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''Flamesong'' is a 1985
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 scien ...
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 Thron ...
and published by DAW Books. It is the second novel to take place on the fictional planet 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 A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within ...
''
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-pla ...
'' (1974). The plot follows a group of far-future
legionaries The Roman legionary (in Latin ''legionarius'', plural ''legionarii'') was a professional heavy infantryman of the Roman army after the Marian reforms. These soldiers would conquer and defend the territories of ancient Rome during the late Repu ...
who discover an ancient " tubeway car" by accident and inadvertently use it to explore various exotic locales. ''Flamesong'' is not a direct sequel to the first Tékumel novel '' The Man of Gold'', as it features a different cast of characters.The Tékumel Novels
''Tékumel Collecting'', 22 April 2017. Accessed 11 March 2020.
It also hints towards the beginning of a larger, more world-changing story arc.Jared

''
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.
Unlike ''The Man of Gold'', ''Flamesong'' was only published in the U.S. and no foreign-language editions followed. It has not been reprinted or published in digital format. As a consequence, ''Flamesong'' is somewhat difficult to find in the second-hand market and is more obscure than its predecessor.O'Neill, John
Vintage Treasures: Flamesong by M.A.R. Barker.
'' Black Gate'', 22 August 2015. Accessed 12 March 2020.
As is the case with ''The Man of Gold'', ''Flamesong'' features no separate description of the setting, although a short treatise on its fictional languages is subjoined. Also included are advertisements for the Tsolyáni dictionary and grammar and a role-playing source book detailing the setting. The novel attracted favorable reviews but was not commercially very successful. ''Flamesong'' was the last collaboration between Barker and the 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 ...
. Reportedly, they fell out after Barker urged Wollheim to take legal action against
Raymond Feist Raymond Elias Feist (; born Raymond Elias Gonzales III; December 21, 1945) is an American fantasy fiction author who wrote '' The Riftwar Cycle'', a series of novels and short stories. His books have been translated into multiple languages and h ...
, believing the latter's ''
Riftwar ''The Riftwar Cycle'' is the name given to the series of books authored or co-authored by Raymond E. Feist that revolve around the fantasy worlds of Midkemia and Kelewan. The Riftwar Universe The majority of Feist's works are part of The Riftw ...
'' series to be a plagiate of Tékumel. Barker also had a dispute with the role-playing game publisher TSR which claimed to be entitled to royalties from the Tékumel novels.


Plot summary

Trinesh, a lieutenant in the Tsolyáni army, is eager to prove himself to his superiors, one of whom is the imperial prince Mirusíya. Mirusíya and his army worship the warlike fire deity Vimúhla, who once wielded a legendary weapon named Flamesong. Trinesh' legionaries storm an isolated outpost occupied by the hostile empire of Yán Kór. The fastness is revealed to be an ancient temple that houses the access to a high-tech subway network. A group of Yán Kóryani noblewomen escape into one of the "tubeway cars". Trinesh and a handful of soldiers attempt to take the women as prisoners, but get trapped in the machine instead. The motley party begins an eventful journey from one tubeway station to another, each located in a distant and exotic land. No one in the party knows exactly how to operate the tubeway car, and a lengthy series of misfortunes follows. Personal chemistries in the claustrophobic environment are strained at first, but over time the characters learn to understand each other despite their differing world-views and backgrounds. Eventually it is revealed that one of the Yán Kóryany noblewomen is Flamesong come into human flesh, and that her intent is to assassinate Mirusíya. She is nearly successful, but ultimately slays another, less important officer. Trinesh, on the other hand, sets free a group of extra-dimensional aliens enslaved by the Yán Kóryani ruler, thus seriously damaging his fancies of world domination. Before parting ways, Trinesh and the Yán Kóryani noblewomen express their mutual respect. Trinesh himself declares his intent to become a general and pay a visit to his newfound Yán Kóryani friends, now as a conqueror.


Reception

''
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, contin ...
'' 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 calls ''Flamesong'' "an exotic travelogue" that is less successful than ''The Man of Gold'', but interesting nonetheless. Langford and Tringham opine that ''Flamesong'' is better than the three Tékumel novels that followed it, and that Barker was more talented as a world-builder than he was as a novelist.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 12 March 2020.
A retrospective review posted on the genre fiction blog ''
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 ...
'' describes the novel as more consistent and better balanced than ''The Man of Gold''. Regardless, the plot consists mainly of "railroaded events" driven by "a magical place-hopping, plot-forwarding tube." Despite its obvious shortcomings, the novel is "action-packed" and "a lot of fun", successfully inviting the reader to learn more about Tékumel. A website dedicated to Tékumel collecting describes the novel as the best written of the series. While the "dynamics among the soldiers" are sometimes implausible, the characterization is generally good and the novel has a better structured plot than its predecessor. ''Flamesong'' may also function as a "gold mine of information" for Tékumel fans. Writing for the '' Black Gate'' website, John O'Neill describes the novel as "an even more ambitious sequel
hat A hat is a head covering which is worn for various reasons, including protection against weather conditions, ceremonial reasons such as university graduation, religious reasons, safety, or as a fashion accessory. Hats which incorporate mech ...
was highly acclaimed… but only by those few who read it."


Reviews

*Review by Lynn F. Williams (1985) 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 con ...
, November 1985


References

{{reflist 1985 fantasy novels Science fantasy novels Tékumel