Slog
News & ArtsWednesday, July 8, 2009
Homo / Books Orson Scott Card Is a Hateful Homophobe With Summer Reading Tips
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Jul 8, 2009 at 5:28 PM
If you want to read summer reading suggestions from Orson Scott Card (who is, by the way, a hateful homphobe), you'll have to go over to conservative blog The Corner.
1
Just wondering... but are there ANY gay readers of Slog out there that maybe enjoyed "Ender's Game?"
Is it okay if I did?
Is it okay if I did?
2
I thought Ender's Game was a thinly veiled masturbatory fantasy about being effortlessly special. The kind of shit OSC writes is poison to kids. It teaches them that they are owed reward simply because they are unique. Everybody is unique. Ender's Game promotes narcissism and lazyness.
But it's OK with me if you liked it. I don't mind that people like things that I dislike.
But it's OK with me if you liked it. I don't mind that people like things that I dislike.
3
I despise Card's politics and hate , but loved Ender's Game. Normally I don't stick my head in the sand, but in this case I try to separate the book from the man.
4
I'm not gay, but I loved "Ender's Game" too. His more recent books, however, have become a thinly-veiled rant for Mormonism and his brand of family values and conservatism (and he doesn't even bother with the veil in some of them). I've pretty much given up on the guy.
6
I liked Ender's Game a lot. Not the greatest sci-fi book I've read, but pretty damn good. Card uses the word "fart" way too much though.
Has he written anything else worth reading or was Ender's Game a one hit wonder?
But Card IS a homophobe, zombie mormon. That's inexcuseable.
Has he written anything else worth reading or was Ender's Game a one hit wonder?
But Card IS a homophobe, zombie mormon. That's inexcuseable.
8
He's an asshole. Ender's Game was decent, the rest is shit. I'm reading the whole fucking series for a Young Adult literature class I'm taking. Blurg.
9
Urgutha, if you can find it (good luck), "Songmaster" is a work of art. He's written some other books that are "readable," but nothing comparable to that or "Ender's Game."
10
Paul, I just wish to inform you that your use of Blingee for posts is very appreciated. It makes everything better ^_^
12
@1 Loved Enders game. Can't believe he's a hateful homophobe. I read that like more than a decade ago in 6th grade...such a wonderful book.
13
thought
gay marriage is not about the freedom to marry
it is about getting the blessing of the state
it is about gays wanting society to say gay is good
discuss
gay marriage is not about the freedom to marry
it is about getting the blessing of the state
it is about gays wanting society to say gay is good
discuss
14
Honestly, Card is still one of my favorite authors. I no longer recommend him to anyone., because I don't want him to profit as a hateful bigot, but I still like his work.
His short stories were great, so was Enchanted, but buy it used so as not to benefit him.
His short stories were great, so was Enchanted, but buy it used so as not to benefit him.
15
As long as we're doing confession, I like the writings of Evelyn Waugh, Ezra Pound and P.G. Wodehouse.
16
AK Dept of Law @13,
Gay marriage is not gays wanting society to say gay is good. I don't give a flying fuck if you think I'm good or not. What I want is the roughly 1400 state and federal legal rights that straight married people have that my partner and I (of over 20 years) do not.
Thanks for playing Slog.
Gay marriage is not gays wanting society to say gay is good. I don't give a flying fuck if you think I'm good or not. What I want is the roughly 1400 state and federal legal rights that straight married people have that my partner and I (of over 20 years) do not.
Thanks for playing Slog.
17
Oh, and yes, Card is a flaming asswipe.
Ender's Game, and a handful of his early books were pretty good. Ender's Game, and the sequel Speaker for the Dead both won both Hugo and Nebula awards back to back. A hell of an accomplishment even if he is an asswipe. I also recall liking Songmaster, but I read it like 20 years ago, and don't really remember it.
I started reading both the Alvin Maker series and the Homecoming series, but gave up. To me he seemed to have peaked in the late 1980s. I don't think anything he wrote since is worth bothering with.
So I will occasionally buy a used copy (never new) of Ender's Game for someone, along with a warning not to bother with any of his later work.
Also, nice Blingee!
