The Story That Started it All
Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs was originally published in a pulp magazine called All-Story in 1912, and it was the first-ever novel about a white child raised by primates after his parents died. I mean, who would write about that before 1912, right? Here’s a refresher: the child grew up alongside his ape family, learning the ways of the jungle.
Photo by Universal History Archive / Shutterstock
He became the alpha male, swung from vines, had his trademark call of the wild, and eventually found a bunch of repulsive humans – except for Jane. Jane became the love of his life, and she helps him find out that he’s actually the heir to a title and a fortune. The Tarzan series was a massive instant hit and Burroughs kept the ball rolling by writing two dozen sequels.