Quote:
Originally Posted by ApK
If THAT is your reasoning, it seems pretty darned closed minded.
If nothing else, you have no idea if any of that ideology shows itself in his fiction.
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A person whose ideologies don't show in their fiction is schizophrenic.
That doesn't mean the characters share the ideologies, or that the stories are built around those ideologies. It doesn't mean there's no acknowledgment of other ideologies in the stories. Doesn't mean the ideologies a reader objects to, are pushed front-and-center and overwhelm any other message, and most readers can deal with a few authors' ideas they disagree with in the middle of an otherwise pleasant stories. (I notice--and tolerate--a great deal of monotheism in fiction that would say it's not promoting any religious ideologies.)
I don't mind reading fic by authors who have some beliefs I strongly disagree with, but there are some ideologies that are either prone to infecting the stories so much I find the result unreadable--or that I am so firmly against that, once I know an author thinks that way, I refuse to support their career by buying or even reading their books.
For example: It's possible I wouldn't have decided the rampant homophobia and sex-negativity in Card's works were too extreme just based on blog reviewers. Fortunately, Card spoke up and clarified that yes, he really does think some of my friends' marriages are so dangerous to the country that people should push for violent revolution to stop them. In which case, dude doesn't get my money or my time.
I don't think Steven's ideologies are anywhere near that kind of objectionable. I disagree with him on a few points about technology & the ethics thereof, but I get the impression that he's not dogmatic about it--the fact that he releases his ebooks without DRM, while speaking in favor of it, says that he knows how to temper his ideologies with market influence. I expect that means he could also change them if he meets a compelling argument that addresses his concerns.
I don't require that he find that argument before I'll buy his books; it's enough for me to know that the flexibility exists. I expect that flexibility, as well, to appear in his stories.