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Octavia Butler Talk

Octavia Butler (June 22, 1947 - February 24, 2006) is the grande dame of the group of African-American women writing in the field of science and speculative fiction (others include Tananarive Due and Nalo Hopkinson). She received the MacArthur Foundation's "genius grant" (1995) and won the Hugo and Nebula Awards several times.

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  • sweetafton

    How did you first encounter Butler, and what made you continue reading her?

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    When I think about it, it's hard to believe that there was a time that I did not know Butler's work. But, I managed to get an autographed copy of a first edition Parable of the Talents for a then housemate who was crazy about sci fi and always went around talking about Mind of My Mind. At the time I was not even remotely interested in science fiction, no matter who wrote it. I lugh now to think of it. But, eventually, this housemate talked long enough that I picked up Mind of My Mind. It was instant. I loved it. I loved her voice. Her style. Her clarity. Her vision. I couldn't read her fast enough.

    What was it that got you started with Butler?
    sweetafton started this discussion 5 years ago. ( reply | permalink )

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  • NighEve

    NighEve 

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    The first OB book that I read was Wild Seed. I'd say this was back in the early 90's. After that, there was just no turning back. I devoured everything I could find from that point on.

    Some of my books are autographed, as I was lucky enough to hear her speak and meet her at a local university in 1992.

    Her work is the highest form of social and philosophical commentray.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      She came to my uni for the 25th celebration of Kindred--she tells a good story. I remember unicorns and typewriters and sweat and Seattle as key icons in her biography. I also remember asking her a dumb question. Not the question itself. Just that I asked it. And she was gracious enough to answer it.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Misty

    Misty 

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    You know, I grabbed Parable of the Sower off the shelf at the library. It was a totally random choice (I got into Sheri S Tepper the same way). And once I read that, I knew I had to read more of her books!
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      I scanned the shelf at my local public library today, all that was on the shelf was Kindred, which I hope means that someone is reading the rest of her books rather than that Kindred is the only one the library owns.

      Sheri Tepper rocks. Have you ever read Kate Wilhelm's Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang? I used it in a course once, disastrously, but you might find it interesting if you like apocalypses.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • Misty

      Misty 

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      I do! I do! Thank you, dear!
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • LaTonya aka z

    LaTonya aka z 

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    My partner reads a lot of science fiction and he had to educate me what science fiction really is. I'm also big on women authors and women of color authors so how do you not eventually hear Butler's name. I've only skimmed Kindred but I have read plenty about the author and I knew I had to read her. When I started buying books for Color Online, I knew we had to have her. When I offered a copy of Kindred, the girls fought over it. Now the girl who ended up with it didn't quite get it, but she read it. I think she'll reread it someday. I know when I first read Bluest Eye, I wasn't sure about the book and I did reread it and I got it. :-)
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Kindred reveals something new to me every time I read it, whether for business or pleasure. If she gives it another go, she'll get it. I'm curious, though, how did your partner define sci fi? I'm a fan of the "sci fi is whatever I say it is" explanation. ;) Hard or soft.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • uplandpoet

      uplandpoet 

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      funny you mention these two books, as hard as some of the stuff in Kindred is to deal with, i found it easier than bluest eye. maybe as a white guy, i cant quite get my head around slavery, but that poor little girl was tough going, i got evrry bit of bluest eye. every painful bit.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • renn1913

    renn1913 

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    My alma mater has one of the largest archives of SF in the US, and the professor in charge of it is one of my favorite people in the world. After taking her Science Fiction course, she lent me Dawn, I was hooked, and I signed up to do research in the collection, when I dove into it full force. I focused on works in the collection that highlighted issues of race in SF, and built my project around that.

    If anyone's interested in my undergrad work: http://sciencefictionlab.lcc.gatech.edu/subTopicColor.html [[[This is the race in SF one.
    http://sciencefictionlab.lcc.gatech.edu/subTopicSexinSF.html [[[I went back for more, lol. This is on representations of the sex act in SF; I only very briefly mention Butler here.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • LaTonya aka z

      LaTonya aka z 

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      Renn,

      Very glad you've joined! Thanks for the information.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      How fortunate you were to attend a school with a collection of sci fi! Both of your pieces are useful as introductions to issues in the genre. What writers did/do you focus on in your project?
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Running Mommy

