Let’s talk about problematic books and authors. This conversation falls back on the age-old debate about whether or not art stands free from the author once it’s released into the world.
There are no clear-cut boundaries about where someone should stand when looking at these questions. People can fall either on one side of the line or somewhere in between. This is also different from banning books, which is a separate yet equally controversial issue. While each book and author should be examined in their own light, once a writer puts something out into the world, it’s no longer just theirs—it’s also the readers.
Understanding that some authors have problematic histories as well as issues within their books themselves is the first step of discovering where you may fall on this line. You must look at art from all angles, especially if the work deals with BIPOC communities or other marginalized groups.
I think it’s important to note that there’s a difference between authors who have provided us with clear evidence of their racism, such as the controversy with author Emily Duncan and what’s happening on Twitter right now and those who have not.
If an author or their books are blatantly problematic, it’s probably best not to start getting into their content. I personally do not stand for any racism, transphobia or hate toward any marginalized group of any kind. How severely you judge an author should be dependent on their actions. To make an informed decision, readers should listen to the marginalized or BIPOC communities harmed by creators of content. We must strive to be good allies at all times.
J.K. Rowling is a prime example of an author who has fallen from the public view, yet her Harry Potter books remain popular as ever. Rowling made many comments aligning with transphobic views, and fans believe her books also contain problematic content such as queerbaiting and racial prejudice. So, people have canceled J.K. Rowling, but still claim to love Harry Potter.
Cassandra Clare is yet another author embroiled in debates. Her well-known series—The Mortal Instruments—supposedly has roots in incestuous Harry Potter fanfiction. She’s also faced allegations of plagiarism. Clare continues to create books within her Shadowhunter world, though, and they’re as popular as ever.
While I have yet to read anything by Sarah J. Maas, TikTok flooded with controversy over the release of her latest book in the A Court of Thrones and Roses series. Opponents of Maas went so far as to threaten people who enjoy Maas’s books. Along with plenty of other things, opponents criticize Maas for a lack of diversity in her work and argue that readers should boycott all of her books.
A quick tangent: if you choose not to support an author by not purchasing their product, you should also choose not to pirate the author’s books. Many TikTok fans began pirating Maas’s books because they wanted to read them yet didn’t want to give her the money. Pirating is immature, and it devalues literature of any kind. Tons of other contributors spend long hours on editing and publishing each book, and by pirating, you’re delegitimizing their work. Borrow the books from the library or your friends. Purchase them in used bookstores. Just don’t illegally steal a book just because you’ve decided that you’re still a part of the book’s world even if you’re against the author.
Putting pirating aside, after a certain period of time, some books become their own living entities. With books as big as Maas’s, Clare’s or Rowling’s, there seems to be wiggle room for separation between the books and the authors because the fandoms are extremely large. Fans create written and artistic tributes to these books and often devote chunks of their time to consuming or creating fandom content.
However, it’s hard to judge when and if a book has grown beyond the author. Release dates can play an important part in this debacle, but no fan can truly claim that “this world is ours now” when the creator of the world is already widely known.
Opposing a book based on moral qualms is not the same as sending threatening messages to an author because they made a choice in the book that you don’t agree with. You can imagine endings or ship characters together all you want, but you aren’t the creator of the content. You didn’t write the book, so your options are to accept the decision or to be silently displeased with the choice the author has made.
Whether or not a book can stand on its own, it’s still important to consider all points of view that surround the work. Some argue that you can still enjoy a book if you acknowledge the problems within it or with its author, but some problems may be too large to ignore. One such example is the antisemitic themes in Duncan’s books, which are too glaring to get past for many fans.
There’s never going to be a clear perspective about what to do with problematic authors. The existence of the moral dilemma creates an enormous gray area for readers. Remember, though, that there’s a difference between a little problematic and straight-up racist. Listening to marginalized individuals and examining all angles of the content can help you make an informed decision about whether to associate yourself with problematic authors or books.