Classic Fiction: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

It felt fitting to finish the year with Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. On September 3, 2020, the novel appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, 27 years after its original publication. No doubt the dystopian landscape, as well as the themes of extreme wealth inequality, climate change, and the general breakdown of society have helped renew some interest. It also does not hurt that the graphic novel adaptation was published earlier this year, and was done by the same team that adapted Butler's Kindred in 2017.

The Situation: It is 2024 on the West Coast of the U.S, and Lauren Olamina is the only daughter of a Baptist minister. Her father is a leader in the community, a man that is looked up to as an advisor and a protector. Society has crumbled to the point that neighborhoods can only exist if there are walls protecting them, and leaving those walls is only done in an emergency, or if there is paying work involved. Water is scarce and expensive. Corporations are starting to buy entire cities and have them run by what essentially amounts to slave labor. Guns are a necessity, and it is almost a promise that you or someone close to you will be robbed, attacked, or worse. Violence may be a daily reality and not that much of a surprise when it happens, but for Lauren, her hyperempathy causes her to 'share' the pain with the victim...as long as they are still alive. A violent action made out of self-defense can cripple her, and if someone else finds out, they can use it against her.

The Problem: In a coordinated attack, Lauren loses her home and her family in one night. With her neighborhood nearly burned to the ground, she walks away with only her emergency pack and the little money and helpful items she could find in the wreckage. It is not safe outside of the walls, but now that there is nothing left inside of them, she has no choice but to head north. State lines may now function more like international borders, but Lauren is determined, as are the people she meets and collects along the way. Some of them she knew from before, but others are strangers who were simply headed in the same direction. As they travel, she continues to add to her journal of beliefs, what she calls Earthseed. The core idea behind Earthseed is that God is change, and having rejected her father's beliefs long ago, Lauren holds onto her own, and heads into what she believes is her new destiny.

Genre, Themes, History: This is a science fiction novel that begins when Lauren is 15 in the not at all distant year of 2024, and ends in the fall of 2027, after she has turned 18. In those three years, her life as she knew it is gone, and she finds herself within a motley crew of other weary travelers as they all head north, away from the wreckage that has become California, though the rest of the country is not in any better shape. Even after a new president is elected, and a corporation takes over a small city with the promise of providing jobs and housing, people see right through the empty promises and greed that are meant to enslave them to a system of debt and hopelessness. Naturally, readers will compare what Butler has written with what we see in our world today, and the setting of the year 2024 gives an eerie feeling to the overall story.

My Verdict: Out of the three books I have read by Butler, this may be my favorite. I liked Kindred well-enough, but it was rough reading through it. I have complicated feelings about Fledgling, but I have complicated feelings towards most stories about vampires - I have said it before that I am Team Van Helsing and will probably always be. And although this one was no picnic, I enjoyed reading about the harsh future that Butler has created, and the characters that often must do the unthinkable in order to survive. Possibly the only thing about the story that I did not care for was the idea of Lauren creating her own religion, if only because it reminded me of how cults are often started. But the rest of the story is both fascinating and terrifying. Even though the characters must constantly be on their guard, and are often attacked and hurt, Butler presents it in a way that keeps the reader engaged instead of pushing them away.  

Favorite Moment: There are not many happy or bright parts of the book, but there is a moment when it rains for a few days and the community is able to collect the 'free' water. 

Favorite Character: Bankole is an older man that ends up joining the group as they head north. He is helpful, resourceful, smart, protective, and also generous.

Recommended Reading: I do recommend Kindred, even though I had a hard time getting through it. Readers of science fiction will certainly appreciate its time traveling elements.