    Running Mommy 

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    I encountered Butler in graduate school. We used her book to discuss family, community, environment, society, gender, and race. Parable of the Sower was a book that addressed all of those issues. I never read a book of that nature before in my life. I felt that their were so many different issues in the book with sci-fi undertones that I could relate to her work. I could relate to Lauren Olamina as a woman who was similar in age to myself who carried the weight of the world on her shoulders, but she had to overcome in the midst of adversity. The second book that I read was a recommendation from a friend. She suggested that I read WildSeed that book just blew my mind and I could not sleep at night after reading it. Kindred touched my soul because I know that Africans in America today are grappling with the ramifications of slavery. We are still working on our past to create a better future.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      I tend to forget pretty quickly when reading Sower that Lauren is an adolescent. Butler is powerful in recognizing the weight of the world (and all that entails with regard to community, family, survival, faith and so on) on the shoulders of young black women.

      Kindred is pretty groundbreaking, too, with respect to the injuries sustained by both whites and blacks from slavery. Butler has the courage to have both Dana and Kevin (or is it Keith... I think Keith is Lauren's brother in Sower, but I always screw up the names) return to the present moment scarred by the past. Of course, Dana's scar is greater, but that both are recognized as wounded is something that we don't see too much of in the literature about slavery.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • Running Mommy

    Running Mommy 

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    I am so jealous that you have an autographed first edition!!
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      That one I gave as a gift.
      ...sigh...
      But I did manage to score a few others, which I don't let anyone touch. ;)
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • missCONGENIALity

    missCONGENIALity 

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    I read Kindred a few months ago. Completely blew my mind. I totally love it. So, I finally got my hands on Parable of the Talents.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • Christina

      Christina 

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      The first book I read of Butler's was Kindred. I remember I was in college summer of 1999 and a friend told me I had to read this book. It was the first time I ever read something that I could not put down until it was done. I've been hooked ever since. The story, the way it was told, the prose, it was so real and traumatic I felt like I lived it.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • meduza

    meduza 

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    I read Kindred and was so intrigued and disturbed by it that I was compelled to keep reading her work....her writing material is frightening and amazing to envision.
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  • sweetafton

    sweetafton 

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    Bumping this one up for our newest members.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • candace_redinger

    candace_redinger 

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    I think I picked up Kindred as a random choice at the library. I have yet to read another of her books but am anxious to do so. I'll be watching at the library and used bookstores.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • 6evolove9 

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      One Body, One Spirit, One Mind... Mind of My Mind
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

    • 6evolove9 

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      The Trilogy is like Matthew Luke and John for me.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Violette

    Violette 

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    I have only read on book so far and it was years ago. I think it was called "Blood Brothers." I found it interesting and I plan to read more of her.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Do you mean Bloodchild, a collection of short stories?
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • uplandpoet

    uplandpoet 

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    well, a few weeks ago, i saw this really attractive black female's painting, and clicked on her profile, she was looking for a book by the same title as i was, and she did not like contratians, so i knew we would hit it off right away? after a short exchange about the book, about her author, she linked me to amnesty. i read a little and thought, this is interesting, but i cant really get into the sci fi part. well as have the rest of you, i got to be pretty fond of the lady with the painting, though she keeps hiding behind orgasms and birds, and somewhere along the way i picked up kindred and was enthralled, now am in wildseed, but not quite as taken, i am hoping a group discussion will drive me and open the book up a bit.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • cthanson

    cthanson 

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    I was in a high school women writers course, and my teacher gave us a project in which every single student had to select a different book from another and then give a report on it. I chose Parable of the Sower from a selection of recommended books...and loved it. I have now carried that exact copy from high school for seven years, to every country that I have lived in. I will admit, I cried when I heard of Butler's death.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      You weren't alone in your tears. Parable of the Sower is one of my favorites.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • Minnie Estelle Miller

