Have You Read Octavia E. Butler? You Should

Last Updated on August 2, 2017 by lydiaf1963

My mother introduced me to science fiction and fantasy. Science fiction, along with romance and detective novels weren’t considered “true literature” back then, but regardless she was an avid reader of those genres and there were paperbacks all over the house. Thanks to her influence my sister and I are often found with a book or e-reader in our hands. Today I want to tell you about Octavia E. Butler, a writer whose works I “inhaled” over the summer, thanks to Amazon which offered many of her novels for free or reduced cost.

Science fiction has existed since the 18th century but the production of pulp magazines in the early 20th century opened the field to more writers…almost overwhelmingly men. As a black female, Octavia E. Butler is an anomaly among science fiction writers. Her protagonists are black women and most of the supporting characters are also black. Her novels explore the themes of alienation, power, survival and what it means to be human.

All of the following links are affiliate links which will take you to Amazon where you can purchase these books. Some are available in omnibus form and others are available for “free” via the Kindle Unlimited program.

 

The Patternist Series records the rise of a group of telepathic humans who are served by “mutes,” non-telepathic humans. The books weren’t written in order. Patternmaster was Butler’s first published novel but chronologically it’s the final story. I vaguely remember my mother checking these books out of the library but when these were published I was more into books with dragons and fairies versus “real” science fiction.

In the Xenogenesis Series humanity is faced with an awful choice after a nuclear holocaust: interbreed with the Oankali, an (incredibly) alien race, or go extinct. The humans, led by Lilith, struggle with their choices as you can imagine. The Oankali as a species have three genders; male, female and ooloi which is needed for reproduction. Later novels explore the lives of the hybrid offspring while continuing to tell the story of Lilith and the other humans.

Kindred is a time travel story with a twist and was on the bestseller list. Dana is a modern black woman who is suddenly transported through time to save the life of Rufus, a young white boy who is heir to a plantation, and her ancestor. She’s in a tenuous situation, not a slave but not free to move about, either. Eventually she’s forced to make hard choices to ensure her survival both in the past and in her own time.

 

The Earthseed books, Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents are apocalyptic fiction, set in the near future when the US has virtually collapsed into anarchy. Lauren and her family live in a compound outside of Los Angeles with a group of other families. Her father serves as the pastor for the community but Lauren has her own thoughts about the nature of God and begins to develop a religion, called Earthseed, which urges humanity to focus their efforts to “take root among the stars.” Eventually her town is overrun and Lauren is forced to flee and search for a safe haven. A group of fundamentalists restore order to the US and persecute Lauren and her followers who have formed a commune called Acorn. Even though her daughter is taken from her, Lauren continues spread the tenets of Earthseed while never stopping the search for her child. The books move back and forth between the action of the story and Lauren’s journals and other papers which were preserved by her followers. In the second book Lauren’s daughter describes her struggles as the daughter of someone who is revered as a deity. If you’re unsure which books to read first, these are a good place to start.

Octavia E. Butler wrote in a succinct style that is evocative and thought provoking. She was born in 1947 and grew up during Jim Crow. Despite many obstacles she was able to carve a career for herself as a novelist in a genre with few women writers let alone black writers. Over the course of her career she won both the Hugo and Nebula awards and was the first science fiction writer awarded the MacArthur Fellowship also known as the “Genius Grant.” Her contributions to science fiction and literature — writing, teaching and funding — have encouraged a new generation to add their unique voices to the spectrum of literature.

If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read these and many other books for free! For those unaware of the program, the short story is that for $9.99 a month you can read until your eyes fall out. I love to read and have a cookbook fetish (not to mention my obsession with knitting) so I can easily spend much more than the monthly subscription. You don’t even have to own a Kindle as there are reading apps available for your favorite devices. Click the link to find out more!