M. A. R. Barker

Barker was born Phillip Barker in Spokane, Washington, on November 2, 1929. Barker's childhood was spent in Idaho.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}} He grew up with an interest in science fiction, fantasy, and ancient Egyptian and ancient Mayan cultures.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}} At the age of 10, he first imagined what was later to become his fantasy setting of Tékumel.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}}

Barker began studying linguistics and culture at the University of Washington.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}} In and just before 1950, while Barker was studying at the University of Washington under Melville Jacobs, he became involved with science fiction fanzines, writing articles, short stories and contributing reviews to Portland-based Fanscient and to the local clubzine Sinisterra,{{efn|Barker's world, later known as Tékumel, was placed as the fourth planet in the [http://www.constellationsofwords.com/stars/Sinistra.html Sinistra] system.}} the latter of which contained his review of, and content from, Jack Vance relating to his recently published book, The Dying Earth.{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = Phillip | title = Egyptian Mythology in Fantastic Literature | journal = Fanscient | issue = 9 | pages = 41–44 | publisher = Donald B. Day | date =Fall 1949 | url = http://sffrd.library.tamu.edu/browse/63660/ | location = Portland, Oregon | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110717211812/http://sffrd.library.tamu.edu/browse/63660/ | archive-date = July 17, 2011 | url-status = dead }}{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = Phillip | title = The Language Problem | journal = Fanscient | issue = 11 | pages = 28–30 | publisher = Donald B. Day | date =Spring 1950 | url = http://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Fanscient/Fanscient11-28.html | location = Portland, Oregon | access-date = October 13, 2009 | archive-date = December 25, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181225213349/http://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Fanscient/Fanscient11-28.html%20 | url-status = dead }}{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = Phillip | title = -and the STRONG Shall INHERIT | journal = Fanscient | issue = 12 | pages = 28–31 | publisher = Donald. B. Day | date =Summer 1950 | url = http://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Fanscient/Fanscient12-28.html | location = Portland, Oregon | access-date = October 13, 2009 | archive-date = December 25, 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181225213353/http://www.fanac.org/fanzines/Fanscient/Fanscient12-28.html%20 | url-status = dead }}{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = Phillip | title =An Appreciation of The Dying Earth (with a letter from Jack Vance) | journal =Sinisterra | issue = 4 | pages = 21–23 | publisher = The Nameless Ones. (Gertrude Carr and Richard Frahm) | date =Winter 1950 | location = Seattle, Washington}}

He graduated from the University of Washington in 1951.{{cite news|last1=Gilsdorf|first1=Ethan|date=March 20, 2012|title=Gamers Mourn "Lost Tolkien" M.A.R. Barker|magazine=Wired|url=https://www.wired.com/2012/03/lost-tolkien-m-a-r-barker/|access-date=January 11, 2025}} That year, he received a Fulbright Scholarship{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}} to study the languages of India, and on his first trip to India, converted to Islam. Gary Fine wrote that Barker would attribute his conversion to "purely theological reasons [and that] it seemed like a more logical religion", though Barker himself admitted at the time to an "[unimaginable] feeling of awe and religious ecstasy" upon hearing the recitations of the 99 Names of Allah at the Taj Mahal.{{cite book | title=Shared Fantasy: Role Playing Games As Social Worlds | last=Fine | first=Gary | author-link=Gary Alan Fine | year=1983 | publisher=University of Chicago Press | isbn=0-226-24944-1 | location=Chicago}}{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = Phillip | title =A Letter from Phil Barker/'India Barks' | journal =Sinisterra | volume = 2| issue = 1 | pages = 14–25 | publisher = The Nameless Ones (Gertrude Carr and Richard Frahm) | year = 1951 | location = Seattle, Washington}} While in India, he studied at the University of Lucknow.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=389}}