      Minnie Estelle Miller 

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      OB's work came to my attention 4 years ago when I realized I enjoyed writing vampire stories and researched other's. Kindred was the first book I completed before moving on to Parable of the Sower. I was amazed at Butler's mind, her muse and ability to lay down words that touched and held you. That is truly a gift. I started Fledgling (spell?) but had to return the book to the library. They actually had a waiting list. Students of writing would do well to study her style, never mind the genre. I missed talking to Ms. Butler at a book convention in Chicago. She passed my table close enough for me to touch her, but I was involved with a reader about my book and couldn't walk away. As soon as I was able, I ran to catch her but she'd disappeared. I was so sorry when I heard she had passed. I strive to write like her, without plagiarizing of course. Can you have a dead mentor?
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • kate w

      kate w 

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      I first discovered Butler about 6 months before her death. I found some 70's pulp that is now out of print and whose title I can't recall. It got me interested. Then I couldn't put her work down.
      I heard of her death about halfway through Lilith. I opened to back cover and read "who hopes to someday be an 80 year old writer." I sobbed for quite a while.
      If any writer should be alive and writing, it's Octavia E. Butler.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )

  • Nick 

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    I am extremely fortunate to have started reading butler about 2 years after she started publishing, picked up many of her novels at a Minneapolis bookstore called "uncle hugos". An amazing fact I recall reading, I believe in Locus Magazine, was the initial payment to butler for either "the wild seed" or "kindred", from the publisher (doubleday) was $1,500. In any case, I have for close to 30 years picked up most of her works as soon as they were published.

    She has a very crisp, honest style, with extremely important themes.

    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      So surely this means you're amongst the fortunate few to have read her long out-of-print and avowedly regretted Survivor. Green again!
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Dan Tres Omi

    Dan Tres Omi 

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    it was DAWN... i stumbled across it in the library. the cover was actually the first cover for the book where the protagonist was a white woman. I read it and was open from that point on. I purchased every book except Survivor (which I am reading now) ...
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      That's the version I read, and I kept thinking, "when is this white woman on the cover going to show up." She never did. ;)

      Another OB fan with Survivor! Arg, I may have to bite that eBay bullet.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • A Book Collector

    A Book Collector 

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    It was 10 years ago. I was never interested in SciFi in general, and was slowly introduced via Kurt Vonnegut and Ray Bradbury. I was working a midnight shift at my job and someone gave "Kindred" to me to pass the time. I finished it before my shift was over and promptly went to my library to find all of her work. She is on my keep list. I wish I could find "Survivor" that is the only one I have not read. It is so nice to find other fans. I am still a newby (meaning I am in the process of re-reading years later to get into the nuances of her books). I have tried to purchase "Survivor" but it is out of my price range. Can anyone tell me about that book?
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Welcome to our little haven, Cheryl. I think Nick is our resident Survivor reader. The rest of us are hoping and praying that we stumble upon it one fine day--at a reasonable price. Or, that we have the fortune of kcqueenm, who found it for 50¢ in the clearance bin of her local Half Price Books. If only!
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • That's Ms Kitty

    That's Ms Kitty  

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    I just started Parable of the Sower, which pulled me in immediately with its references to the heroine's "hyperempathy" condition and her efforts to protect herself from others' awareness/interpretation of her condition. This book was recommended to me by a person I work with, and I'm surprised at how much more it appeals to me than any other task or activity on my "to do" list for the holidays.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Fantastic! Maybe when you're finished reading it, we can get a group discussion going. I know some of our other members are working on it or have read it.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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      That's Ms Kitty removed this reply 5 years ago.
  • mmolino54

    mmolino54 

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    Hmm... I don't recall when I first heard her name, but I knew it was well-regarded and you don't hear about many female sci-fi writers. Still, I never actually got around to reading her... I even gave my former college roommate Bloodchild many years ago. It was not until we did the partner reading exchange over at the Diversity Works group that I finally read Butler. Our own administrator was picked as my partner and recommended Parable of the Sower, which I just finished. That's the only Butler I've read thus far, but it made a big enough impact that I'd like to read the rest of her works in their entirety. I'd also love to join in a discussion about this novel. Are there any of her works that are bad or not up to par?
    -marc
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Fancy meeting you here. ;)

      Butler herself thought that Survivor was not up to par, which is why it has remained out-of-print. I don't think I would say there are any that are up to par, per se, but there are some that I have to be in the mood for. Our last group discussion was of Wild Seed, and I never finished re-reading it. That has more to do with my mindset (an constant tripping over typos) at the time of reading than with the book itself, though. Sower is my favorite, followed by Kindred, Mind of My Mind, Talents, and Fledgling. I've got nothing against Lilith and her brood.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • dawnderer26

    dawnderer26 

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    I heard some folks talking randomly about Butler. I was intrigued because a) sci-fi and b) black woman protagonist. They were talking about Parable of the Sower. During the summer of 2006, I found some time to read Parable of the Sower. And I fell in love! I experienced happiness and grief at the same time- I found out Butler died that year just several months before. I wish I had gotten into her sooner. I would have loved to meet her.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • mmolino54

      mmolino54 

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      dawnderer26: I didn't realize she was dead either. I just read Parable of the Sower and found out after the fact that she is no longer with us. It's tough to be introduced to such a talent and then know that her days with us are over. -marc
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • AlmondEyedTrini