Ender's Game, and a handful of his early books were pretty good. Ender's Game, and the sequel Speaker for the Dead both won both Hugo and Nebula awards back to back. A hell of an accomplishment even if he is an asswipe. I also recall liking Songmaster, but I read it like 20 years ago, and don't really remember it.
I started reading both the Alvin Maker series and the Homecoming series, but gave up. To me he seemed to have peaked in the late 1980s. I don't think anything he wrote since is worth bothering with.
So I will occasionally buy a used copy (never new) of Ender's Game for someone, along with a warning not to bother with any of his later work.
Also, nice Blingee!
18
uhmm shadow of the hegemon and ender's shadow were both really good.
did anyone actually bother to read them before dissing? i know like xenophobe and some of the other middle books sucked but those last 2 kicked ass if i may say so.
also fuck mormons
did anyone actually bother to read them before dissing? i know like xenophobe and some of the other middle books sucked but those last 2 kicked ass if i may say so.
also fuck mormons
19
I rather liked Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead, the rest of the series not so much. I was disappointed to learn Card was a Mormon.
***possible spoiler to the series***
In the series this is this romance between a man and a genderless being. If I remember correctly there is also this male to male attraction because one of the males is the reincarnation of the genderless being. That paired with Card's homophoia makes me wonder.
***possible spoiler to the series***
In the series this is this romance between a man and a genderless being. If I remember correctly there is also this male to male attraction because one of the males is the reincarnation of the genderless being. That paired with Card's homophoia makes me wonder.
20
I am a straight female. I am in Tulsa and I read Dan Savage's column religiously. I found it through some link somewhere and I progressed to visiting the slog daily. I have more knowledge about Seattle than most Oklahomans ever would. I've read all the drama with Loveschild and the rest and "rarely ever post". I have to comment here. I love Orson Scott Card. I wikied him once and saw a brief bit of his politics and just closed the window. I don't want to know. I loved and have read and reread all of the Ender's games books. I've read the parallel books. I've read most all of his other books as well. In every major relationship I've had, I've had my others read all the Ender's books. I've also had my friends read them, though none were into sci fi. They all loved them. Even my Dad that only reads non fiction was struck and touched. I didn't click on the link about him here. I've known he was a morman for ages (dum dum dum dum dum) but I can look beyond that for what he has given to me in my life over these last twenty years. I will still always recommend him as an author.
Maybe this can show us (or maybe just me) that people can be so stupid in many ways yet so amazing in other ways. It's hard to let go of your upbringing, especially if you were taught something that seemed to mesh and there were no conflicts in your mind with it.
I am not religious, I don't believe the bible at all. I'm not sure what's out there. But I know that Orson Scott Card is part of who I am and I forgive him for being stupid in some ways.
Maybe this can show us (or maybe just me) that people can be so stupid in many ways yet so amazing in other ways. It's hard to let go of your upbringing, especially if you were taught something that seemed to mesh and there were no conflicts in your mind with it.
I am not religious, I don't believe the bible at all. I'm not sure what's out there. But I know that Orson Scott Card is part of who I am and I forgive him for being stupid in some ways.
21
@20,
If your love of Card resides in his writing alone, then so be it... I have no problem with that, I loved Ender's Game too, even if the author's a cock. I love Ayn Rand's writing too, but I think her philosophy and political ideas are fucking deranged. Still, she can turn pages...
I think one's political beliefs and one's writing should be subject to different evaluation if possible.
If your love of Card resides in his writing alone, then so be it... I have no problem with that, I loved Ender's Game too, even if the author's a cock. I love Ayn Rand's writing too, but I think her philosophy and political ideas are fucking deranged. Still, she can turn pages...
I think one's political beliefs and one's writing should be subject to different evaluation if possible.
22
I agree with that to a point. He can't be simply written off as a cock if he can create such amazing, deep, loving and moving stories. He may choose to believe a lot of bullshit and be a cock in some ways but that does not completely define him as a person.
I read so much on the internet and just take everything in. I try to look at both sides of everything. It seems that people often judge others or situations as black or white when there is so much more than that.
I read so much on the internet and just take everything in. I try to look at both sides of everything. It seems that people often judge others or situations as black or white when there is so much more than that.
23
As a couple people have said, if you can find them used, "Songmaster" and "Enchanted" are both really excellent reads.
