Quote from: RPGPundit on March 17, 2022, 07:44:18 PM
This is absolutely shocking. And the question was whether Barker's heirs, the "tekumel foundation" had any knowledge of it, and brushed it under the carpet?

It would seem so.


From the Petalheads Discord:

  Educated white guy converts to Islam as an adult...and people are shocked he had a few antisemetic thoughts?  IME, the late converts trend towards the slightly radical.

  But Straight to the red list for him if true I guess.

Quote from: oggsmash on March 17, 2022, 09:06:29 PM
  But Straight to the red list for him if true I guess.

Yep.

A major scholarly article on MAR Barker suggests he wrote a pseudonymous novel with "inflammatory political viewpoints":

Quote"Barker released five formal editions of the Empire of the Petal Throne (in 1975, 1976, 1983, 1987, and 2000) as well as about 50 game supplements; Tekumel enthusiasts have also produced variations on the rules, Tekumel encyclopaedias, fanzines, and similar materials.24 Additionally, Barker published five novels set in his game world: The Man of Gold (1984), Flamesong (1987), Lords of Tsamra (2003), Prince of Skulls (2002), and A Death of Kings (2003), as well as a pseudonymous novel (see footnote 25)."

What does Footnote 25 say?

Quote"Discussing this novel posed an ethical dilemma. The work is clearly Barker's – not only does his share his writing style and interests, but it is published in the name of one of his ancestors. (It is also attributed to him in at least one library catalogue.) It refers extensively to the Muslim and South Asian heritage, including a quotation from an eleventh-century Arabic tome on warfare, and dialogue about the esoteric cosmology of Ibn Arabi and the theory of the "divine attributes of majesty and beauty" (asma¯) al-jala¯l wa al-jama¯l). Hence, any discussion of the intersection of Barker's beliefs and writing should include this work. This novel has actually been discussed more extensively in academic literature than his Tekumel novels, and, in my view, the writing is superior. However, the novel explores potentially inflammatory political viewpoints, and it was impressed upon me that it was best to preserve the façade of anonymity. I thus will leave it to the interested reader to dig it up – as Barker himself said, "Dig, dig, dig!"

Source: "Muhammad Abd al-Rahman (Phillip) Barker: Bridging Cultural Divides through Fantasy/ Science-Fiction Role-Playing Games and Fictional Religion", by Amina Inloes in "The Muslim World"

Since the book has been covered in academic literature, I decided to do review of Google Scholar. I found this article:
"The Turner Legacy: The Storied Origins and Enduring Impact of White Nationalism's Deadly Bible," by J.M. Berger, for International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (2016)

That article states:

Quote"In 1991, the National Alliance returned to the dystopian well with Serpent's Walk, by Randolph D. Calverhall, believed by some to be another pseudonym for Pierce, although the book is not attributed to him in his authorized biography.61 Serpent's Walk is a much more ambitious novel than The Turner Diaries, with a heavier focus on science fiction and a much more sophisticated writing style."

Meanwhile, it seems that Randolph Calverhall was an ancestor of MAR Barker:
https://www.geni.com/people/Randulf-de-Calverhall/6000000007151112815

QuoteIt seems probable that at this time, the undertenants shared in the disgrace of their lord, and that one of them, WILLIAM DE CALVERHALL, fled from the north of the county, and reappeared at HALLON under the assumed name of WILLIAM LE BARKER. At all events this person is found in possession of the Manor of Hallon, and was succeeded in the early part of the reign of Edward III. by his son, 'ROGER LE BARKER, who died in the year 1368...

Given:
1) MARB wrote a novel under a pseudonym, named for an ancestor, that had "inflammatory political viewpoints" that has been discussed in academic literature.
2) There is a novel called "Serpent's Walk" written by a "Randolph Calverhall" that is, in the extremity of its Neo-Nazi rhetoric, comparable to the "Turner Diaries", according to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism.
3) While "Randolph Calverhall" was at first thought to have been the same author as that of the Turner Diaries, it is "much more ambitious" "more sophisticated" "science fiction" than Turner diaries, and the author didn't claim to write it in his biography.
4) A man named "Randolph du Calverhall" was an ancestor of a family named "Barker".

I'd conclude MARB wrote "Serpent's Walk" based on the above, unless the Tekumel Foundation expressly disclaims it and says what his actual book is.