Barker attended the University of California, Berkeley for graduate studies, writing a dissertation on Klamath language, collecting traditional myths, legends, tales, and oral histories and later publishing a grammar and dictionary on the language.{{cite book | last = Barker | first = M. A. R. | year=1963| pages =7–117| title=Klamath Texts. University of California Publications in Linguistics (No. 30) | publisher= University of California | location=Berkeley}} (21 Klamath myths collected in 1955-1957){{cite web|url=http://www.language-archives.org/language/kla |title=OLAC resources in and about the Klamath-Modoc language |publisher=Language-archives.org |date=February 8, 2011 |access-date=April 25, 2013}}

He taught at the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University from around 1958/59 until 1972 and became active in the development of Urdu and Baluchi instruction materials for English-speaking students following a period of two years from 1960 when he was attached to the University of the Punjab.{{cite web | last = Rehman | first = Mumtazul Haque | date=July 2004 |title= The Story of Indo-Pakistani Muslim Community in Montreal, Quebec |url= https://mrsp.mcgill.ca/reports/pdfs/MuslimHistory.pdf | website=Montreal Religious Sites Project | publisher=McGill University |access-date= January 11, 2025}} Some of these were still recommended university course study materials as of 2010.{{cite web | last = Pritchett | first = Frances |title= Readings in Urdu Literature (Spring 2010 Syllabus) |url= http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00fwp/readings_course.html |publisher= Columbia University |access-date= October 14, 2009}} From 1972 he moved to teach at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, where he chaired the Department of South Asian studies until his retirement in the early 1990s; a few years after, the department was disbanded due to reduced funding.{{cite web|url=http://voices.cla.umn.edu/artistpages/junghareIndira.php |title=Indira Junghare: Voices From the Gaps: University of Minnesota |publisher=Voices.cla.umn.edu |date=December 3, 2012 |access-date=April 25, 2013}}

While at Berkeley, Barker had not set aside his world creation project. Indeed, despite stepping back from an active role in science fiction fandom,{{cite web | last = Raymond | first = Victor |title= A Brief History of Roleplaying Games |date= 1994 |url= http://www.darkshire.net/~jhkim/rpg/whatis/history/earlyhistory.html |access-date= October 14, 2009}} he had commenced "proto-gaming" with a group of like-minded science fiction fans including fellow linguist Bill Shipley{{cite book | last = Lamb | first = Sydney M. |author2=Webster, Jonathan | year= 2004 | page = 23 | title= Language and Reality (Open Linguistics)| publisher= Continuum International Publishing Group Ltd. | location= London & New York | isbn= 0-8264-6820-9 | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=vrlPUxB2_JwC }} and Victor Golla, producing elaborate documents to support the exploration of that shared world.{{cite journal | last = Barker | first = M. A. R. | title = Land grant to the Shipali Family of the Protectorate of Kerunan (Cover) | journal =Dragon | issue = 4 | page = 1 | publisher = TSR | date = December 1976 }}

Having watched the Dungeons & Dragons games started by Mike Mornard, one of the original testers for D&D, when Mornard moved to Minneapolis from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, Barker resolved to create his own ruleset based on his own created world and the game mechanics from D&D. After six weeks, this was self-published in August 1974 as Empire of the Petal Throne and play commenced forthwith, including such occasional members as Dave Arneson – who singled out Barker and Tékumel as being his favorite Dungeon Master and roleplaying game, respectively – from early days.{{cite magazine | last = Lischka | first = Konrad |title= Der vergessene Tolkien |trans-title= The Forgotten Tolkien |magazine= Der Spiegel |date= October 6, 2009 |url=http://www.spiegel.de/netzwelt/spielzeug/0,1518,649336,00.html |access-date= October 13, 2009}} [http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=38708&p=791084#p791084 (English translation)]{{cite journal | title = Interview with Dave Arneson | journal =Fight On! | issue = 2 | pages = 63–64 | publisher = Ignatius Umlaut | date =Summer 2008 }}

