Orson Scott Card Outdoes Himself With Insane, Racist Rant

[aviv_b]

Looks like "Ender's Game" author Orson Scott Card is in hot water yet again.

Last time around, Card was criticized for saying that "there are no laws left standing that discriminate against gay couples" and suggesting that being gay is a choice. He also expressed his opposition to same-sex marriage, saying "I will act to destroy that government and

Comments

[gambitia]

Why the hell would he need a secret army? He has a public army! Or do these people not understand the phrase "Commander in Chief"?

Also: I always felt bad I'd never gotten around to reading those books, but now I don't feel bad at all!

[jasonbeast]

This is the same kind of person who is afraid that the government is going to "OMG take over the country!" ... they've already done that part, it's why they're the government.

[astridmyrna]

I borrowed Ender's Game from the library a couple of months ago to see exactly why it's such a big name in SF. And while I will admit that I liked a lot of the book and its structure and what discussions it can spark, Card still can't resist being homophobic and sexist in it, and I heard it gets worse in the later books.

[fabrisse]

I reread recently and bits are very pronouncedly sexist. The homophobia is less pronounced, but I've put that down to it still being early days for the movement, and Card didn't find gays as much of a threat as girls.

[astridmyrna]

Yeah, I figured that as well. This line though:

"All boys?"
"A few girls. They don't often pass the tests to get in. Too many centuries of evolution are working against them."

made me almost throw the book at the wall. I vaguely recall from his introductory section that he was familiar with how the military works and shit, and he blames women's biology. And don't fucking get me started on Valentine.

[sakuraberries]

jesus christ, that is seriously a line in the books? I'm glad I never got into them. Tried, but they bored me.

[sephirajo]

Yeah the first time I got to that part when I read it I was very WTF, that and how he treated his women characters in general. :/ I finished it though mostly because it was my husband's favorite book. But yeah, parts of it were... yeah. And he's gone downhill.

[squidger]

I loved the books when I was in middle school. :/ I actually remember that line, but it's weird because my brain must not have been able to handle the sheer awfulness because I totally remember interpreting it as "centuries of [misogyninistic] culture" or something like that. But, no, OSC is awful and I wish I never gave him a dollar.

[seishin]

That sentence is seriously in the books??? O_O

Welp, glad to cross this pos off my list.

[moonshaz]

Jesus tap dancing Christ. That is just... I can't even find the words to express how awful that is. Add me to the list of those who are taking OSC off their lists!

[hinoema]

His popularity has always boggled me, because I've only ever read Song Master and that was blatantly homoerotic. (While being homophobic. Go figure.) The writing wasn't that great.

Card is just spewing the same tired crap the conservatives always use.

[idemandjustice]

Damn. I haven't read this since I was in sixth grade, more than 20 years ago, so I didn't remember this.

[astridmyrna]

I do agree with you that it is worth reading, especially since it's such a big name in sci-fi.

The most homophobic thing that stuck out to me was when Ender decides to bully back a bigger bully by giving him the name "buttwatcher" after the bully told one of his lackeys to not wiggle his butt so much when he walked, and all the kids hail Ender as a hero because he's able to do this without a paper trail. The "buttwatcher" is then promptly ostracized.

It's like, on the one hand, I can see children doing this, but on the other hand I know Card's making the insult decisions here and would have made the same insult as an adult.

[idemandjustice]

I'm sure my sixth grade self wouldn't have noticed that. But my sixth grade self knew very little about GLBT issues, and I was also pro-life and Catholic, among other right-wing things. I had some growing up to do.

[idemandjustice]

Ender's Game is worth reading. Just get it used, or off of a place like paperbackswap.com so OSC doesn't get your money.