Edgar Rice Burroughs was an American author most recognized for his prolific work in adventure, science fiction, and fantasy genres. He is best known for conceiving the characters Tarzan and John Carter, as well as writing the Pellucidar, Amtor, and Caspak trilogies. Tarzan's popularity grew quickly, and Burroughs took use of it in every way possible, including a syndicated Tarzan comic strip, films, and souvenirs. Tarzan is still one of the most popular fictional characters and a cultural symbol. Burroughs' California ranch is now the hub of the Tarzana neighborhood in Los Angeles, which is named for the character. Burroughs was an outspoken supporter of eugenics and scientific racism in both his fiction and nonfiction; Tarzan was intended to embody these ideas. Burroughs was born on September 1, 1875, in Chicago (he later spent many years in the Oak Park suburb), the fourth son of Major George Tyler Burroughs, a businessman and Civil War veteran, and his wife, Mary Evaline (Zieger) Burroughs. His middle name comes from his paternal grandmother, Mary Coleman Rice Burroughs. Burroughs was almost entirely of English heritage, with a family line in North America dating back to the Colonial era. Burroughs was derived from settler Edmund Rice, an English Puritan who migrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century, via his Rice grandmother. He once said, "I can trace my ancestry back to Deacon Edmund Rice."
