M. A. R. Barker

M. A. R. Barker

Creator of the role-playing game 'Empire of the Petal Throne'
Date of Birth: 03.11.1929
Country: USA

Content:
  1. Early Life and Education
  2. Literary Influences and Imaginative Worlds
  3. Academic Interests and Foreign Language
  4. Fulbright Scholarship and Conversion to Islam
  5. Academic Career and Tékumel Creation
  6. Role-Playing Game Development
  7. Collaborations and Legacy
  8. Later Career and Retirement

Early Life and Education

Mark W. Barker was born on November 3, 1929, in Spokane, Washington. His family had early colonial roots in America, dating back to 1626. Barker spent his childhood in the Pacific Northwest states of Washington and Idaho.

Literary Influences and Imaginative Worlds

From a young age, Barker was fascinated by fantasy, history, and literature. Films like "The Thief of Bagdad" sparked his imagination and inspired him to create his own fictional worlds, including Tsolyanu and Tékumel. As a teenager, he crafted armies out of homemade figurines to represent his creative visions.

Academic Interests and Foreign Language

Barker also developed a keen interest in foreign languages. Inspired by his Basque neighbors, he sought to understand their private conversations. Before 1950, he studied under Professor Merville Jacobs at the University of Washington, publishing articles and stories in "Fanscient" and "Sinisterra" magazines.

Fulbright Scholarship and Conversion to Islam

In 1951, Barker received a Fulbright Scholarship to study South Asian languages. During his first trip to India, he converted to Islam, citing its logical nature and the profound spiritual experience he had at the Taj Mahal.

Academic Career and Tékumel Creation

Barker earned a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, with a dissertation on the Klamath-Modoc language. He later published a grammar and dictionary for this language. From 1958 to 1972, he taught at McGill University's Institute of Islamic Studies.

Role-Playing Game Development

Inspired by "Dungeons & Dragons," Barker decided to create his own game based on his Tékumel world. In August 1974, after six weeks of development, he published "Empire of the Petal Throne." The game received critical acclaim, with Dave Arneson praising Barker as a master dungeon master and Tékumel as his favorite role-playing game.

Collaborations and Legacy

Gary Gygax, co-creator of "Dungeons & Dragons," took notice of Barker's game. TSR, Inc. published an updated version in 1976. Tim Kask of "Dragon Magazine" compared Tékumel to J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth for its intricate worldbuilding, mythology, and fictional languages.

Later Career and Retirement

Barker retired from the University of Minnesota in the 1990s, where he had served as chair of the South Asian studies department. He continued to write fantasy novels and develop the Tékumel world until his death in 2014. Barker's legacy as a pioneer of role-playing games and creator of one of the most detailed and imaginative fantasy worlds continues to inspire gamers and fantasy authors worldwide.

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