Professor Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, 1929-2012) was a noted linguist, novelist, and game designer. He was one of the first people to catch the bug of the now widespread "do it yourself" aesthetic with regard to fantasy role-playing games. When Dungeons & Dragons first came out in 1974, it was just a threadbare set of suggestions for people to take on the roles of heroic characters and set forth into fantasy worlds. In 1975, Barker followed in the footsteps of J.R.R. Tolkien in designing one such fully realized world for his friends to explore, with a detailed history, culture, and language(s) all its own.Although a lot of this creative work was included in his own separate game, Empire of the Petal Throne, it also spun off five fantasy novels, dozens of articles published in several periodicals, and reams of unpublished research that Tekumel enthusiasts are still exploring and cataloging.
Tekumel itself is a planet, inhabited by humans and many other beings, roughly 100,000 years in our future. Its baroque cultures and empires are kind of based on India, ancient Mesoamerica, and the Middle East, but they're refracted through a thoroughly alien lens that has resulted in something quite unique. The languages are probably the most impressive part, though Barker himself admitted that
"Many have muttered about the relative unpronounceability of Tekumel's many languages... and not without reason. In defense, the author can only say that he ENJOYS societies which are not simply reruns of the usual Graeco-Roman or Mediaeval fantasy mythos, but which present something really different: something akin to stepping off an airplane in Bhutan or Medina, rather than in familiar old London or Paris.
After all, if there is any universally applicable conclusion to be drawn from a study of history it is this: the future is going to be quite different from the present. Man will organise himself into different types of societies, hold different values, worship different gods, utilise different technologies, and speak different tongues than he does today. Tekumel tries to be true to this to some extent."
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The magical objects that Barker suggested can be discovered in the dungeons of Tekumel were things of imaginative beauty. The most famous of them is probably the "Eye of Joyful Sitting Amongst Friends" (a gem that transforms enemies into allies); there's even a blog named after it. :-) In addition to the requisite magical swords and amulets, there were androids (The Alluring Maiden of Nga), tinfoil hats (The Skullcap of Girigamish), portable homes (The Little House of Tranquil Dwelling), and cursed books that make you lose all interest in life (The Pessimistic Treatise of Total Inaction).
Fans of Barker and Tekumel are definitely glad that the good Professor never stumbled upon that last one, and are probably convinced he was gifted with an Eye of Incomparable Understanding, in order to conceive and bring forth such a world.
'but they're refracted through a thoroughly alien lens'
ReplyDeleteHey, that sounds like an ego.
Mine or Barker's? :-) :-)
DeleteOn the broader point, though, I'm not sure if I agree. Mr. Ego can cause lots of trouble, but he's still a part of me that evolved with a useful purpose. I don't think I'm so much of a Buddhist to want to call him an alien and kick him to the curb. Just harness him and get him riding along with the rest of the pack.
(I watched Ben Hur over Easter weekend... His team of horses were each named after a star: Antares, Rigel, Aldebaran, etc. The training that led to their being able to ride together cohesively was an interesting bit...)
I am so very very glad that I just read that response. They is something so equitable about your thought processes. Where, despite how far I've come, I still sometimes slip toward the reactionary in accordance with my foundations -- be they helpful or not -- you really exhibit a consistently rational mercy. You are a brilliant influence, Cygnus. :)
DeleteThere. There is something so equitable.
DeleteAh, but putting theory into practice is where the rubber meets the road. My thought processes when blog-posting may be up in cloud city, but when reacting to crap in daily life? Not so much... :-)
DeleteThat is pretty neat. I'm impressed that you've obviously researched this guy pretty well. When I used to play tabletop RPGs and such I don't know if I ever gave the writers involved the credit they deserved. It's nice that you have :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rhonda! I really owe it all to the "Old School Renaissance" (OSR) blogosphere community. Since about 2008 or so, these great folks have been analyzing and re-analyzing every bit of what made these games so great. (Most of my blogroll on the right is devoted to them -- have a look!)
DeleteFive fantasy novels ... that's so wonderful, isn't it? I enjoyed reading this, as it's new and interesting ... always the best kind of post.
ReplyDeleteSilvia @ Silvia Writes
Thanks, Silvia. I haven't read any of Barker's novels, but they come highly recommended (see comment below!). :-)
DeleteI love M.A.R. Barker's fiction. Rich and full of a sense of wonder. I never gamed in his world, however. I already have enough research to do at work!
ReplyDeleteI'll definitely have to put a few of these on my to-read list. Thanks also for stopping by, Sean. I'm going to have to go digging through your wonderfully diverse blog as time goes on... very cool historical stuff.
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