roseembolism (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
roseembolism) wrote2011-09-09 10:28 am
roseembolism) wrote2011-09-09 10:28 am
Entry tags:
Orson Scott Card's "Hamlet's Father"- AKA return of the gay menace
Orson Scott Card, (who based on his writing is "So far in the closet he can see Narnia"), has published a novella called "Hamlet's Father", that purports to improve the language, and tell us "what's really going on".
To spoil a book that really needs to be spoiled, what's going on, is that Hamlet has no angst, but is morally certain (none of that angst or questioning what happened after death). He also has no problems with Claudius, who is an excellent king, and completely innocent of murder. And best of all, Hamlet's father is an evil, hellbound gay homosexual pedophile, who molested prettyu much everyone in the court except for Hamlet. Yeah. I kid you not.
Oddly enough, reactions haven't been that positive. Amazon.com reviews haven't been positive, Twitter launched a buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday hashtag. Writer Scott Lynch did a "so much less gay" treatment of Henry V in the vein of Card's revision. It's spawned a long discussion on metafilter, and even the Guardian has picked up the story.
Personally, I am not surprised. Orson Scott Card has not only been hateful and disturbing in his anti-gay obsession, but I also noted that even his earlier books such as Ender's Game really are propaganda for his two other beliefs: that child abuse is OK, and that as long as the intent is rightous, any action is aceptable. the main difference I see between Ender's Game and Hamlet's Father, is that back in the day, Card was more adept at hiding his message. Either the rumors that Card had assistance on Enders game is rue, or the Brain Eater has completely destroyed his ability to write.
To spoil a book that really needs to be spoiled, what's going on, is that Hamlet has no angst, but is morally certain (none of that angst or questioning what happened after death). He also has no problems with Claudius, who is an excellent king, and completely innocent of murder. And best of all, Hamlet's father is an evil, hellbound gay homosexual pedophile, who molested prettyu much everyone in the court except for Hamlet. Yeah. I kid you not.
Oddly enough, reactions haven't been that positive. Amazon.com reviews haven't been positive, Twitter launched a buyabiggaynovelforscottcardday hashtag. Writer Scott Lynch did a "so much less gay" treatment of Henry V in the vein of Card's revision. It's spawned a long discussion on metafilter, and even the Guardian has picked up the story.
Personally, I am not surprised. Orson Scott Card has not only been hateful and disturbing in his anti-gay obsession, but I also noted that even his earlier books such as Ender's Game really are propaganda for his two other beliefs: that child abuse is OK, and that as long as the intent is rightous, any action is aceptable. the main difference I see between Ender's Game and Hamlet's Father, is that back in the day, Card was more adept at hiding his message. Either the rumors that Card had assistance on Enders game is rue, or the Brain Eater has completely destroyed his ability to write.