The fictional universe, The Cosmere, has made Brandon Sanderson a powerhouse in science fiction and fantasy literature. Despite being adored by many, Sanderson is not immune to criticism. The prolific author has faced heavy criticism for his stance on LGBTQIA+ rights, his connections to the Mormon church, and a previous visit to the apartheid state of Israel. Is the criticism warranted? Let’s dive in.
The Kickstarter
2022 saw Sanderson give the middle finger to Amazon through his Kickstarter, which raised $41 million to allow Sanderson to self-publish four books. The author points out problems with traditional publishers, such as their reluctance to permit special edition bundles that include both the printed book and an accompanying e-book. Additionally, Sanderson dislikes his books being distributed through Amazon, as they do not treat their employees well.
The Kickstarter was not without criticisms, however. The primary criticism included the concerns from many that the money from the Kickstarter would eventually make it to the Mormon church through Sanderson’s regular tithing. In 2023, Sanderson’s Executive Coordinator clarified that Dragonsteel (Sanderson’s LLC) does not tithe to the church.
Dragonsteel as a business does not donate any of its revenue to the Church, although individual Dragonsteel employees who are members of the Church may choose to contribute from their personal earnings at their discretion.
Becky Wilson, Executive Coordinator (Esquire, 2023)
Mormonism & Tithing
A devout Mormon, Sanderson not only practices his faith but serves as a gospel doctrine teacher at his local church. Additionally, Sanderson has taught creative writing at Brigham Young University, which is sponsored by the church (Welcome to Brandon Sanderson’s Fantasy Empire, 2023). BYU has a history of homophobic policies restricting displays of ‘homosexual behavior’.
It’s not a secret – Sanderson has always been transparent about his faith and involvement in the LDS church.
In a 2007 blog post, Sanderson reveals, “I find myself more socialist than most living around me, and find myself FAR more liberal when it comes to free speech and exchange of ideas. However, I also accept my church’s stance against gay marriage.”
Sanderson goes on to state that he would vote against legislation that officially gave the stamp of approval to gay marriage, citing that he feels he would be doing so in the best interests of gay people. He expresses that he feels that this action is brought on by his conscience, which will not allow him to do something that will bring [gay people] ‘pain and suffering at a later date’.
Sanderson’s 2007 blog post makes it evident that he considers himself more liberal than his fellow church members. His stance on gay marriage comes across exceedingly paternalistic in his view that he is somehow sheltering queer folk from harm by opposing their right to marriage. Many ‘liberal’ conservatives believe that as long as they aren’t hateful, they aren’t harmful, so this view isn’t surprising.
Over the years since the blog post was first published, Sanderson has shown a willingness to learn and evolve his beliefs. The post was updated with a note in 2011 focusing on a few points of clarification. He first expresses that the post wasn’t an argument against homosexuality, acknowledges that his tone was likely offensive, and expresses that his stance on gay marriage has changed- somewhat.
After a great deal of soul searching, thought, and discussion, I now believe that the best way to approach this is to push for ALL state unions to be civil unions. I believe we should establish what the state grants a union—whether it be straight or gay—and apply those rights universally to all.
Brandon Sanderson (2011)
Sanderson goes on to express that he feels that marriage should be an entirely religious term and that marriages should only be performed by churches. This change in attitude stems from learning of the issues queer couples face when being barred from marriage, including hospital visitation rights, shared insurance, and custody rights. However, he then goes on to state, “At the same time, I accept and sustain the leaders of the LDS church. I believe that a prophet of God has said that widespread legislation to approve gay marriage will bring pain and suffering to all involved.”
It is apparent from Sanderson’s posts, Reddit comments, and interviews that he grapples with reconciling his faith and the world he lives in. He appears very receptive to listening to those who have been affected by the homophobic sentiments expressed in his blog post and is willing to change his views through these discussions. However, the conflict exists that Sanderson actively tithes to a church that claims acting upon same-sex marriage is a sin.
While Sanderson is evidently receptive to personal development alongside his faith, there remain numerous concerns regarding the author’s expressed sentiments and ongoing tithing. Readers are left with the impression that by supporting his work, they are also endorsing a church that potentially groups trans members along with individuals engaged in incest, sexual predation, child sexual violence, and embezzlement of church funds. Further, while Sanderson continues to display growth, his sentiments expressed throughout the years show that he has often felt that his personal faith should dictate law.
Visit to Israel
Another lesser-known issue is Sanderson’s visit to Israel in 2019 as a guest of honor for the science fiction and fantasy convention, ICon. In an interview with The Jerusalem Post, Sanderson expressed that the invitation was one that some asked him to declined stating, “My general inclination is I don’t generally boycott no matter what. I don’t think it’s an effective way to cause social change. I think there are other and better ways. So I didn’t agree with these requests.”
This quote suggests that Sanderson has awareness of, or has been provided with, the chance to gain insight into the occupation of Palestine. Despite the protests, Sanderson chose to visit the apartheid state. The idea that boycotts don’t work directly contradicts the numerous BDS wins attained through boycotts and disregards the requests made by Palestinians under occupation.
Further, the interview with JPost shows Sanderson’s Legion series, which is set in Jerusalem. Readers of Legion have expressed concerns with the depictions of the occupation in the book, including a review which outlined the following:
- Palestine only being mentioned when referring to the terrorist group as being similar to Palestine’s Hamas.
- Describing terrorist scares in the West Bank, disregarding that it is the occupation that terrorizes Palestinians.
- Describing an IDF soldier as an ‘amiable enough fellow,’ with his job description being, “watch for people doing stupid things, and then stop them–though he confided that his more important duty was to make sure no terrorist strikes happened in the church. He was extra security, not normal staff, hired for the holidays, when the gov’t worried about violence and wanted a more visible presence in the tourist sites. This church was, after all, in contested territory.”
- Calling the occupied land ‘contested’, which plays into Zionist propaganda
- Describing violence in Palestine, but failing to include who causes the violence. “Jerusalem, a city whose name literally means ‘peace.’ It is filled with islands of serenity like this one, which have seen the solemn worship of men for longer than most countries have existed. Yet here, violence is never more than a few steps away.”
- Repeated expressions of Arabs/Muslims as terrorists
Although Sanderson claimed that his refusal to decline a visit to Israel was due to his disbelief in boycotts, the feedback for Legion suggests that he may have simply felt a boycott was unnecessary. Further, it seems that Sanderson has bought into the Zionist propaganda that is subsequently expressed within the pages of his book.
Where does this leave readers?
Sanderson is a unique case within this series as he is one of the few authors who has taken the time to listen to those who he has harmed. He has shown immense growth since his 2007 blog post, but growth does not absolve one of the harms they’ve done. Individual readers may choose to include Sanderson in their Do Not Read lists, while others may appreciate that the author is open to other perspectives. As always, the choice is yours on how you chose to proceed.
Resources:
Brandon Sanderson on Building a Fantasy Empire, Wheel of Time Series, and Criticism (esquire.com)
Legion (Legion, #1) by Brandon Sanderson | Goodreads
EUOLogy: Dumbledore’s Homosexuality (archive.org)
Note: What’s the deal with? is a series that explores reasons why others dislike your favorite author. An author’s inclusion in this series is based on Patron votes. This series is intended for informed readership ONLY.
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