Once Gary Gygax's attention had been drawn to Barker's work, it was decided that TSR would publish a revised version of the game mechanics along with a condensed version of his campaign setting. Empire of the Petal Throne was published by TSR in August 1975 for Gen Con VIII, making it the third role-playing game from TSR.{{Cite book|author=Shannon Appelcline|title=Designers & Dragons|publisher=Mongoose Publishing|year=2011| isbn= 978-1-907702-58-7}}{{rp|8}} In a December 1976 editorial for The Dragon magazine, editor Tim Kask drew comparisons between the world of Tékumel and J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle-earth not in terms of literature created, nor that his work was derivative of Tolkien's, but rather regarding the in-depth detail in the setting, mythos and linguistic backgrounds and concluded that "In terms of development of detail, I think EPT [Empire of the Petal Throne] has it over Middle Earth in the matters that most concern gamers".{{cite journal |last=Kask |first=Tim |author-link=Tim Kask |date=December 1976 |title=Dragon Rumbles (Editorial) |url=http://www.tekumel.com/downloads/Dragon04.pdf |journal=The Dragon |publisher=TSR |issue=4 |page=3}}

Barker disliked the limited support TSR gave to the setting, and after 1977 he took his Tékumel setting back from TSR and ultimately brought it from one publisher to another: Imperium Publishing (1978), Adventure Games (1981), Gamescience (1983–1984), Tékumel Games (1983–1986), Different Worlds Publications (1987–1988), TOME (1991–1994), Tita's House of Games (1997–2002), Zottola Publishing (2002–2003), and Guardians of Order (2005).{{rp|8}} Barker had a personal friendship with Dave Arneson, which led to Arnesons's company Adventures Games releasing several books for Tékumel, such as army lists, maps and reference material.{{rp|39}} DAW published the novel The Man of Gold (July 1984) by Barker, which took place in Tékumel.{{rp|238}} His second novel, Flamesong (1985), was also published by DAW.{{cite web | url=https://www.blackgate.com/2012/03/30/mar-barker-nov-3-1929-march-16-2012/ | title=M.A.R. Barker, Nov 3 1929 – March 16, 2012 – Black Gate | date=March 30, 2012 }}

Despite having had a head start on other in-depth campaign settings and seeing his game released no less than four times with various supplements and magazine articles, many of which he contributed to, and having authored five books using the same setting, Barker's Tékumel in both roleplaying and literary domains is still well known to only a relatively small audience, leading German magazine Der Spiegel in 2009 to publish an article on Barker's life entitled "{{lang|de|italics=no|Der vergessene Tolkien}}" ("The forgotten Tolkien"). The article quotes friends and acquaintances who posit that this may be, at least in part, due to the unfamiliarity of the setting{{cite journal | last = Brady | first = Patrick | title = You're not in Kansas anymore | journal =The Eye of All-Seeing Wonder | issue = 4 | page = 3 | publisher = Dave Morris | date =Spring 1995 | url = http://www.tekumel.com/eoasw4_02.html | access-date = October 14, 2009}} compared with Western society, echoing Fine's observations from 1983, and possibly even that Tékumel was released to the gaming world too early on, when players had only just started to experiment with their own invented worlds rather than fitting their play into preconfigured, non-literary domains with novel backgrounds.

In 2008, Barker founded the Tékumel Foundation along with many of his long-time players "to support and protect the literary works and all related products and activities surrounding [his] world of Tékumel and the Empire of the Petal Throne." The Foundation acts as his literary executor.{{cite letter|last1=Barker|first1=M. A. R.|subject=The Tékumel Foundation|recipient=Whom It May Concern|date=August 4, 2010|url=http://www.tekumelfoundation.org/authorizationletter.pdf|access-date=March 23, 2022}}

