Black History Month: Octavia Butler's Visionary Fiction And Afrofuturism : Throughline : NPR
3 years, 10 months ago

Black History Month: Octavia Butler's Visionary Fiction And Afrofuturism : Throughline : NPR

NPR  

How Octavia Butler's Sci-Fi Dystopia Became A Constant In A Man's Evolution Enlarge this image Joelle Avelino Joelle Avelino It was middle school, eighth grade, when a sheltered 13-year-old boy suddenly found himself immersed in an unfamiliar world, guided by a girl who wasn't much older, a girl on the verge of leading a religious movement. The girl, Lauren Oya Olamina, is, of course, the main character in Octavia Butler's classic science fiction novel Parable of the Sower. It misses the invitation to embrace the essential message of Butler's work, that the only constant life has ever offered us is change. Subscribe to Throughline to listen to the latest episode on Octavia Butler, the second in its Black History Month series.

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History of this topic

What Octavia E. Butler understood above all: vulnerability
1 year, 8 months ago

What Octavia E. Butler understood above all: vulnerability

LA Times  

Octavia E. Butler published “Parable of the Sower” in 1993, when she was 46 and I was 12. In “Parable of the Sower,” Lauren is a “sharer,” meaning she suffers from a condition called “hyperempathy syndrome.” She can feel the pain and pleasure of others, and in this future there isn’t much pleasure to be had. For most of her …

How Octavia Butler inspired a pathbreaking Black-owned Pasadena bookstore
1 year, 10 months ago

How Octavia Butler inspired a pathbreaking Black-owned Pasadena bookstore

LA Times  

On Nov. 22, after weeks of trying to find the right space for her dream, Nikki High signed a lease for a 621-square-foot space on Pasadena’s North Hill Avenue. “There was that initial fear,” High said during an interview at her bookstore — which still sat empty in late January, save for a few tantalizing books by the window. The …

What if we were already living in Octavia Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’?
2 years, 7 months ago

What if we were already living in Octavia Butler’s ‘Parable of the Sower’?

LA Times  

American Artist in their studio in New York City. American Artist’s exhibition is like a road map through Southern California locales inspired by “Parable of the Sower.” American Artist’s admiration for Butler’s work has led to their creation of the upcoming “Shaper of God” exhibition, which opens on May 28 at REDCAT in downtown Los Angeles. In Butler’s novel “Parable …

Book Club: The many worlds of Octavia E. Butler
4 years, 3 months ago

Book Club: The many worlds of Octavia E. Butler

LA Times  

Good morning, and welcome to the L.A. Times Book Club newsletter. “Butler’s prescient novel has surged in popularity in recent months as people have sought ways to make sense of the current chaos of the real world,” writes Times reporter Tracy Brown. Brown has created a must-read guide for budding Butler fans: 5 paths to continue your discovery after “Parable …

5 paths to continue your Octavia E. Butler discovery after ‘Parable of the Sower’
4 years, 3 months ago

5 paths to continue your Octavia E. Butler discovery after ‘Parable of the Sower’

LA Times  

Science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler said the novels in her “Parable” series were meant to be cautionary. Two TV series are in the works based on her novels “Wild Seed” and “Dawn.” This month, journalist Lynell George will publish a new book on the author’s life and perspectives titled “A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World …

Why Octavia E Butler’s novels are so relevant today
4 years, 9 months ago

Why Octavia E Butler’s novels are so relevant today

BBC  

Why Octavia E Butler’s novels are so relevant today The visionary sci-fi author envisaged an alternate future that foresaw many aspects of life today, from big pharma to Trumpism. Andrew Porter Octavia E Butler challenged gender stereotypes in her work – she started writing sci-fi to escape her situation Like much of her writing, Butler’s book was a warning about …

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