    AlmondEyedTrini 

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    One of the women in my old book club was a huge sci-fi fan. She suggested Dawn and having never once been attracted to this genre, i was floored by Butler's imagery! It would really test my right brain. The Oankalis were no easy creature to imagine, and I've read many a Clive Barker tale!
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • amphorra

    amphorra 

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    I encountered her in an english lit class. It was a short story and I was just amazed at her storytelling skills...
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      English teachers and (untenured) literature professors round the world all deserve a pay-raise!
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • uplandpoet

      uplandpoet 

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      either that or to be fired:)

      amazing the good and the harm done by the same "class" of people....!

      posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Akos

    Akos 

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    a work colleague of mine introduced me to Octavia Butler. The first book I read was Mind of My Mind. I immediately went to my neighborhood B&N and hit them up for everything I could find. I told my mother and sisters about her and we had a little competition to see who could get the most books. I've read everything except Survivor. I actually went on line to find this one and found it for $175 on Amazon, that was about 7 years ago. I love the Xenogenesis series. I even managed to see how all of the series connect. I love how she touches on spirituality in a way that doesn't make you feel preached to. I was absolutely crushed when I heard she passed away. I was eagerly awaiting the next Parable.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Dotsie

    Dotsie 

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    I just discovered Octavia Butler recently. A friend brought me a tattered copy of Seed To Harvest. It didn't fit in my purse so I went to the bookstore to see if I could find the 4 novels printed individually. Instead I found Kindred and was blown away. I finished it quickly and went out and got the Parable books. I just finished Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents. Now I need to take a little break from Butler as I started waking up in the night from some very bleak dreams about the future.
    That said, I still want to read every word she ever wrote. It is to her credit that wer writing infiltrated my subconscious that much. Dana and Lauren/Olamina will always be a part of me.
    I read many books that are immediately forgotten but Butler's are not among them.
    I haven't read Science Fiction in 20 years, but am now open to suggestions.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Better to discover her later than never at all. Welcome aboard! I hope you'll join in the discussions of both Kindred and Parable of the Sower. . . as well as all the rest as we work through them.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • papalotl

    papalotl 

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    well hello there. thanks for the group work. i was given a copy of Kindred by a distant family member. I, like many, was not particularly interested at the time in picking up sci-fi. It did not take much time however to realize that although the literature may be classified as sci fi Butler's writing is definately social and human. I very much enjoyed the surprise and found lots of similarities between Butler's style of writing and my own dream like story telling. I am currently reading Parable of the Sower. I picked it up again because I was so delighted with Butler's writing and deliverance. I am very much enjoying the Parable of the Sower and have had a great time so far reading aloud to my partner. We engage and then have our own discussions, like about where a rendouvous point would be or what our emergency packs would have. The location of just 20 miles outside of Los Angeles adds to the thrill of this novel for me. I live and work in the very same geographic region. Peace.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      I hope you will join the group's discussion of Parable of the Sower once you've reached the final full-stop. It's quite a treat, and yes, it does get one thinking about survival plans and all.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Pam I

    Pam I 

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    It was Wild Seed in a Af-Am Lit class. The prof. stated that she normally teaches Kindred but was going to so something different that year. I loved the book. After that I read Kindred and it changed my life. It is one of the best books that discusses race and gender. I went on to read Dawn and that series. I stopped reading her years ago. Except to re-read Kindred every few years. I need to read more and hope to start soon!
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Welcome, Pam. Yes, read on! We have an embarrassment of riches in Butler.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • LaTonya aka z

    LaTonya aka z 

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    Now I can answer why I continue to read Butler. I continue to read her work because every time I read your recommendations I am affected by Butler's relentless and clear challenges of our values, thinking and behavior. She openly challenges the reader to question ourselves and our culture. I continue to read her because she addresses the issues that matter a great deal to me. And I love that her protagonists are strong, flawed, passionate women of color.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • Greg T

