Who is your favorite older author who, by today’s standards, would be considered unethical, immortal or ‘canceled’? Either for their writings or personal beliefs?
Mine would probably be Howard Phillips Lovecraft. Early 20th century weird fiction writer. Criticized today for use of separatist ideals and a few racial slurs.
by deezdanglin
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The Ender’s Game series by Orson Scott Card, who has anti-trans views.
Gone with the Wind for glorifying the old south and treating the Klan as white knights.
Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley, who was reportedly abusive to her children.
I haven’t read any yet, but there is always Justine or anything else by Marquis de Sade, for obvious reasons.
Vladimir Nabokov. He would be disliked for his extreme homophobia, even towards his own brother.
Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz. I don’t think a lot of modern people would be that accepting of his serious alkohol and drug addiction. He was also quite toxic in his private life. I love his works but I would never want to meet him.
Bukowski. There is unique grittiness to his work, and if he started writing today, he wouldn’t make it, but he was prolific then. He’s talked about in lit analysis as both highlighting the problems of American society and also as a misogynist and general asshole.
Edit to say: he is not my favorite. I don’t keep anti-anything favorites, once I find out.
Also: Marion Zimmer-Bradley. I was raised on those (didn’t love them then, won’t touch them now). Yikes.
Only the work matters. A lot of writers are not particularly nice people, just like everybody else.