Theo Barkel

Theo Barkel, born in Rotterdam in 1968, was one of the founders of Uitgeverij Macc. He developed a passion for writing at an early age. Inspired by series such as Dr. Who and Space 1999, he began writing his own stories at a young age.

But thanks to names such as Arthur Clarke and the German SF series Perry Rhodan, his writing began to take shape. The first publication by Macc is therefore his work, the first part of the horror series Shadajaël; Genadeval.

As editor-in-chief of SF-Terra, he has interviewed many big names, including his childhood hero Arthur Clarke, and has worked as a translator for the Perry Rhodan series in the past. He now has more than 17 novels to his name, ranging from science fiction to moving life stories, such as Dylan Proosten, Vergeet mijn naam niet (Don't forget my name), published by Uitgeverij Life, and the comic fantasy novel Het Chagrijnige Slagzwaard (The Grumpy Sword), which has already been described by various readers as “Imaginative (...) and very humorous”. And “I have seen the worthy successor to Terry Pratchett, our very own Theo Barkel.”

The first story he published was a short humorous science fiction story about a milk bottle that appeared in a school magazine and earned him a book voucher worth 50 guilders (yes, guilders).