    Greg T 

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    The first Octavia Bulter book that I read was Survivor, a long time ago, and I loved it from the start. I ex-mother-in-law gave me the book out of her collection, and I don't think that she had ever read it. That was when I was in college, and I did not get another book of hers until Fledgling, in 2005 when it came out. Since then I have become a pretty big fan of her work. I'm pretty much a SF nut, and I have started a (long term) project to create a complete bibliography of all things Octavia Bulter. Here is the URL:
    http://bb.solahpmo.com/viewtopic.php?t=268
    I have another bibliography on that site for Frank Herbert, and its not done, but its more complete than this one. You can look at that to see what I have in mind.
    Anyway, I have a horror story too. Several years ago I sold my copy of Survivor at a yard sale for less than a buck. What an idiot I am! My copy was all beat up and I was planning on getting a nicer looking copy. Little did I know how hard that would turn out to be. I dont think Ill ever forgive myself for that stupid move!
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Welcome, Greg. That is a horror story indeed and in deed!

      You might want to check out the Criticism thread (http://www.shelfari.com/groups/10772/discussions/7545/Criticism) where we have been compiling a bibliography of Butler scholarship. I haven't looked over the entirety of your site's list but certainly wish it had existed six years ago!
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • Greg T

      Greg T 

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      Is there something special about six years ago? Did you write a dissertation or thesis or something?

      When you look at the bibliography, click on the links to reviews. I wrote all of them myself, though they are kind of works in progress.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      It was around the time I first started teaching Parable of the Sower. My dissertation and theses were completely unrelated to Butler or to literature; they were work and she is pure pleasure.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
    • Greg T

      Greg T 

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      Ah. Thats great. I taught at university very briefly years ago, but in the last couple of months I have though a lot about going to a local community college here in town and trying to get a job teaching a SF literature course. I have plans, and of course Bulter's work figures into them.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • julibug

    julibug 

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    I was in a Goodwill store in Gilroy CA, just buying books, this is one way I read new things, just by accident. I saw Kindred on the shelf and picked it up. I looked at the author's name and recalled that the fictional Wanda Hawkins (Wanda Sykes) had mentioned OB was her favorite author on the show Wanda at Large.
    Soooo I bought Kindred for a dollar at Goodwill. I had no idea it was science fiction or I might not have. I am so very glad I did. Now-I have to read all the others. So sorry there will not be more.
    posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Welcome, julibug. That sounds like a mighty good accident to me.
      posted 5 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Michelle P

    Michelle P 

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    The first Octavia E. Butler book that I read was Kindred. Kindred is one of my favorite books. Currently, I have the last book that she wrote Fledgling and have started reading it. She was a great writer and I'm in love with her books.

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      I love Kindred, too. It's one of her books to which I return with regularity. I wonder what you'll make of Fledgling, and hope you will add your thoughts to our discussion of it. As I recall, plenty went unaddressed--please jump right in!

      posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
  • cpauley929

    cpauley929 

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    I was introduced to Butler about a year ago. I went to visit some good friends for a summer festival, and we started talking books over coffee. My friend is an English professor who is very interested in Toni Morrison and sci-fi/fantasy by women, especially women of color. As we talked books, she suggested Fledgling to me, so I decided to pick it up because I was at a loss for what to read next. That was it. I was hooked. I've recently finished Kindred and will move on to Wild Seed in the near future.

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Oh, do enjoy her and check out some of our older threads!

      posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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    sweetafton removed this reply 4 years ago.
  • Serenity Love Sincere Peace E

    Serenity Love Sincere Peace E 

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    Wild Seed hooked me

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
  • veda_renee

    veda_renee 

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    Again, Wild Seed, but I read about it in Orson Scott Card's How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy in which he basically take excerpts from the book and says "This is how you write science fiction and fantasy."

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • Nelly

    Nelly 

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    The first book I read by Butler was Dawn. I was in middle school at the time(I'm 24). Dawn was actually the first science fiction book I ever read.

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
  • P S

    P S 

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    I heard a Dionne Ferris song back in 1994 and wondered where she got the title "Wildseed, Wildflower" and read somewhere that she got it from the title of an Octavia E. Butler book. I went to the book store, bought it and have been in awe ever since!

