Posted by
Daniel on Sunday, August 19, 2007 3:57:28 PM
When I read for pleasure, which is most often the case, I read science fiction, fantasy and horror. The more I learn about the writers whose works I read, the more I learn that these writers are Liberal; they reside on the political Left. They support socialized medicine. They support a massive welfare state. They hate the military (even while that same military keeps them safe from those that would destroy the nation that made it possible for them to live the life they have). They hate corporations (even while their income comes from large corporations that publish their work). They despise orthodox Christianity. They don't, however, hate all religion. Buddhism, Liberal Judaism (just how much Judaism exists among Liberal Jews is debatable), Hinduism, Liberal Christianity (which is not Christianity at all), Islam (though this may be out of fear more than anything else), and many New Age sects are just fine. Orthodox Christianity, compared to all these, is the faith of rubes, fascists, racists, sexists, homophobes, etc. In short they are, more often than not, Leftists.
This holds true for writers outside the genres. "Serious" literature, the kind that gets on the front of the New York Times Book Review, is also written, overwhelmingly, by Leftists. It is a rare thing to find a work of fiction written by a conservative.
Why? Could it be that Liberal/Leftists, as they often claim, are simply more creative and imaginative than Conservatives?
Neil Gaiman is one of the most creative minds working today. And he supports the work of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, PeTA. Everyone knows how prolific Stephen King is. And he's a died in the wool liberal Democrat. Steven Brust, author of the genre classic 'To Reign in Hell', a novel about the war in heaven, supports government run medicine, education, etc. and wants to do away with a government run military.
Orson Scott Card sees clearly enough with regards to the war against Islamofascism and is a most reasonable fellow when it comes to political issues (every conservative should stop what they are doing and read Empire). But even he is a self-identified Democrat. Perhaps one might consider him to be along the lines of a Joe Lieberman or Henry M. "Scoop" Jackson Democrat.
The only fiction author in the SFF&H genres I can think of that is avowed conservative is dead: Russell Kirk. Even he wrote more political polemic rather than fiction. Some others are claimed by conservatives, but also are dead: J.R.R. Tolkein, C.S. Lewis, Charles Williams.
So why is it that so many working fiction writers are on the Left side of the political spectrum?
And don't tell me the publishers are keeping the conservatives out of the business. If you have a story, nothing, absolutely nothing, is stopping you from writing and self-publishing it. That, after all, is how the absurd, new age Celestine Prophecy started.