Barker wrote a sixth novel, Serpent's Walk, under the pseudonym Randolph D. Calverhall.{{Cite book |last=Horvath |first=Stu |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ArKmEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22serpent%27s+walk%22+barker&pg=PR14 |title=Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground: A Guide to Tabletop Roleplaying Games from D&D to Mothership |publisher=MIT Press |year=2023 |isbn=978-0-262-04822-4 |page=xiv |language=en |chapter=Introduction |access-date=January 22, 2025 |via=Google Books}} Randolph D. Calverhall is an allusion to one of Barker's ancestors, and the book is attributed to him in a library catalog.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=393}} Serpent's Walk is a science fiction story, presenting an alternate history in which SS soldiers begin an underground resistance after the end of World War II. A hundred years later, their descendants take over the United States of America. The book's protagonist becomes the {{Lang|de|Führer}} and worldwide dictator of the Fourth Reich. The book espouses the belief in an international Jewish conspiracy, suggests the solution to the "Jewish question" is genocide, and extensively quotes Mein Kampf. The novel was published in 1991 by National Vanguard Books, the book publishing division of the neo-Nazi group the National Alliance, which published white supremacist and neo-Nazi material including The Turner Diaries.{{Cite journal |last=Gomel |first=Elana |date=2000 |title=The Plague of Utopias: Pestilence and the Apocalyptic Body |journal=Twentieth Century Literature |language=en |volume=46 |issue=4 |pages=405–433 |doi=10.2307/827840 |issn=0041-462X |jstor=827840}}{{Cite journal |last=Gomel |first=Elana |date=December 2000 |title=Aliens Among Us: Fascism and Narrativity |journal=Journal of Narrative Theory |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=127–162 |doi=10.1353/jnt.2011.0005 |issn=1548-9248}}{{Cite journal |last=Berger |first=J.M. |author-link=J.M. Berger |date=2016 |title=The Turner Legacy: The Storied Origins and Enduring Impact of White Nationalism's Deadly Bible |journal=International Centre for Counter-Terrorism |location=The Hague |language=en |volume=7 |issue=8 |doi=10.19165/2016.1.11 |doi-access=free}}

Between 1990 and 2002, Barker also served as a member of the Editorial Advisory Committee of the Journal of Historical Review, a journal that advocates Holocaust denial and revisionist pseudohistory.{{Cite web |date=September 2, 2017 |title=Editorial Advisory Committee |url=https://vho.org/GB/Journals/JHR/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210518162602/http://vho.org:80/GB/Journals/JHR/index.html |archive-date=May 18, 2021 |access-date=March 21, 2022 |website=The Journal of Historical Review |language=en}}{{cite thesis |last=de Araújo Magalhães |first=Luiz Paulo |title=Intelectuais de extrema-direita e o negacionismo do Holocausto: o caso do Institute for Historical Review (IHR) |date=2019 |access-date=March 22, 2022 |type=Post-graduate |publisher=Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro |url=https://tede.ufrrj.br/jspui/bitstream/jspui/5130/2/2019%20-%20Luiz%20Paulo%20de%20Ara%C3%BAjo%20Magalh%C3%A3es.pdf |page=78 |lang=pt-br |trans-title=Far-Right Intellectuals and Holocaust Denialism: The Case of the Institute for Historical Review (IHR)}} In March 2022, the Tékumel Foundation confirmed Barker's authorship of Serpent's Walk and association with the Journal of Historical Review. The Foundation repudiated Barker's views in the novel, from which it does not receive royalties, and apologized for not acknowledging its authorship earlier.{{Cite web |date=2022-03-23 |title=The Tékumel Foundation's Board of Directors Statement on Serpent's Walk. |url=https://www.tekumelfoundation.org/post/the-tekumel-foundations-board-of-directors-statement-on-serpents-walk |access-date=2025-01-24 |website=Tékumel Foundation |language=en}}

Barker died in home hospice on March 16, 2012. He was survived by his wife, Ambereen.{{sfn|Inloes|2018|p=394}}{{cite magazine|title=Gaming Giant M. A. R. Barker Dead At 83|magazine=Forbes|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidewalt/2012/03/17/mar-barker-dies-tekumel/|date=March 17, 2012|access-date=March 17, 2012}}

Barker studied various languages academically and helped author and co-author various publications relating to some of those, including the following:

Published by the University of California Press:

{{Refbegin|2}}

• Klamath Texts (1963)
• Klamath Dictionary (1963)
• Klamath Grammar (1964)

{{Refend}}

Published by the McGill University Institute of Islamic Studies:

{{Refbegin|2}}

• A Course in Urdu (1967)
• An Urdu Newspaper Reader (1968)
• A Reader of Modern Urdu Poetry (1968)
• A Course in Baluchi (1969)

{{Refend}}

Tékumel has spawned five professionally published roleplaying games over the course of the years. It was also reportedly a major influence on other creations such as Hârn and the Skyrealms of Jorune.

