Dworkin Barimen

Dworkin Barimen is a fictional character in Roger Zelazny's The Chronicles of Amber, a fantasy book series.

Dworkin hails from House Barimen in the Courts of Chaos. After obtaining the Left Eye of the Serpent of Chaos (what would eventually become The Jewel of Judgment) through methods unknown, he fled into Shadow and met the Unicorn of Order. With her help and using the Eye, he inscribed the Primal Pattern,^[1][2] giving form to Amber.^[3] Oberon, first king of Amber, is reportedly the offspring of Dworkin and the Unicorn.

In the Dawn of Amber series, many of Dworkin's other children are introduced:

• Sons:
  • Oberon
  • Locke, whose mother was Valeria Ryassa de Lyor ab Sytalla, Lady of Chaos
  • Daren
  • Titus and Conner, twin brothers
  • Fenn
  • Aber
  • Mattus
  • Taine
  • Alanar
  • two unnamed sons who went missing and were presumed dead
• Daughters:
  • Freda
  • Pella
  • Blaise
  • Isadora
  • Syara
  • Leona
  • two unnamed daughters who went missing and were presumed dead

Throughout the ages, Dworkin stayed in court as an advisor and teacher of the power of Trumps,^[4] with frequent absences to places unknown. His students include Oberon's children Bleys, Brand and Fiona. When the Primal Pattern of Amber was damaged, Dworkin went mad for the pattern was a reflection of his mind. He proposed the destruction of the Pattern (and thus, Amber and all the shadow alternate realities it cast) and then to create a new undamaged one. Deemed to be dangerous and unstable, he was imprisoned by Oberon. At least, that was the intent; Dworkin proved quite capable of leaving his prison. During Corwin's imprisonment in the Amber dungeons, Dworkin helped Corwin escape using a Trump of Cabra Lighthouse he drew on the dungeon wall.^[5]

In popular culture

Computer programmer Felix Croes uses "Dworkin" as a pseudonym, referring to Dworkin Barimen, and named his MUD software platform Dworkin's Game Driver.^[6]

References

1. Bleiler, Everett Franklin (1985). Supernatural fiction writers: fantasy and horror, Volume 2. Simon & Schuster. p. 1116. ISBN 0-684-17808-7. As the story proceeds, we learn that Chaos existed before Amber and that Dworkin, Oberon's father, was a rebel Lord of Chaos who created the first Pattern [...]
2. Kelleghan, Fiona (2002). Classics of Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature: Aegypt. Salem Press. p. 23. ISBN 1-58765-051-7. Along the way, Corwin meets Dworkin, a mad but powerful wizard. It becomes apparent that Dworkin is the oldest member of the House of Amber and creator of the Pattern [...]
3. Yoke, Carl B. (2007). Roger Zelazny. Borgo Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-916732-04-5. In the Amber novels, Dworkin tells Corwin that though both he and Oberon came from Chaos originally, they created form out of chaos by will and discipline.
4. Lindskold, Jane M. (1993). Roger Zelazny. Twayne Publishers. p. 49. ISBN 0-8057-3953-X. Both of these younger sons of Amber are Trump artists, following in the tradition of their great-grandfather Dworkin.
5. Yoke, Carl B. (2007). Roger Zelazny. Borgo Press. p. 80. ISBN 0-916732-04-5. There, his eyes regenerate and he meets the mad dwarf, Dworkin, who provides him with a means of escape.
6. Shah, Rawn; Romine, James (1995). Playing MUDs on the Internet. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. p. 164. ISBN 0-471-11633-5. DGD, created by Dworkin aka Felix Croes, is a complete rewrite of the LPmud game.