Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
Rich,
Of course you can't be required to support something that you disagree with. Nobody, least of all me, is saying that you can or should.
What I'm saying is that I choose not to buy John Ringo's books in which he expresses his extremist right-wing views because for me those views spoil the story. I have no problem with the fact that he holds those views, even though I vehemently disagree with them, and I continue to read and enjoy those books which he doesn't use as a platform for political diatribe. Ie, I judge the product, not the views of the author. That, for me personally, is the right way to tackle this. Tell Mr. Card that it's not OK to express his views in his books by not buying those books in which he does express them (if indeed there are such books); what he does in his non-writing life is, for me, his own affair.
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Harry,
I completely agree with you about Ringo. I actually came to the impression of his political views after slogging through two of his novels. It was only after that when i looked more closely at info online that I learned of his opinions and beliefs.
And like you I am very disappointed with OSC and his comments. I also feel that, indeed, Ender's Game is one of the very best SF novels I've ever read. I liked it so much I invested in the Audible editions of the complete Ender Series.
I did not read this thread all the way though but I noticed someone mentioned a change in his demeanor in the past several years. Did anyone mention about his stroke (I think it was a stroke) he had? Personalities very often change after such events. Same for heart attacks. I won't let his views alter my enjoyment of his writing.
I hold L. Ron Hubbard in the same regard. He was actually a solid SF writer and would never let his religious positions stop me from read his books when the mood strikes. I would point people to read Battlefield Earth to get an example of him at his best. Sadly that horrible movie might have soured the public on ever reading it.