{{Refbegin|2}}

• Empire of the Petal Throne (1975) as a boxed set by TSR, Inc.{{cite book | last = Barker | first = M. A. R. | year=1975| title=Empire of the Petal Throne | publisher= TSR | location=Lake Geneva, Wisconsin| asin=B000G9WH5Q }} following earlier self-publication in 1974, and reprinted later as a single book by Different Worlds in 1987.{{cite web|url=http://www.tekumel.com/gaming_rulesEPT.html |title=Tékumel :: The World of the Petal Throne |publisher=Tekumel.com |access-date=April 25, 2013}}
• Swords & Glory (1983/4) in two volumes by Gamescience.{{cite web|url=http://www.tekumel.com/gaming_rulesSAG.html |title=Tékumel :: The World of the Petal Throne |publisher=Tekumel.com |access-date=April 25, 2013}}
• Gardásiyal: Adventures on Tékumel (1994) by Theatre of the Mind Enterprises; with Neil R. Cauley.{{cite web|url=http://www.tekumel.com/gaming_rulesG.html |title=Tékumel :: The World of the Petal Throne |publisher=Tekumel.com |access-date=April 25, 2013}}
• Tekumel: Empire of the Petal Throne (2005) by Guardians of Order; by various, with M.A.R. Barker.{{cite web|url=http://www.tekumel.com/gaming_rulesTEPT.html |title=Tékumel :: The World of the Petal Throne |publisher=Tekumel.com |access-date=April 25, 2013}}
• Bethorm: The Plane of Tékumel (2014) by UNIGames; by Jeff Dee and M.A.R. Barker.{{cite web |url=http://bethorm.com/?p=299 |title=Bethorm :: The Plane of Tékumel |publisher=bethorm.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150204205532/http://bethorm.com/?p=299 |archive-date=February 4, 2015 }}

{{Refend}}

Barker wrote five novels set in the world of Tékumel - in chronological reading order these are:

{{Refbegin|2}}

1. The Man of Gold (1984)
2. Flamesong (1985)
3. Lords of Tsámra (2003)
4. Prince of Skulls (2002)
5. A Death of Kings (2003)

{{Refend}}

{{Refbegin|2}}

1. Serpent's Walk (1991)

{{Refend}}

• Tsolyáni language

{{notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

• {{Cite journal |last=Inloes |first=Amina |author-link=Amina Inloes |date=2018 |title=Muhammad Abd al-Rahman (Phillip) Barker: Bridging Cultural Divides through Fantasy/Science-Fiction Role-Playing Games and Fictional Religion |journal=The Muslim World |language=en |volume=108 |issue=3 |pages=387–418 |doi=10.1111/muwo.12225 |issn=1478-1913}}

• [http://www.tekumel.com/ Official Tékumel website]
• [http://www.weirdrealm.com/tekumel/ Brett Slocum's Tékumel Site (last updated 2013)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20081015130819/http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/tekumel/ Tékumel Discussion Group - participants include Prof. Barker and regular players in his "Thursday Night Group"]
• {{isfdb name}}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/19990823022453/http://scifan.com/writers/bb/BarkerMAR.asp Bibliography] on SciFan
• [http://www.sfbookcase.com/author.asp?authorid=1343 Bibliography] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128072128/https://www.sfbookcase.com/author.asp?authorid=1343 |date=January 28, 2021 }} on SFBookcase.com

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Barker, M. A. R.}}

Category:1929 births

Category:2012 deaths

Category:20th-century American novelists

Category:21st-century American novelists

Category:American fantasy writers

Category:Linguists from the United States

Category:American Holocaust deniers

Category:American male novelists

Category:American neo-Nazis

Category:Muslims from Minnesota

Category:Converts to Islam

Category:Linguists of Klamath

Category:Role-playing game designers

Category:20th-century American male writers

Category:21st-century American male writers

Category:Constructed language creators

Category:University of Washington alumni