It got posed to me earlier today by a friend about the issue of refusing to read the works of an author whose personal opinion you offends you deeply. Basically it goes like this: Orson Scott Card, the famous (some would say infamous) author of the bestselling “Ender’s Game”, has made many statements which are fairly homophobic. He’s referred to gay marriage as marking “the end of democracy in America”, and supports laws banning homosexual behavior to make an example of people who engage in it, among other things. A friend of my friend asked her to try reading some of Card’s works, pointing out that his fictional works have nothing to do with his political statements, but my friend refuses to give him a chance, because his public statements have been deeply hurtful to her.
I have to say, to a certain degree, I agree with this. Even if Card doesn’t use his fictional works as a platform for his political positions (at least not to the degree as Heinlein), fiction is a medium in which you have to accept an alternate set of events and settings from reality– you have to be able to trust the author in order to be entertained, much like you have to be able to believe the actors on a stage putting on a play. If you go in knowing the guy is a nutball, it’s going to be hard to take the guy’s work seriously, unless you’re really good at compartmentalizing.
This is to say nothing of the fact that, even if you don’t buy the book, reading an author’s work offers a kind of acknowledgement in itself; by picking up the book, you are implicitly stating that you believe what this guy has to say is worth reading. Most of the time, we don’t know the authors we read that well, but if you do, there’s nothing wrong with using what you know to determine what you’re going to read. Lots of Anne Rice’s fans ditched after she converted, because they knew the chances were good that her new focus would not be compatible with their own interests. Likewise, knowing Card makes homophobic statements and is openly hostile to you or your friends is useful information when you choose to read something.
As to the question of whether his writing is influenced by his personal and political opinions, I think that it’s probably impossible for him to keep the two truly separate. The nature of the creative writing process necessitates that a person draw from their own world view and experience– you can’t just pull this stuff out of thin air. When I write my stories, I have to use my own personal history to create the situations and people I write about; I have to use my personal perspective and opinions to give my stories direction and meaning. In this same way, Card’s works might not explicitly call out gays as evil, but they are informed and shaped by a history and world view that does.
In the end, while I would hope anyone would open my books and read what I have to write, I do understand that some people who don’t like my message or background will probably eschew me in favor of writers who more closely resemble their own way of thinking. I’m not advocating avoiding authors because you don’t disagree with them, but I think that it’s reasonable for someone to do so– after all, we only have so much time to live, only have so much time to enjoy only so many books. However, it does remain to be stated, that if you do not derive enjoyment from a written work, play, song, game or any other creative endeavor, the only person who loses out is you; if you can’t find something positive about it, then you’re only shortchanging yourself.
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On some level, I can see the point in avoiding an author. Reading and buying the works of an author whose views are so hurtful can feel like condoning their views. However, avoiding opposing opinions, even potentially harmful ones, is an easy way to rob yourself of information. Many people read Mein Kampf or the Communist Manifesto–not necessarily because they condone those messages, but because they want to understand them. Knowing your opponent’s arguments is the best way to counter them.
Also, in the case of Card, his writing may be informed by his opinions, but it should be viewed in its own right. Rice’s post-conversion novels were especially controversial because they were biographies of Jesus, while Card’s works are not, at least explicitly, anti-gay treatises. One can still appreciate his works for their literary merit while keeping in mind that they may be influenced by his distasteful views.
You should read up on the “Death of the Author.”
I don’t know. I think that if the author’s views bleed too far over into a work of fiction (like Stephanie Meyer’s weird, creepily pro-life Breaking Dawn), the book is no longer enjoyable. If they don’t, I don’t really think that should be taken into consideration.
I know people who won’t let their children read Roald Dahl because he made an anti-Semitic statement in a publication once. I think that’s stupid. You can’t go through and research everything ever said by every single author, and that makes it unfair to judge only certain writers on these criteria.
If you disagree with how a writer spends his money politically, you might consider buying his books used so he doesn’t profit from the sale.
And I agree with Karl–Death of the Author is an interesting essay.
It depends on if the writer can make intelligent political writing and if the writing is on themes they’re good at. Heinlen is extremely intelligent and knows how to write political. I don’t agree with what he believes but his books make very good material for thought. Card bhlows when he gets political. His first books are amazing. Enders Game is a masterpiece but he lost his shit around People of the Fringe. Enders Game is about heavy philisophical issues mainly the military. People of the Fringe is about how when the apocalypse happens mormons create a nation while everyone else sits around with their thumbs up their asses(literally). Cards problem is that he is at his most intelligent when writing about the military. But he said everything he wanted to say about that in Enders Game. Many authors I don’t think should be avoided completely but a person only needs to read one or two books by them max. Like Card. He’s brilliant in Enders Game but acceptable to hilariously bad in his other works.