulliver connects telepathically with Princess Heru, who reads him ancient creation texts. The peace is shattered when a savage envoy from King Ar-hap demands Heru as tribute, prompting Gulliver to attack the giant messenger and hurl him into the feast dishes.

The journey through wild lands Driven to rescue the abducted princess, Gulliver treks through dangerous wild forests, battles monstrous rat-like creatures, and learns bow and canoe crafting from local woodmen. During a cold night in a cave, he accidentally thaws an ancient, long-dead king who falls from an ice niche.

Surviving the cosmic terror In Ar-hap's domain, Gulliver endures a suffocating drought under the scorching glare of a baleful comet poised over a mountain peak. Tied near a dry spout, he watches the flaming meteor shrink into the horizon just as the seventh water drop falls, securing salvation for the land.

Return to indifference and Earth Gulliver escorts Heru back to her people, but is frustrated by their mindless, festive disregard for danger and political reality. Sinking into bitter drinking bouts, he is suddenly transported back to New York, where he reunites with his fiancée Polly, wins over her mother, and agrees to write down his Martian tale.

The People

Gulliver Jones is a cynical, food-obsessed U.S. Navy lieutenant who longs for recognition and simple comforts. Plunged into an alien world, his earthborn physical strength and aggressive instincts drive him to defend the helpless Martians, though his heroic actions leave him feeling neglected and bitter when the soft natives fail to grasp the stakes of war. Ultimately returning home, he trades planetary heroics for domestic life and marriage.

Princess Heru is a delicate, ethereal Martian royal who desires peace and intellectual connection. Trapped by her people's total lack of military defense, she becomes a helpless pawn when the barbarian ruler Ar-hap demands her as tribute. Though she survives the capture and cosmic drought alongside Gulliver, she remains a passive figure in her realm's endless, childlike cycles of mindless celebration.

An is a cheerful, yellow-clad Martian youth who desires nothing more than a lazy, conflict-free existence filled with pleasant reflection. Standing clear of Gulliver's heavy-handed physical gestures, An guides the newcomer through Martian culture, holding a worldview where no person or disagreement is worth a fight, embodying the fragile, effortless grace of his dying culture.

Polly is Gulliver’s practical Earth fiancée who wants a stable future and her lover's undivided devotion. Unmoved by otherworldly romance, she overcomes her mother’s initial suspicions, accepts Gulliver's sudden marriage proposal, and firmly demands that he minimize the alien princess in his written account of his travels.

In Its Own Voice

Upon meeting the slender, cheerful inhabitants of Mars, Gulliver reflects on their frail and flower-like physical nature.

They were the prettiest, daintiest folk ever eyes looked upon, well-formed and like to us as could be in the main, but slender and willowy, so dainty and light, both the men and the women, so pretty of cheek and hair, so mild of aspect, I felt, as I strode amongst them, I could have plucked them like flowers and bound them up in bunches with my belt.

Observing the grand, ancient architecture of the Martian city, Gulliver notes how the current inhabitants inhabit a world built by long-forgotten predecessors.

"The stones were still in their native quarries had it been left to us to seek them; we are like the conies in the ruins, sir, the inheritors of what other hands have done."

Back in New York, Polly agrees to marry Gulliver on the condition that his romantic encounter with the alien princess is downplayed.

"To leave out all about Heru--I don't like that part at all."

What It's Really About

At its heart, the narrative explores the inevitable decay of grand civilizations and the fragile nature of luxury. The soft, carefree Hither folk inhabit magnificent marble cities they cannot build and drive canoes from grown fruits, representing a culture that has traded ambition and defense for endless, mindless pleasure. By contrasting this indolent utopian society with Gulliver's violent, earthly pragmatism and the primitive savagery of the woodmen and Ar-hap's forces, the text questions whether ease inevitably leads to extinction. Underlying the colorful adventure is a persistent skepticism toward ideal paradises: a society devoid of hardship, anger, or struggle becomes incapable of protecting itself, surviving only as "conies in the ruins" of a far greater past.

Why Read It Today

Fans of classic science fiction and early planetary romance will appreciate this novel as a fascinating historical bridge between nineteenth-century travel fantasy and modern space adventure. Reading it feels like stepping into a lush, dreamlike world where bizarre alien customs, ancient cosmic myths, and sudden bursts of visceral violence collide. Arnold writes with imaginative flair, conjuring vivid images of fruit-grown ships, ice-preserved kings, and sweltering celestial comets.

However, modern readers should be prepared for periodic structural friction and outdated sensibilities. Gulliver's voice carries the casual arrogance and racial paternalism typical of late-Victorian adventure fiction, often viewing both alien races and primitive woodmen through a patronizing lens. The plot can feel episodic and erratic, shifting abruptly from philosophical readings of cosmic lore to drunken brawls and domestic comedy back in New York. Despite these period flaws, the book retains a striking melancholic charm. Its lasting impact lies in its haunting vision of a dying, beautiful world whose peaceful inhabitants are entirely unequipped to survive the harsher realities of existence.