'Ender's Game' Author Orson Scott Card Says Homophobic Accusations Are 'Savage and Deceptive'
Orson Scott Card, the author of the well-known science fiction classic Ender's Game that is soon to be released as a Hollywood movie, said in a recent interview that the backlash he has received from those who describe him as "homophobic" is a "savage, lying, deceptive personal" attack on him.
Card's classic science fiction novel, which describes the plight of a futuristic boy hired to kill an alien species, will be debuted as a film starring big names such as Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley in early November. Some groups have vowed to boycott the film due to Card's stance supporting traditional marriage; the 62-year-old author is a board member of the National Organization for Marriage and has previously said the legalization of gay marriage in California against voter wishes had marked "the end of democracy in America."
Card said in a recent interview with Deseret News that he believes the recent attacks on the upcoming film "Ender's Game" are really not directed at his work but rather are personal attacks on his character, and he believes that he cannot debate with critics who choose to assassinate his character rather than exchange intelligent ideas on the topic of marriage.
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"I've had no criticism. I've had savage, lying, deceptive personal attacks, but no actual criticism because they've never addressed any of my actual ideas," Card, who is a Mormon and lives in Utah, told host Carole Mikita on the most recent "Deseret News Sunday Edition."
"Character assassination seems to be the only political method that is in use today, and I don't play that game, and you can't defend against it. All you can do is try to offer ideas, and for those who want to listen to ideas, great. For those who simply want to punish you for not falling in line with their dogmas, there's really not much you can do about it," Card added.
When the federal Supreme Court ruled in June to overturn California's voter-approved Proposition 8 ban on same-sex marriage, Card said the U.S. government was making a new law "without any democratic process," adding that the justices' "decisions are striking down laws enacted by majority vote."
The upcoming "Ender's Game" film is being boycotted by some gay activist groups, including one group known as Geeks OUT, an online "queer geek community" that has circulated a petition asking those who agree with their stance that the definition of marriage should be changed to include same-sex unions should boycott the upcoming film, so as to not give Card any money. As TheWrap points out, however, although Card is listed as a producer in the upcoming film, he will not receive any money from the film's box office because he inked the science fiction classic a decade ago, and the original book deal had no backend.
Reviews for "Ender's Game" have already been published as the film prepares to internationally hit theaters on Friday. The Huffington Post wrote in its review that the novel adaptation manages to capture the thrill of a classic science fiction film while communicating deeper themes of tolerance and empathy.
"At face value, the film presents an electrifying star-wars scenario - that rare case where an epic space battle transpires entirely within the span of two hours - while at the same time managing to deliver a higher pedagogical message about tolerance, empathy and coping under pressure," the review reads.
"Against considerable odds, this risky-sounding Orson Scott Card adaptation actually works, as director Gavin Hood pulls off the sort of teen-targeted franchise starter Summit was hoping for," the review adds, referencing the film's production company, Summit Entertainment.
