Tweel (A Martian Odyssey) Tweel (A Martian Odyssey) Tweel (also referred to as a "Tweerl", the exact pronunciation of the word is said to be impossible for humans) is a fictional extraterrestrial from the planet Mars, featured in two short stories by Stanley G. Weinbaum. The alien was featured in "A Martian Odyssey", first published in 1934, and "Valley of Dreams" four months later. Weinbaum died of lung cancer soon after, and a third installment in the series never saw fruition. Tweel remains one of the most recognised aliens in early science fiction, and is said to be an inspiration for aliens in the
The Gods of Mars to Earth in pre-technological eras, particularly with the inclusion of kingdoms, empires or religious societies. Spacecraft may appear, but are not central to the story (something which makes these tales distinct from Space Opera, where spaceships are usually a key focus of the narrative). There were some Planetary Romances prior to the publication of the Barsoom novels, but "A Princess of Mars" and "The Gods of Mars" and other novels in the Barsoom series were the most influential on the numerous similar stories that were published subsequently. Burroughs's vision of Mars was loosely inspired by astronomical speculation of the time,