''The Man of Gold'' is a 1984

science-fantasy Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction that simultaneously draws upon or combines tropes and elements from both science fiction and fantasy. In a conventional science fiction story, the world is presented as being scienti ...

novel written by

M. A. R. Barker Muhammad Abd-al-Rahman Barker (born Phillip Barker, November 3, 1929 – March 16, 2012) was an American linguist who was professor of Urdu and South Asian Studies and created one of the first roleplaying games, ''Empire of the Petal Throne' ...

and published by DAW Books. It is the first novel set on the fictional world of

Tékumel ''Tékumel'' is a fantasy world created by American linguist and writer M. A. R. Barker over the course of several decades from around 1940. In this imaginary world, huge, tradition-bound empires with medieval levels of technology vie for control ...

– also featured in Barker's role-playing game ''

Empire of the Petal Throne ''Empire of the Petal Throne'' is a fantasy role-playing game designed by M. A. R. Barker, based on his Tékumel fictional universe. It was self-published in 1974, then published by TSR, Inc. in 1975. It was one of the first tabletop role-pl ...

'' (1974) – and tells the story of a priest of Thumis named Harsan, a scholar who becomes involved in the quest for the eponymous artefact of a past immensely ancient. Barker became acquainted with DAW editor

Donald A. Wollheim Donald Allen Wollheim (October 1, 1914 – November 2, 1990) was an American science fiction editor, publisher, writer, and fan. As an author, he published under his own name as well as under pseudonyms, including David Grinnell, Martin Pearso ...

through their shared interest in miniatures. ''The Man of Gold'' was licensed to the London publisher

Century Hutchinson Hutchinson was a British publishing firm which operated from 1887 until 1985, when it underwent several mergers. It is currently an imprint which is ultimately owned by Bertelsmann, the German publishing conglomerate. History Hutchinson began ...

, which released a UK edition in 1985. The novel was also translated into German and published under the title ''Der Ungewöhnliche Goldmann: Abenteuer in Tekumel'' by Goldmann Verlag in 1986.The Tékumel Novels
''Tékumel Collecting'', 22 April 2017. Accessed 11 March 2020. The DAW edition contains no separate description of the setting, but a short treatise on its fictional languages and their pronunciation is subjoined. Also included are advertisements for the Tsolyáni language and grammar as well as for a source book describing the setting in detail. The novel was generally well-received, with one contemporary reviewer favorably comparing Barker to the likes of Clark Ashton Smith and

Jack Vance John Holbrook Vance (August 28, 1916 – May 26, 2013) was an American mystery, fantasy, and science fiction writer. Though most of his work has been published under the name Jack Vance, he also wrote several mystery novels under pen names. ...

. The novel was praised for its setting, intrigue and the atmosphere of ancientness, although its plotting and characterization have been criticized as weak. Its commercial performance was less impressive. According to one source, ''The Man of Gold'' had a print run of 15,000, about half of which failed to sell. ''The Man of Gold'' was republished as an

e-book An ebook (short for electronic book), also known as an e-book or eBook, is a book publication made available in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, readable on the flat-panel display of computers or other electronic devices. Alt ...

by the Tékumel Foundation in 2015. A

print-on-demand Print on demand (POD) is a printing technology and business process in which book copies (or other documents, packaging or materials) are not printed until the company receives an order, allowing prints of single or small quantities. While oth ...

version soon followed. The first edition cover art by

Michael Whelan Michael Whelan (born 29 June 1950) is an American artist of imaginative realism. For more than 30 years, he worked as an illustrator, specializing in science fiction and fantasy cover art. Since the mid-1990s, he has pursued a fine art career, ...

, while deemed gorgeous by the Foundation, was scrapped in favor of a new design as the original had little to do with the actual story. The new edition also includes illustrations and maps by Giovanna Fregni, who also designed the cover.

Plot summary

Priestling Harsan has grown up among the non-human Pé Chói and is regarded a clanless

bastard Bastard may refer to: Parentage * Illegitimate child, a child born to unmarried parents ** Bastard (law of England and Wales), illegitimacy in English law People People with the name * Bastard (surname), including a list of people with that na ...

. He lives in monastic seclusion with other priests of Thumis, the god of knowledge, and specializes in esoteric languages. Harsan is summoned by the high-priests of the Tsolyáni Empire to translate ancient manuscripts that describe a counterplay to the ′Weapon Without Answer′ — a high-tech device of old, utilized by the hostile empire of Yán Kór. Harsan embarks a quest to recover the Man of Gold before it is too late, traversing much of Tsolyánu as he follows various leads and evades the machinations of extra-dimensional

aliens Alien primarily refers to: * Alien (law), a person in a country who is not a national of that country ** Enemy alien, the above in times of war * Extraterrestrial life, life which does not originate from Earth ** Specifically, intelligent extrate ...

and rival factions within the Tsolýani aristocracy. During his travels, Harsan manages to charm two young ladies of considerable beauty and wildly incompatible personalities. Ultimately, the Man of Gold is discovered and the Yán Kóryani designs of conquest are averted for the time being. A pariah no more, Harsan is accepted into the Tsolyáni high society and awarded a noble rank for his feats. The story closes as he marries his sweethearts and wonders whether the two will ever learn to tolerate each other.

