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Octavia Butler Stories

Born June 22nd, 1947 in Pasadena, California, Octavia E. Butler grew into a speculative fiction writer whose books offer readers a radical new way of approaching the world. 

After a childhood spent taking refuge in libraries and writing original fiction from age 12 onwards, Butler attended the 1970 Clarion Science Fiction Workshop. Her debut novel, 1976’s Patternmaster, was the first in a series that ultimately allowed her the financial security to write full-time. This was instrumental when drafting her 1979 novel Kindred, which follows a Black writer living in modern L.A who is transported back to the pre-Civil War south. Kindred was followed by her four-book Xenogenesis/Lilith’s Brood series in the 1980s. 

1993 saw the release of Parable of the Sower, the first book in her Earthseed series. Its sequel, Parable of the Talents, won Butler her first Nebula Award, and in 1995 she also took home the prestigious MacArthur Foundation Fellowship.     

Butler’s final novel, 2005’s Fledgling, is centered around a vampire who resembles a 10-year-old Black girl. Soon after its publication, on February 24, 2006, Butler died suddenly outside her home. But her legacy has only grown after her death. 

Butler’s work has proved eerily prescient, and has influenced modern social and political movements and led to numerous adaptations. She landed on the New York Times bestseller list in 2021, and NASA has even named a Mars Rover touchdown site after the author.

Explore the fiction of Octavia E. Butler today, and come away empowered to face any challenges the future holds alongside your community. 

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Listen to the First Episode of Octavia's Parables, a New Podcast Dedicated to Octavia Butler

Parables launches June 22nd and is hosted by Toshi Reagon and Adrienne Maree Brown.

The 5th ‘Octavia Tried’ Webinar Focused On Pleasure Activism and a New Parables Podcast

The authors talked capitalism, creating new worlds, and the new Octavia's Parables podcast.

She Tried to Wake Me: My Humbling First Meeting With Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler's long-time editor Betsy Mitchell shares the story of their memorable first meeting.

The Fourth ‘Octavia Tried To Tell Us’ Webinar Explores Survival and the Myth of Saviors

This week, the speakers addressed systemic racism and the truth that 'no one is coming to save us.'

The Third 'Octavia Tried to Tell Us' Webinar Explores Art & Fear in the Era of Corona

The 'parable for a pandemic' series looks to Butler's texts for guidance during unprecedented times.

10 Nebula Award-Winning Books by Female Authors You Should Read

In honor of the upcoming Nebula Awards, download these award-winners from previous years.

Watch the Second Full 'Octavia Tried to Tell Us' Webinar Honoring Butler and Earthseed

Black authors and artists discuss Octavia Butler and art as a survival strategy in 2020.

Quotes from Sci-Fi & Fantasy to Provide Courage and Comfort During Coronavirus

These inspirational quotes are a reminder that even alone, we're #TogetherinStories.

New PBS It's Lit Video Essay Celebrates Afrofuturism's Past and Present

From Octavia Butler to Black Panther, explore the transformative power of Afrofuturism.

Library of America to Honor Octavia E. Butler and Ursula K. Le Guin

The publisher will recognize two of America's most influential female sci-fi writers.

Authors Share How Apocalyptic Fiction Can Be an Antidote to Panic

If 2020 has you spiraling, you're not alone — but apocalyptic fiction can be a surprising source of comfort.

16 Alarming Books About Apocalyptic Plagues

These terrifyingly realistic books will make you want to live in a bubble—permanently.

TV Adaptation of Octavia Butler’s Dawn Heading to Amazon

Ava DuVernay and Victoria Mahoney will bring the novel to the small screen.

16 Octavia Butler Books: The Complete Canon

Octavia Butler's brilliant works continue to challenge and inspire.

16 Powerful Post-Apocalyptic Books

It's the end of the world as we know it: These post-apocalyptic novels offer terrifying visions that will have you hooked.

8 Vital Sci-Fi Climate Change Books

These climate fiction books explore diverse visions of humanity's future.