# Planetary romance

- Term: Literature term
- Date: 1912
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/planetary-romance/

> Adventure fiction set on an exotic alien world, where swords, beasts and princesses mingle with strange science. Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars books defined it, and Appendix N's list shows how much it shaped early D&D.

Adventure fiction set on an exotic alien world, where swords, beasts and princesses mingle with strange science. Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars books defined it, and Appendix N's list shows how much it shaped early D&D.

**Origin:** Edgar Rice Burroughs's first Barsoom story, serialized in 1912, set the template.

## Quick answers

**What does "Planetary romance" mean?**
Adventure fiction set on an exotic alien world, where swords, beasts and princesses mingle with strange science. Edgar Rice Burroughs's Mars books defined it, and Appendix N's list shows how much it shaped early D&D.

**Where does the term "Planetary romance" come from?**
Edgar Rice Burroughs's first Barsoom story, serialized in 1912, set the template.

---
From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.