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • spinnerrowe

    spinnerrowe 

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    I was reading Orson Scott Card's "How to Write Fantasy and Science Fiction" and use the opening of Butler's "Wild Seed" as an example of a great beginning of a story. He showed me the mastery of her writing. I later went an got the "Seed to Harvest" series and fell in love for the following reasons.

    1. Her books don't end at the last page because you are thinking about the themes and ideas for days afterward.
    2. She presents themes about race and sex that don't beat you over the head with an ideology. She shows her themes through her characters as opposed to delivering a monologue
    3. Her characters are great. They are believable and likable. You worry about them, even the ones that seem evil.
    4. She doesn't sneer or look down at her characters. She realizes that each of them believes that they are doing what they think is right.
    5. Her language is clear and to the point. She uses it as a tool to tell a story instead of using the story to show off fancy grammatical constructions and elaborate vocabulary.
    6. Her stories are very different from anything else I have read. I read science fiction to "explore new worlds" as Capt. Kirk would put it. Well, baby, she delivers those new worlds.

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      It looks like you and veda_renee met her through the same writer. I couldn't agree more with your characterization of her writing.

      posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Japimeripous

    Japimeripous 

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    Kindred and The Parable of the Sower arrived to the American public library in Mexico City just last December. I started with Kindred and found it beautiful, shocking, moving, inspiring, terrifying. I liked The Parable of the Sower even more. Now I'm trying to get more of her books, I'm still hungry for her work. And I'm sorry I found her now she's passed away.

    posted 4 years ago. ( permalink )
  • The (x)Treasurer

    The (x)Treasurer 

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    When I first discovered Octavia, I had been a subscriber to Astounding/Analog since 1954. I don't remember the title of the one I read, but I was impressed, and read just about everything of hers that appeared in Analog. I think I also must have read whatever was available from the Science Fiction Book Club.

    I still remember her titles favorably, but started to have problems reading/understanding and cut back on some of my reading. Now I've expanded to other genre, and don't read as much SF/Fantasy.

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Milagros R

    Milagros R 

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    Like most of you, my first Octavia book was Kindred. Her stories were out there (sci-fy) yet believeable. The way she wrote allowed me to see the story so clearly in my mind. I felt I was watching a movie. After that first book, I began searching others and to my amazement and luck, found them in order, that is to say, found the continuation of the story she was telling. Later I found out that alot of her early writing was in a prequel style. She wrote many books that way.
    Not only the ease with which I could read her books hooked me, it was also the political undertones which I could totally relate to.
    Never has a writer affected me as she. I mourn her still.

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      I think we all do, but we keep her alive by introducing her to new generations of readers.

      posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Soyinka O

    Soyinka O 

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    wild seed was one of her first books I read also, and after that I just got hooked. she became my hero. As a child I wanted to be a writer, but I ended up in law enforcement instead but now as I get closer to retirement I'm looking at writing to compensate my pension. I've published three books so far one is Octavia Butler inspired, the others were to see if I could publish my self

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Frances S

    Frances S 

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    Kindred was the first book I encounted Octavia Butler. I could not believe how she weaved so many themes into such a wonderful story.

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Hollishillis

    Hollishillis 

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    I actually read Bloodchild first and it was for a Marxist class! Haha. I was fascinated though and I spent 3 months analyzing it, and wrote a massive paper. Then for a senior capstone in English I read kindred for an alternative history course. It was fascinating. I read the rest of her works after that.

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Kindred is one of my favorites. Which of her books do you recommend to folks who've not yet read her?

      posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Author and Poet Aberjhani

    Author and Poet Aberjhani 

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    I was a bookseller during the 1990s and couldn't help noticing Butler's growing popularity. It was a phenomenal thing to watch because in her own way she was every bit as influential as more popular African-American women authors like Terry McMillan and other mainstream authors but not quite as recognized or celebrated. That led me to eventually start checking out here work.

    Aberjhani

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
  • gess

    gess 

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    I first encountered Butler's work by chance. I found "Kindred" on Audiblle.com and bought it just from the book description. I even let several months pass before I listened to it. But when I listened to it, I was amazed! "Kindred" immediately became one of my favorite novels, and that's a mighty short list. Kim Staunton is brilliant as the voice talent. She really brings every beautiful and gripping word of Butler's to life. A month later, it was my turn to choose a book for my book club, and I proposed "Kindred" (so now I have a print copy too!).

