Octavia E. Butler is quite possibly my favorite authors ever, and I cried when I learned of her too-early death (she was only 58) on February 24, 2006. Heck, I'm even considering naming my first-born daughter after her. Why? Because while her novels are all very distinctive, they draw upon a common thread of strong-willed, independent, flawed, fantastic female protagonists. Though I was never fortunate to have met Octavia E. Butler in person, I suspect that these female protagonists all reflect her distinctiveness; she was the first Black female sci-fi writer and described herself as "a pessimist if I'm not careful, a feminist always, a Black, a quiet egoist, a former Baptist, and an oil-and-water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty, and drive."
For those who are wary of sci-fi and its association with aliens and spaceships, I recommend you introduce yourself to Butler by reading Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents, and Kindred first.
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R.I.P. Octavia Estelle Butler (1947 - 2006)
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Parable of the Sower is a futuristic tale (though only by a few decades) of the U.S. in environmental, social and political decline and growing Christian extremism, narrated by Lauren Olamina, an eighteen-year-old Black woman who suffers from hyperempathy, a psychological condition that makes the "Sharer" experience the pain and pleasure others feel. Parable of the Talents is the sequel to Sower. Kindred, on the other hand, deals with the past rather than the future; Dana, a Black woman of current U.S. times, is repeatedly transported to pre-abolitionist America so to save the life of her slave-owning ancestor Rufus.
For those willing to expand more into the realm of extraterrestrials and more distinctive themes, check out Bloodchild and other stories, Clay's Ark, and the Xenogenesis Trilogy.
For those who long to write stories themselves, make sure to read the last two short stories in Bloodchild and other stories; Butler offers insightful advice to other writers.
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Soapbox Article by Cressida Hanson
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