Man of Gold

The American edition of this book welcomes you with a gorgeous Michael Whelan cover, richly coloured and full of life. Only after reading more about the world of Tekumel do you notice that it gets every important detail wrong. Still, the text is the important thing and the text here shines from every page. Professor Barker is a better storyteller than you might expect from an academic and this tale of a young priest and the alien society he lives in is a grand tale. Because the world of Tekumel is so unfamiliar to western readers, having more in common with Aztec and Indian cultures, Professor Barker chose to make his hero something of an outsider too, in this case raised as a child by the insect-like Pe Choi. This certainly helps when it comes to explaining the intricacies of the world without sounding too much like, well, a professor. It is not a perfect novel, though, as for my taste there is rather a lot of unlikely coincidence and the plot rapidly escalates towards a James Bond "fate of the entire world" scenario, which seems unnecessary given the richness of material here. Bucking tradition, however, the sequel "Flamesong" is even better. Out of print for years now, "The Man of Gold" is so enjoyable despite its flaws that I tend to buy copies when I find them, to pass on to interested friends. A British edition also exists, with a bilious green cover, making this first novel easier to find than the sequel.

M.A.R. Barker has created one of the most detailed and intricate worlds in fiction. It is often compared to Tolkien's Middle Earth, but Tekumel is very, very different.Barker's style and world generation is actually the equivalent of what is termed "hard science fiction", whereas Tolkien's is true fantasy, or more the model of style for what is termed "soft SF" or "science fantasy." Barker's stories are never "magical" in the sense of the fairy tale, which was the hallmark of Tolkien. They are dynamic, gritty, and overwhelming in their minute details. His entire world, in fact, is set in a far future and based on a science fiction universe of extremely advanced technologies wherein this one world (or perhaps all the universe) has undergone a horrendous trauma (be it war or cosmic cataclysm has yet to be explained, though promised for the new volumes) that severed it from contact with the rest of the universe. The races and their langauges, their artifacts and civilizations, that are depicted by Barker, have all arisen from the ashes of this cataclysm on Tekemul. The legends and religions, in fact, are only echoes of whatever existed thousands of years before.At any rate, this is one of the most complex worlds ever created, with the linguistics probably far more intricate than anything else. For writers, readers, or gameplayers who are interested in world generation, Barker has written the textbook examples.

When you see much of the other trash out there (on the best sellers list no less) you cease to wonder why baywatch has been on TV so long. This book (and its mate Flamesong) offer a world that is both complex and believable. I have found that most fans are people who roleplay in this world, but anyone will enjoy this book (as I have never even seen the game). I wish that these two books would enjoy success so Prof. Barker would put out more of these.

M.A.R. Barker, like J.R.R. Tolkein, was a Professor of Languages. In this book, he takes the reader through a portion of the conflict between the religious and political factions of the Empire of Tsolyanu, throws in a couple of love interests, a long-forgotten civilization, and a machine that saves the world after sleeping for uncounted centuries. Recommended for older teens and adults, this story, like most modern science fiction, does contain some topics and descriptions that might be disturbing to younger children.

This book is incredible good. It is a must for lovers of both scifi and fantasy, with its complex world, and even several languages. When I first read this book back in -86, it immediately put Tolkien down 1 step. Since then i've reread it twice, and it only gets better, and Tolkien must step even further down. If you get hold of a copy of this book, take a week off and enjoy!