Quote from: amacris on March 17, 2022, 09:43:14 PM
A major scholarly article on MAR Barker suggests he wrote a pseudonymous novel with "inflammatory political viewpoints":

Quote"Barker released five formal editions of the Empire of the Petal Throne (in 1975, 1976, 1983, 1987, and 2000) as well as about 50 game supplements; Tekumel enthusiasts have also produced variations on the rules, Tekumel encyclopaedias, fanzines, and similar materials.24 Additionally, Barker published five novels set in his game world: The Man of Gold (1984), Flamesong (1987), Lords of Tsamra (2003), Prince of Skulls (2002), and A Death of Kings (2003), as well as a pseudonymous novel (see footnote 25)."

What does Footnote 25 say?

Quote"Discussing this novel posed an ethical dilemma. The work is clearly Barker's – not only does his share his writing style and interests, but it is published in the name of one of his ancestors. (It is also attributed to him in at least one library catalogue.) It refers extensively to the Muslim and South Asian heritage, including a quotation from an eleventh-century Arabic tome on warfare, and dialogue about the esoteric cosmology of Ibn Arabi and the theory of the "divine attributes of majesty and beauty" (asma¯) al-jala¯l wa al-jama¯l). Hence, any discussion of the intersection of Barker's beliefs and writing should include this work. This novel has actually been discussed more extensively in academic literature than his Tekumel novels, and, in my view, the writing is superior. However, the novel explores potentially inflammatory political viewpoints, and it was impressed upon me that it was best to preserve the façade of anonymity. I thus will leave it to the interested reader to dig it up – as Barker himself said, "Dig, dig, dig!"

Source: "Muhammad Abd al-Rahman (Phillip) Barker: Bridging Cultural Divides through Fantasy/ Science-Fiction Role-Playing Games and Fictional Religion", by Amina Inloes in "The Muslim World"

Since the book has been covered in academic literature, I decided to do review of Google Scholar. I found this article:
"The Turner Legacy: The Storied Origins and Enduring Impact of White Nationalism's Deadly Bible," by J.M. Berger, for International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (2016)

That article states:

Quote"In 1991, the National Alliance returned to the dystopian well with Serpent's Walk, by Randolph D. Calverhall, believed by some to be another pseudonym for Pierce, although the book is not attributed to him in his authorized biography.61 Serpent's Walk is a much more ambitious novel than The Turner Diaries, with a heavier focus on science fiction and a much more sophisticated writing style."

Meanwhile, it seems that Randolph Calverhall was an ancestor of MAR Barker:
https://www.geni.com/people/Randulf-de-Calverhall/6000000007151112815

QuoteIt seems probable that at this time, the undertenants shared in the disgrace of their lord, and that one of them, WILLIAM DE CALVERHALL, fled from the north of the county, and reappeared at HALLON under the assumed name of WILLIAM LE BARKER. At all events this person is found in possession of the Manor of Hallon, and was succeeded in the early part of the reign of Edward III. by his son, 'ROGER LE BARKER, who died in the year 1368...

Given:
1) MARB wrote a novel under a pseudonym, named for an ancestor, that had "inflammatory political viewpoints" that has been discussed in academic literature.
2) There is a novel called "Serpent's Walk" written by a "Randolph Calverhall" that is, in the extremity of its Neo-Nazi rhetoric, comparable to the "Turner Diaries", according to the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism.
3) While "Randolph Calverhall" was at first thought to have been the same author as that of the Turner Diaries, it is "much more ambitious" "more sophisticated" "science fiction" than Turner diaries, and the author didn't claim to write it in his biography.
4) A man named "Randolph du Calverhall" was an ancestor of a family named "Barker".

I'd conclude MARB wrote "Serpent's Walk" based on the above, unless the Tekumel Foundation expressly disclaims it and says what his actual book is.

Actually, the President of the Tekumel Foundation has confirmed it.

Oh, wow. That's...that, then.

I guess I could have saved myself an hour of Google.

Quote from: oggsmash on March 17, 2022, 09:06:29 PMBut Straight to the red list for him if true I guess.

The guy's dead. What are you actually putting on the red list here?

