American author (
1875-
1950) best known for his creation of the jungle hero
Tarzan. He also wrote popular
science fiction/
fantasy stories involving earthly adventurers transported to various planets, lost islands, and into the interior of the hollow earth, as well as westerns and historical romances. His series of novels about
Mars inspired the boyhood dreams of American scientists who sent the first robot spacecraft to the planet, and a crater there is named in his honor.