I really enjoyed the first three books of the Homecoming series, although the fourth and fifth books petered out in quality. I find that every time I re-read the entire "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" series, I enjoy them less--I loved them when I was a teenager, but now, each re-read brings to the surface more of the veiled bullshit for me, and they've been ruined for me as a result. Sadly.
"Songmaster" and "Enchanted" are fantastic, though, almost certainly second and third to "Ender's Game" if not better.
I really enjoyed the first three books of the Homecoming series, although the fourth and fifth books petered out in quality. I find that every time I re-read the entire "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" series, I enjoy them less--I loved them when I was a teenager, but now, each re-read brings to the surface more of the veiled bullshit for me, and they've been ruined for me as a result. Sadly.
"Songmaster" and "Enchanted" are fantastic, though, almost certainly second and third to "Ender's Game" if not better.
24
23 Pray Tell- how many times are you going to re-read the entire "Ender's Game" and "Ender's Shadow" series?
28
I'm with @21.
I think the Ender books are pretty good brain candy, which is precisely how I feel about Ayn Rand's fiction. Doesn't make Card less of a dick and it doesn't make Rand less of a wingnut.
I think the Ender books are pretty good brain candy, which is precisely how I feel about Ayn Rand's fiction. Doesn't make Card less of a dick and it doesn't make Rand less of a wingnut.
29
In addition to the Ender's Game series, Card has published numerous collections of short stories that I've loved and re-read many times.
After learning not only of his politics, but of his very active use of his talent as an author to create homophobic propaganda, I resolved to never send another dime in his direction.
After learning not only of his politics, but of his very active use of his talent as an author to create homophobic propaganda, I resolved to never send another dime in his direction.
30
I like most of Card's books. I like very little of Card's religious beliefs. I try to buy his books second-hand or check them out from the library so he doesn't get the royalties, but I enjoyed about half of the Ender series, I enjoyed the Homecoming series, most of the Alvin Maker stories, and his book Lost Boys is awesome. I even like some of his Mormon-history books. I can enjoy his writing without thinking much of him as a person.
31
Whoa...
Not only is he a homophobe, he's got a hate-on for the cyberpunks.
It’s the same thing that happened with cyberpunk. A terrific writer dazzles us, but instead of imitating his creative process in order to come up with something equally original, his disciples sprinkle his devices through their own imitation stories, like a badly collated photocopy of greatness.
Not only is he a homophobe, he's got a hate-on for the cyberpunks.
32
I liked Enders Game when I was a disturbed gifted child convinced that the world was against me, and feeling that I was fighting both bullies and teachers for survival.
I grew up, re-read it, and it sucked out loud.
It's simply an argument that Genocide is A-ok if you think you're doing it to save your own. Well, Hitler honestly believed the Shoa was necessary to prevent Jews from destroying "The Aryan Race".
I'm shocked that other people are shocked that the guy who wrote it would also write an essay which advocates the destruction of our society in order to protect his Church from the threat of Teh Gayz. After all, this is the "morality" Enders Game asks us to accept.
I grew up, re-read it, and it sucked out loud.
It's simply an argument that Genocide is A-ok if you think you're doing it to save your own. Well, Hitler honestly believed the Shoa was necessary to prevent Jews from destroying "The Aryan Race".
I'm shocked that other people are shocked that the guy who wrote it would also write an essay which advocates the destruction of our society in order to protect his Church from the threat of Teh Gayz. After all, this is the "morality" Enders Game asks us to accept.
33
I stumbled onto this site while trying to figure out which Card book to read. You guys are incredible, total hypocrites. F_ _ _ Mormons? Who's the hater, really. You guys sound like the narrow minded bigots. So what are your rules? People who agree with you are open-minded, those who don't, aren't? Convenient philosophy for the self-righteous.
34
I stumbled onto this site while trying to figure out which Card book to read next. You guys are incredible, total hypocrites. "F_ _ _ Mormons?" It's inexcusable to be a Mormon? (Tell me, are Jews okay or do they have to go too?) Who's the hater, really? You guys sound like the narrow minded bigots. So what are your rules? People who agree with you are open-minded, those who don't, aren't? Convenient philosophy for the self-righteous. Bye, I totally won't be back to this site; the air's a too little thin.
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