6W Orson Scott Card. Burton, MI: Subterranean Press, 2011. First Edition. Limited Printing. Signed.
Note
Orson Scott Card is an internationally bestselling American author best known for his monumental contributions to speculative fiction, famously becoming the first writer to win both the Hugo and Nebula awards in consecutive years for his masterpieces Ender's Game and Speaker for the Dead. Raised and educated in Utah, Card’s sprawling career spans science fiction, historical fantasy, biblical reimagnings, and political commentary. Known for his crisp, highly readable prose and dense deep-dives into morality, societal structures, and human behavior, Card frequently utilizes his fiction to explore complex, controversial philosophical themes, a trait that has earned him both fervent critical acclaim and intense public debate throughout his career.
First published in a standalone, limited edition hardcover by Subterranean Press, this provocative 92-page novella presents a radical and highly controversial retelling of William Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Set in modernist prose, the story subverts the traditional narrative of Hamlet by altering the foundational motivations and backstories of Elsinore’s royal court. Rather than a noble monarch murdered by his treacherous brother, King Hamlet is recontextualized as a sinister, predatory figure whose secret history of abuse drove Horatio to assassinate him in a desperate act of retribution. When the King's ghost returns demanding blood vengeance, young Hamlet delays his revenge not out of indecision, but because he uncovers a web of generational trauma, political manipulation, and institutional corruption. Accompanied by striking black-and-white illustrations by Tom Kidd, this polarizing piece of revisionist fiction stands as an intensely debated entry in Card's modern bibliography.
Description
Original beige cloth with red foil lettering to spine. Textured endpapers. Tom Kidd illustrated dustwrapper and illustrations throughout. Original bright dustwrapper. # 22/1000 numbered copies signed by Orson Scott Card in blue ink on limitation page. Fine condition.