A Surprise Appearance by Reclusive Author Orson Scott Card Steals the Show At Dragoncon

Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Orson Scott Card surprised and delighted fans with a recent appearance at DragonCon. Card’s public appearances have been rare of late, and he has distanced himself from the convention scene as well as the mainstream of science fiction fandom in the wake of a 2008 editorial he published in Deseret News regarding gay marriage.

Card, himself a conservative Mormon, found acceptance and acclaim among the sci-fi community with his 1985 novel Ender’s Game, an expansion of a 1977 short story originally published by Ben Bova in Analog magazine. Ender’s Game won both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and laid the foundation for what would become a successful series set in the Enderverse. Although the science fiction community skews heavily liberal, Orson Scott Card became a fixture at sci-fi conventions, making frequent appearances at signings and on panels, holding his famous “Secular Humanist Revival Meetings” after hours while serving as a member of the Science Fiction Writers Association (SFWA) and editing the Nebula Awards Report. As was traditional at the time, successful authors worked side-by-side to support and contribute to the operation of these conventions, all questions of political affiliation playing second fiddle to the more serious business of running an event hospitable to all.

Card was respected and well-liked within the SFF community. Via the usual industry osmosis, he eventually found himself drawn into the comics world where he wrote several Ultimate Iron Man titles for Marvel. Card’s talent was evident and his star very much on the rise when he fell afoul of what would later metastasize into “cancel culture.” But in the early 2010s, there was not yet a name for the cultural phenomenon by which a very loud minority of voices could, by invoking cultural taboos, derail a writer’s career. In Card’s case, the canceling began early.

Card’s political opinions, informed by his conservatism and religious faith, prompted him to publish his views on California Proposition 8, which (in the bygone days of the Obama era) would have legalized gay marriage in the state. Card’s argument was essentially political in nature, resting on a view of judicial overreach. There is no branch of government, he stated, with the authority to redefine marriage. For claiming this, they community labeled Card  a homophobe, and the drumbeat of cancellation began.

Noted comic book author Chris Sprouse announced his departure from a planned collaboration with Card over an Adventures of Superman comic. Sprouse’s stated reasons for the departure had to do with “the media surrounding” the story of Card’s stated positions on gay marriage and homosexuality. DC shelved the project, despite Card’s having written all or most of the treatment, and the Unpersoning of Orson Scott Card began in earnest. The editorial staff at WIRED were swift to adapt to the changing cultural environment.

As the 2010s progressed, there was an increasing push to astroturf “woke” values onto organizations and communities. The science fiction community, with its forward-thinking focus and humanistic leanings, proved fertile ground for this effort. In the years since 2013, the conventions and award panels have felt wave upon wave of progressive cultural influence. Authors from Stephen King on downward have participated in the great “awokening” of American media and entertainment by championing causes and skewering opponents, whether artistic or political, with glee. These initiatives have resulted in the derailing of publishing projects, withdrawals of contracts or the ending (in some cases) of entire careers. To the woke, it is just the creative community “cleaning house” of unwanted elements. To others, it has amounted to a purge of conservative and religious creators from the market.

And so it was with some surprise that Orson Scott Card made a two day appearance at the most recent DragonCon in Atlanta. More than 72,000 people attended the thirty-eighth year of the annual five day convention, billed as a multi-genre, multi-media pop culture convention with a focus on sci-fi and fantasy, gaming, comics and film. This year’s roster of guests was a who’s who from Jim Butcher to John Cleese to Walter Koenig of Star Trek. Notable winners of the coveted Dragon Awards were John Scalzi, best science fiction novel for Starter Villain, and Chuck Wendig, best horror novel for Black River Orchard.

 And yet despite the presence of these best-selling sci-fi and fantasy heavyweights, it was the sudden advent of Orson Scott Card that brought events to a screeching halt. Word passed quickly among attendees and eyewitnesses report that lines began forming almost immediately and circled around the entirety of the dealer hall. Fans stood in line for hours for a chance to chat with and get an autograph from the author of Ender’s Game.

According to the Substack Fandompulse, Card was the biggest author draw of the entire event, despite his last-minute addition with zero promotion.  Card’s crowds surpassed even those of guest-of-honor Nancy Kress and Dragon Award winner John Scalzi.

Coming ten years after his “cancellation” by the sci-fi community, the success of Card’s appearance at DragonCon speaks volumes about the enduring quality of good work. Whatever cultural differences he may have with some of his fans, Card shares with them a love of science fiction and faith in the power of the human imagination. That kind of devotion bridges cultural and political divides and accomplishes what the best art should always do: bring people together.