Science fiction and fantasy trace their roots back several thousand years to the Epic of Gilgamesh, but most modern scholars will tell you that what we now think of as science fiction and fantasy really began to take shape in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. One of the most prolific and influential writers in the genre was Edgar Rice Burroughs, who penned dozens of novels that wove fantastic stories in imaginary landscapes with pseudo-scientific babble.

Burroughs’ writing style appealed to the male imagination, especially the young male imagination, but his heroes were cavalier, manly men who only believed in doing what was right and supporting the cause of Good against all evils. Some of ERB’s characters developed complex personalities and storylines, like Tarzan and the Outlaw of Torn. But some of his heroes, like John Carter, were just good, old-fashioned sword-swinging swashbucklers who led their merry readerships through animated landscapes and a milieu of ever-changing adventures.

Tarzan has been immortalized in film and television but John Carter has never quite made the transition. Not until this year, that is. Although you can certainly buy John Carter of Mars books to find out what all the fuss is about, you don’t have long to wait. The first film adaptation of John Carter — by The Asylum — will hit the Direct-to-DvD market in December 2009. But the movie that fans are really excited about is the 2012 Disney/Pixar collaboration starring Taylor Kitsch and Lynn Collins as John Carter and his beloved Dejah Thoris.

Information about the Disney John Carter of Mars movie has been slow to come out. We now know who the main cast members are (Willem Dafoe plays Carter’s giant, four-armed green friend Tars Tarkas) and where the movies will be shot (Utah). Yes: Movies. Disney and Pixar are apparently gearing up for a trilogy of John Carter movies.

Fan sites devote to John Carter of Mars are starting to appear on the Web. By 2012 there will probably be hundreds, perhaps thousands of such sites.