Quote from: hedgehobbit on March 17, 2022, 10:05:35 PM

Quote from: oggsmash on March 17, 2022, 09:06:29 PMBut Straight to the red list for him if true I guess.

The guy's dead. What are you actually putting on the red list here?

I'd argue that not giving money to the Tekumel Foundation via, say, drivethrurpg (who sells Barker's stuff, at least for now), since they apparently covered this all up for at least a decade, is exactly what the list is ostensibly supposed to do.

Next Tubesock is going to break the news that Gygax wasted all his ADnD money on Hookers and Blow.

Who?

Edit: Oh, the author of Empire of the Petal Throne.

I thought the "red list" was for woke companies. Is anti-Semitisim woke?

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on March 17, 2022, 11:15:55 PM
I thought the "red list" was for woke companies. Is anti-Semitisim woke?

Nope, and often yes.

Quote from: Trinculoisdead on March 17, 2022, 11:15:55 PMI thought the "red list" was for woke companies. Is anti-Semitisim woke?

The red list is for companies whose founders/primary content generators practice politics so objectionable (or, as is apparently the case with the Tekumel Foundation, assist in concealing such politics for their own protection) that people may choose not to reward those companies with their money, even if particular works don't promulgate those politics in their content. In this day and age Wokism accounts for most such politics, but pro-fascist anti-Semitism is still one example of it.

I admit to being of two minds myself. On the one hand, I agree that if this was a sincere expression of Barker's politics (instead of, as has been suggested, intended by Barker as an obscure practical joke on publishers whom he looked down on as dumber than him), then some criticism and censure is due the Foundation for covering it up.  On the other hand, Barker himself is ten years dead and the book itself is so obscure I'd wager odds nobody's heard of it except people who were already bigots; besides, if taken to its logical extreme, this position forbids one from ever attending any orchestra or opera troupe again if they ever once played any Wagner (who was a notorious anti-Semite). So the virtue involved in punishing people for the rather understandable desire not to lose their jobs over one man's forgotten outburst of awfulness, which was beyond correction by the time they discovered it anyway, seems provisional to me at best.

Quote from: amacris on March 17, 2022, 10:05:04 PM
I guess I could have saved myself an hour of Google.

Never regret doing your own homework...unless you get it wrong.

Quote from: Tubesock Army on March 17, 2022, 10:11:08 PM

Quote from: hedgehobbit on March 17, 2022, 10:05:35 PM

Quote from: oggsmash on March 17, 2022, 09:06:29 PMBut Straight to the red list for him if true I guess.

The guy's dead. What are you actually putting on the red list here?

I'd argue that not giving money to the Tekumel Foundation via, say, drivethrurpg (who sells Barker's stuff, at least for now), since they apparently covered this all up for at least a decade, is exactly what the list is ostensibly supposed to do.

Eh. People and organizations have been argued over to the yellow list for not being actively awful, just passively awful.

Ok. So why exactly are the usual suspects calling for Tekumel or the Tekimel Foundation to be attacked?

They did not announce that Barker did something stupid once. Likely for fear of being attacked by the SJW cult. And rightfully so.

Unfortunately this is a damned of you do, damned if you done situation as SJWs are involved and they can just hallucinate a reason to be outraged.

As for Barker. Does this really surprise anyone? Assuming he really wrote the book. And we have no idea if the TF is telling the truth, or at this point just admitting guilt because they dont know? I assume yes Barker did write it though. But could be an unusual coincidence.

I find it more interesting that someone was so determined to dig up dirt on Barker that they had to make the required leaps of logic to connect Barker to an ancestor and then to a book with connected names. But unfortunately. Saw this coming as the SJW cults been gunning for Barker.

As for damning the dead. Instead lets wonder who the hell put these ideas in his head. And what compelled him to write that book. Again, assuming he wrote it. And again, I have to assume yes he did.

Next question is. How anti-Semitic is it? Are we talking relatively low level like Fantasy Wargaming? Or up the scale like that white supremacist game that doesnt deserve to be named.

ADDENDUM: Actually... on reading the notes so far. This reads more like a bunch of assumptions. But no proof? The connections are though very interesting. But "writing style and ideals are similar" does not necessarily mean they are the same. But does help re-inforce the other connections if true.

ADDENDUM 2: Found the book. ahhhh. Well that is... peculiar to say the least.