What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedJohn Carter
Film · 2012
If you loved John Carter, start with Farscape (Rockne S. O'Bannon, 1999) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 3 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to John Carter across media.
What hooked you in John Carter was the sensation of being a lone outsider thrust into grand, civilization-altering conflicts across alien landscapes.
Books on the same thread
Ender's Game
Orson Scott Card · Book · 2013
Explores: Child Soldiers, Alien Invasion, Moral Ambiguity.
Like the protagonist of John Carter, Ender finds himself a stranger in a high-stakes military landscape where the survival of an entire world rests on his tactical shoulders.
Tarzan
Edgar Rice Burroughs · Book · 1914
Shares a thread with John Carter: Fish Out of Water.
Edgar Rice Burroughs created both John Carter and Tarzan, and you will recognize the same adventurous spirit of a man adapting to survive in a wild, unfamiliar environment.
The Red Rover: Contingence
C. E. Whitaker, 3rd · Book · 2021
Shares a thread with John Carter: Space Opera.
If you enjoyed the exploration of the exotic Barsoom in John Carter, you will appreciate this journey into the unknown where characters must navigate dangerous, uncharted planetary worlds.
From the Earth to the Moon
Jules Verne · Book · 1967
Explores: Space Travel, Technological Advancement, Human Ambition.
This narrative mirrors the sense of wonder and scientific ambition found in the origins of John Carter, focusing on the courageous human drive to reach foreign celestial frontiers.
Series on the same thread
Farscape
Rockne S. O'Bannon · Series · 1999
Shares a thread with John Carter: Space Opera.
This series captures the exact fish-out-of-water feeling from John Carter, as a modern man is suddenly transported across the galaxy to survive amidst an ongoing alien battlefield.
Battlestar Galactica
Glen A. Larson · Series · 2004
Shares a thread with John Carter: Space Opera.
Much like the desperate struggle for Barsoom in John Carter, this story focuses on the resilience of humanity as they face an existential threat in deep space.
Doctor Who
Sydney Newman · Series · 2005
Shares 2 threads with John Carter: Redemption, Space Opera.
The Doctor embodies the same redemptive heroism seen in John Carter, traveling through time and space to intervene in the fate of civilizations that are on the brink.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
For those fascinated by the political instability of Barsoom in John Carter, this account of a planetary revolution provides a deeper look at the mechanics of societal collapse.
The Jordan B. Peterson Podcast
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson · Podcast · 2026
Explores: Existentialism, Individual Responsibility, Cultural Critique.
This discourse explores the personal responsibility and existential themes that underpin the hero's journey taken by John Carter when he is forced to define his own humanity.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is John Carter a military film?
John Carter features a protagonist who is a former military captain. While he is transported to the planet Barsoom, his background as a soldier influences his role in the epic conflict and his efforts to ensure the survival of the planet and its people.
What happens to the protagonist in John Carter?
In John Carter, a war-weary former military captain is inexplicably transported to the exotic planet of Barsoom. Once there, he becomes embroiled in a massive conflict and rediscovers his humanity as he realizes that the survival of the entire planet rests in his hands.
Is John Carter set on Earth?
John Carter is not set on Earth. The story takes place on the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom, which is Mars. The narrative follows a former military captain who is transported to this alien world and must navigate its epic conflict.
Why does the protagonist fight in John Carter?
The protagonist in John Carter fights because he becomes embroiled in an epic conflict on the planet Barsoom. As the world stands on the brink of collapse, he realizes that the survival of the planet and its people rests in his hands, which helps him rediscover his humanity.