    After learning more about Butler, I next read "Patternmaster." I'm not generally a fan of science fiction, so I didn't enjoy that novel as much. I'm planning to read "Fledgling" next. Actually, I may start it tonight.

    posted 3 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • Betsy

    Betsy 

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    I just joined Shelfari and noticed this book group. I love Octavia Butler!

    My first experience with Octavia Butler's work was quite accidental. After finishing her M.A., friend of mine was moving away and decided to give away a ton of her books. As my friend passed me a box of books, she recommended that I read the one on top which was Mind of My Mind. At first I was skeptical because she and I had vastly different tastes in books, at the time anyway, but since I had nothing else to read, I decided to try it. I loved it! After reading Mind of My Mind, I went straight to the public library and borrowed whatever Octavia Butler books they had. They had Clay's Ark (another amazing read), Wildseed (yes, I read them out of order) and Patternmaster. What the public library didn't have, I bought in a local book store. I was a Butler devotee! Up to that point, I found her books mesmerizing but what blew me away was the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Talents. Not easy to read but nevertheless mind blowing.

    In 2005, I was working in a school overseas. One of my colleagues who was originally from L.A., knew her in college. They were going to meet up that summer and she was going to introduce me to her. Sadly, she died that February. The world lost an amazing talent.

    posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
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  • Quinn

    Quinn 

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    I first encountered Butler through an African American Literature class. We read Kindred. I was in love from the first chapter. Bulter is sorely missed.

    posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Yes, she is. Welcome. The group is very quiet now, but perhaps you'll find a discussion thread that interests you and reawaken the members.

      posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Gwendolyn R H

    Gwendolyn R H (edited)

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    A guy I was dating told me about Octavia Butler and was quite surprised that I could be a sci- fi fan and not have read any of her books. He suggested I read "Kindred" first, but when I ventured off to the book store it wasn't available. However, "Lilith's Brood" was and I've been hooked ever since.

    There is nothing better than to have an entire series in one book. Within a week I had read the entire series: "Dawn", "Adulthood Rites", and "Imago". Now I'm working on reading everything she has ever written. I've only got two more to go, but I here one book is out there but a seriously rare find.

    posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      That would be her first novel, Survivor, which she regretted having published. There's a link to download it in one of the discussion threads here. Happy reading!

      posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
    • Gwendolyn R H

      Gwendolyn R H 

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      Sweet! It's the very last piece of work I need to read. I'm reading Fledgling now and I was hoping to find some link to Survivor (if such a link existed).

      posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      My memory for these things is clearly not what it used to be. It wasn't a link at all, but a file. If I can find it, it is yours.

      posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
  • Minnie Estelle Miller

    Minnie Estelle Miller 

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    I've been a Butler fan for years. Read most of her books. I'm just getting into Book one of the Xenogenesis series, "Dawn." This struck me right off.

    "She was terrified that she would be hurt, punished. But she felt she had to risk bargaining, try to gain something, and her only currency was cooperation.

    "They neither punished her nor bargained. They simply ceased to talk to her."

    Ms. Butler does not waste words when she writes. She is clear and to the point.

    posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
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    • sweetafton

      sweetafton 

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      Yes, her economy of words is both startling and effective.

      posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )
  • NeoSerenity

    NeoSerenity 

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    The first book of her's that I read was Kindred. I am an English major and it was assigned reading in one of my literature classes. I really enjoyed the book and I loved her rich story telling and use of symbolism. We were asked to analyze a single scene in one of the novels that we read, no more than a page or two long, and analyze it. Her writing is so rich I had no problem at all and really enjoyed writing about the book. I am hoping to include her works in my own class someday when I become a teacher.

    I just finished reading her book Fledgling which I loved! I had heard about this book while doing research for one of my papers and was excited to hear that she had written a vampire novel. I'm a big fan of vampire stories so when I saw it at the book store one day I picked it up for pleasure reading during winter break. But I got lucky and wound up taking a class this spring called Impossible Passions and Possible Worlds Vampires in Literature and Film in America and Fledgling was one of the books on the assigned reading list. So I got to read it for credit and not just for fun, which was cool.

    After these two books I am definitely a fan and hope to read some more of her stuff when I get a chance.

    posted 2 years ago. ( permalink )

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