Perry Moore, 1971–2011
The novelist who gave gay teens a hero
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Perry Moore admitted he suffered from a “borderline-crazy belief in the power of literature to change the universe.” Little wonder, then, that he devoted his life to telling stories. A co-producer of The Chronicles of Narnia film series, based on books by C.S. Lewis, he also wrote Hero, a novel about a gay teen superhero, which won a Lambda Literary Award for the best novel for young gay and lesbian adults.
Moore, who friends said frequently complained of back pain, died unexpectedly last week in his New York City apartment of a suspected drug overdose, said The New York Times. “No one was expecting this,” said his father, Bill Moore. Police do not suspect foul play. Born in Richmond, Va., Moore studied English literature at the University of Virginia; after graduating, he went to work for The Rosie O’Donnell Show. From there he made his way into the movie business, negotiating for the movie rights to Lewis’s Narnia series on behalf of Walden Media, a production company. He was credited as executive producer of the films.
He also had a more personal cause, said the Associated Press. A gay man himself, he had noticed that while many comic books featured gay characters, most were bit players who wound up “tortured, maimed, and killed.” Even Marvel Comics’ first gay superhero, Northstar, dies a gruesome death at the hands of the X-Men’s Wolverine. Hero was his response—a positive portrait of a gay character who fights bigotry as well as crime.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Together with his life partner, Hunter Hill, Moore wrote and directed Lake City, a 2008 film starring Sissy Spacek as a woman who accidentally kills her young son and years later must come to grips with both the tragedy and the boy’s drug-addicted brother. At the time of his death, Moore was writing a sequel to Hero.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Why New York City was caught off guard by flash flooding
Talking Point Is climate change moving too fast or are city leaders dragging their feet?
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Today's political cartoons - October 2, 2023
Monday's cartoons - Biden's EV plan, the Senate dress code, and more
By The Week Staff Published
-
What is Rep. Matt Gaetz's endgame?
Today's Big Question The MAGA congressman loves to sow chaos, but there might be more to his latest moves than just disruption.
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
'Euphoria' star Angus Cloud dies at 25
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published
-
Legendary jazz and pop singer Tony Bennett dies at 96
Speed Read
By Devika Rao Published
-
Martin Amis: literary wunderkind who ‘blazed like a rocket’
feature Famed author, essayist and screenwriter died this week aged 73
By The Week Staff Published
-
Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian folk legend, is dead at 84
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Barry Humphries obituary: cerebral satirist who created Dame Edna Everage
feature Actor and comedian was best known as the monstrous Melbourne housewife and Sir Les Patterson
By The Week Staff Published
-
Mary Quant obituary: pioneering designer who created the 1960s look
feature One of the most influential fashion designers of the 20th century remembered as the mother of the miniskirt
By The Week Staff Published
-
Phyllida Barlow obituary: renowned sculptor who was also an influential art teacher
feature The teacher and artist found her passion later in life, focusing most of her pieces on the instability of modern architecture
By The Week Staff Published
-
Chaim Topol: Israeli actor beloved for his role in Fiddler on the Roof
feature From military service to an Oscar nomination, Topol followed a unique path to stardom
By The Week Staff Published