Links

[zarq]

As a general rule, I try to avoid linking to sci-fi author Orson Scott Card's essays. There's nothing quite so depressing as finding out that an author whose work you admired as a kid turned out to be a frothing homophobe. However, his most recent rant in the Mormon Times seems to be attracting quite a bit of horrified attention, mostly from

Comments

[zarq]

You once mentioned that Brin short story to me, and I still haven't gotten around to reading it. Or perhaps re-reading it. I own the book it's in (Otherness), but can't remember that particular short. (It's even perfectly possible that I skipped it. I tend not to read short story compilations in order.) But I do understand that feeling of visceral rejection.

I gave up on OSC after learning his personal political views. Much of what I do professionally is either the analysis or creation of underlying subtleties in narrative. I began to have difficulty seeing his later works as anything more than propaganda. Yet... strangely enough, I don't usually have this problem with other authors. For example, I like Heinlein's work, despite my personal disagreement with his takes on libertarianism and totalitarianism... and the less said about his disturbing incest fetishes the better. Many of his works are blatantly biased propaganda. OSC's intolerance spurs a stronger revulsion in me.

Writers can be strange folk in all sorts of ways.

Definitely. I agree that a tendency to form opinions of authors based on their writings is natural, too. You can't judge a book....

My mom met Isaac Asimov once at a sci fi convention and asked him to sign two of his "How did we find out about...." books for me. He tried to peer down her cleavage and then rattled off what she termed "two disgustingly graphic, sexually explicit limericks". My father thought it was hilarious. My mom was horrified. But she did get that autograph. :)

Overall, the SF people I've met in recent years have been and are delightful -- with a few exceptions ::coughMcCaffreycough::.

Seriously? I'd never have expected that of her.... and I just proved your point. All I know of her is from reading her novels. :)

[twistedchick]

Isaac was known for his scatological sense of humor, which did not suit everyone. But he tended to stay in the basement and write and only come out for cons, so I think he was pretty out of touch a lot of the time.

I met McCaffrey at her own birthday party during Worldcon in Scotland a decade ago and she was rude for no reason. She wasn't interested in talking to fans, expected fans to know everything about her and be able to spout it back, and came off as a crotchetty old bitch. I realize that is not everyone's experience of her -- she has been very kind to some younger writers -- but it was definitely mine.

[made_of_paradox]

BTW, her son Todd is pretty cool. I kept angling to try to have beer with him, but that didn't happen.

Maybe he'll be at AggieCon again and I might have a chance at it.

(What was a lot of fun was watching him geek out with my husband over something they both have an interest in.)

[zarq]

But he tended to stay in the basement and write and only come out for cons, so I think he was pretty out of touch a lot of the time.

Ha! A sharp contrast to Douglas Adams, who used to be locked into hotel rooms by his publisher so he would meet deadlines. :D

...and came off as a crotchetty old bitch.

That truly sucks. :(

[twistedchick]

Douglas Adams was charming. I met him at a conference twenty years ago, and he was fun, interested in talking with people and in listening to them, and *definitely* someone I would have invited over for dinner.