Analysis

The character of Harsan resembles Barker in some ways as both are professional linguists.Jared
M.A.R. Barker, Emperor of the Petal Throne.
''

Pornokitsch Pornokitsch is a British "geek culture" blog that published reviews and news concerning speculative fiction and other genre fiction. History The website, established in 2008, is owned and edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin. Other contributo ...

'', 7 December 2017. Accessed 12 March 2020. Like Harsan, Barker may have suffered from isolation as a youth, being the only child of a family that moved repeatedly.

Reception

Frederick Paul Kiesche III reviewed ''The Man of Gold'' in ''

Space Gamer Space is the boundless three-dimensional extent in which objects and events have relative position and direction. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions, although modern physicists usually cons ...

'' No. 71. Kiesche commented that "I say 'bravo' to Professor Barker and impatiently await the next Tekumel novel, ''Flamesong''. If you love the fantastic fiction of

A. Merritt Abraham Grace Merritt (January 20, 1884 – August 21, 1943) – known by his byline, A. Merritt – was an American Sunday magazine editor and a writer of fantastic fiction. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame inducted him in 1999, ...

, Clark Ashton Smith, or

, you will find a new love in ''The Man of Gold''. An excellent first novel and another fascinating facet of one man's universe – the Empire of the Petal Throne." ''

The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction ''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' (SFE) is an English language reference work on science fiction, first published in 1979. It has won the Hugo, Locus and British SF Awards. Two print editions appeared in 1979 and 1993. A third, continu ...

'' entry written by

David Langford David Rowland Langford (born 10 April 1953) is a British author, editor, and critic, largely active within the science fiction field. He publishes the science fiction fanzine and newsletter ''Ansible'', and holds the all-time record for most ...

and Neal Tringham describes the novel as Barker's most successful; "a

bildungsroman In literary criticism, a ''Bildungsroman'' (, plural ''Bildungsromane'', ) is a literary genre that focuses on the psychological and moral growth of the protagonist from childhood to adulthood (coming of age), in which character change is import ...

full of political intrigue and mysterious artefacts" that unfortunately suffers from "a somewhat disjointed plot." Tringham and Langford opine that Barker was more talented as a world-builder than he was as a prosaist.Tringham, Neal & Langford, David
Barker, M. A. R.
''The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction'' edited by John Clute, David Langford, Peter Nicholls and Graham Sleight. London: Gollancz, updated 31 August 2018. Web. Accessed 9 March 2020. A website dedicated to Tékumel collecting comments that the pacing issues reflect Barker's inexperience as a novelist. A retrospective review, originally published on

RPGnet RPGnet is a role-playing game website. It includes sections on wargames, tabletop games and video games, as well as columns on gaming topics. RPGnet was founded in 1996 by Emma and Sandy Antunes, Shawn Althouse ( etrigan) and Brian David Phillip ...

in 1999, awarded the novel high points for substance but less so for style, criticizing its clichéd, clumsily constructed narrative,

MacGuffin In fiction, a MacGuffin (sometimes McGuffin) is an object, device, or event that is necessary to the plot and the motivation of the characters, but insignificant, unimportant, or irrelevant in itself. The term was originated by Angus MacPhail for ...

-driven action, and unsatisfying finale. Another source of criticism is a scene where a female character is tortured in a bizarre and highly sexualized manner. Nonetheless, the setting with its political machinations and remnants of ancient civilizations is "beyond compare", making ''The Man of Gold'' a worthy read.Ex-RPGNet Review – Tékumel: The Man of Gold
The Alexandrian, 11 April 2013. (Archived from the RPGNet original published in 19 July 1999.) Accessed 10 March 2020. Another retrospective review, posted on the genre fiction blog ''

'', describes ''The Man of Gold'' as "a curiously unadventurous adventure", noting Harsan's "naive but reckless" personality and his tendency to drift from one encounter to another without conscious agency. While the story and its characters are bland, the world of Tékumel is awe-inspiring. Rather than "a stand-alone piece of entertainment," ''The Man of Gold'' should be approached "as a part of an educational process," offering an accessible introduction to Barker's fictional universe and inviting the reader to dream Tékumelani adventures of his or her own.Jared
The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker
''

'', 12 October 2015. Accessed 10 March 2020. Writing for the '' Black Gate'' website, John O'Neill described ''The Man of Gold'' and its sequels as "a series of well-received fantasy novels." He also lauded Whelan's cover art as marvelous.O'Neill, John
Vintage Treasures: The Man of Gold by M.A.R. Barker.
''Black Gate'', 20 August 2015. Accessed 10 March 2020.

Reviews

*''

Different Worlds ''Different Worlds'' was an American role-playing games magazine published from 1979 to 1987. Scope ''Different Worlds'' published support articles, scenarios, and variants for various role-playing games including ''Dungeons & Dragons'', ''Rune ...

'' #38 (Jan./Feb., 1985) *Review by Bill Collins (1984) in

Fantasy Review ''Fantasy Newsletter'' was a major fantasy fanzine founded by Paul C. Allen and later issued by Robert A. Collins. Frequent contributors included Fritz Leiber and Gene Wolfe. Publication history The first issue appeared in June 1978, and Allen ...

, December 1984 *Review by Tom Easton (1985) in Analog Science Fiction/Science Fact, February 1985

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Man of Gold 1984 fantasy novels Science fantasy novels Tékumel