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Author Tract: Difference between revisions
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* [[Ayn Rand]] is a great example. Several other authors here are noted as having many of their tracts derived from hers. She wrote several novels expounding of the virtues of her personal philosophy, Objectivism, culminating in her Magnum Opus -- the [[Doorstopper]] ''[[Atlas Shrugged]]''. With ''the'' [[Author Filibuster]] (actually only the longest of several in the book) lasting dozens of pages on end (exactly how many depends on which edition), [[Anvilicious]] doesn't begin to describe it. Of course, like [[George Orwell]], Rand never pretended her books were anything ''but'' author tracts.
* The ''[[Sword of Truth]]'' series by [[Terry Goodkind]] is often accused by detractors of being nothing more than Objectivist propaganda, particularly the later books. These themes only begin to crop up later in the series: ''Faith of the Fallen'' is two-fifths desperate battles and [[Angst]], and three-fifths [[Anvilicious|clangingly obvious]] pro-[[Ayn Rand]] [[Author Filibuster|soapboxing]] on how individuals working for themselves in a free market works far better than your broken, inevitably corrupt socialism. ''Confessor'' also stumps for atheism.
* ''[[Orson Scott
** In truth, [[Orson Scott Card]] does this in a lot of his novels, but usually expounding on religion and philosophy instead of politics. He often introduces characters who spend a good deal of time discussing and speculating on the nature of God. Examples include Sister Carlotta in the ''[[Ender's Game|Ender's Shadow]]'' series, and most of the village in the ''Xenocide'' series. To be fair, he usually folds this speculation into the plot pretty well.
*** A more blatant example: Towards the end, the ''Ender's Shadow'' series also features numerous lectures from widely disparate characters on how the only way to really be a part of the human race is to have babies, culminating in one Battle-school grad stopping her troops in the middle of a battle and telling them to go home and procreate.
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** You know you're dealing with an [[Author Tract]] when you read a women's clinic employee saying that she's sad that all the world's children disappeared... '' because they can't perform any more abortions now''!
* The elves of the ''[[Inheritance Cycle|Inheritance]]'' books (''Eragon'', ''Eldest'', ''Brisingr'', and ''Inheritance'') are atheist vegetarians who impart their 'wisdom' to the main character and the reader, by spending quite a bit of time expounding upon how 'stupid' religion is ([[Elves Versus Dwarves|particularly to the dwarves]]). [[Christopher Paolini]] denies that this was a representation of his own beliefs, claiming it was simply an attempt to portray various cultures and viewpoints in the series. [[Author's Saving Throw|This became a lot more plausible after the third book.]] However, in the fourth book Eragon devotes two paragraphs to discussing the stupidity of religion, and in many places it is hinted that religion is scoffed at by all the main characters except Orik (the dwarf king) and Nasuada (the human queen).
* A large part of [[Robert A. Heinlein]]'s ''[[Stranger in A Strange Land]]'' revolves around nudism and polyamory, both of which Heinlein practiced in his real life (''[[For Us,
** All of Robert A. Heinlein's heroes have the same views as he does. Some of his early writing was made solely for the purpose of [[Author Tract]]. However, even his stories that weren't solely designed for it still have plenty of it in there. It is just that he was such a good writer with good ideas that he could get away with it. He also does get you to think about the issues, as well. ''[[Starship Troopers (novel)|Starship Troopers]]'' is the most popular story of his that has been accused of being an [[Author Tract]], with critics basically saying it is just about worshiping the military.
*** ''[[Starship Troopers (novel)|Starship Troopers]]'' is an Author Tract, all right. He wrote it in protest of America signing a nuclear treaty with Russia--whom he did not believe would keep nuclear treaties. [[Unfortunate Implications]] in that [[Reality Subtext]], but this novel is good in itself. And it ''doesn't'' have the [[Squick]] that ''[[Stranger in A Strange Land]]'' does, which makes a difference: there are probably a lot of people who appreciate Heinlein's military politics, but not his sexual politics.
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