I love to read. There are many different genres I enjoy, but one genre I read the least in my lifetime is Science-Fiction or Sci-Fi. I have read a few over the last few years such as “Children of Blood and Bone,” “Binti,” and “Parable of the Sower”. The author Tomi Adeyimi who wrote “Children of Blood and Bone” is one of the newest Sci-Fi authors who has turned her work into a trilogy. The author of “Parable of the Sower” was Octavia E. Butler. Butler is credited as the first Black woman Sci-Fi author. The genre is not one that has seen many Black authors or women throughout history . But in the last almost two decades since Butler’s death there have been many more creating work. Today I want to honor Octavia E. Butler’s work for Women’s History Month.
Born in Pasadena, California in 1947, Butler came from humbled beginnings. Following her Father’s death when she was seven, Butler was raised by her mother and grandmother. She struggled with dyslexia is her younger years, but when her mother first took her to the library her life changed forever. Butler discovered many books that sparked her interest and led to her love of Sci-Fi. When she was 13, her teacher entered her into a Sci-Fi writing contest and this began her official journey to being a pioneer in this genre. Her first published work came in 1971. The topics of most of her books were racial injustice, politics, women’s rights, and environment changes among other.
Sadly, Butler passed away in 2006 in an unexpected medical event, at the young age of 59. She left behind a lot of work. She had a few books that were a part of a series. Unfortunately her Parable series was never completed. In this month, I honor Butler for her contribution to the Sci-Fi world and paving the way for so many since her start. Below you will find some of her work; you can click on the images for more information.
I love her books. I think there may be two that I haven’t read.