I will begin with a confession. I was unaware of Octavia E. Butler until just a few years ago. What an amazing talent! Recently, I read her novel Parable of the Sower, which she wrote in 1993. The dystopian future she presents us with is set in 2024. That’s just a few minutes away. The main character, Lauren Olamina, is a preacher’s daughter living in a walled community in Los Angeles. The world has continued to degrade. The economy has failed, and our society is in ruins.

This novel hits so close to home, you may wonder why I wanted to read it after all the world has been through recently. It may seem counterintuitive, but nothing cheers me up better than a good disaster story. Think of all the movies of impending doom – giant asteroids, hostile aliens, earthquakes, zombie apocalypse – they really do cheer us up. We aren’t brightened by the ones who are lost, even when their deaths are heroic. It’s the survivors. The survivors bring us hope. We identify with them and they offer us a hope that after the twister has ravaged the countryside, the sun will shine down on us once more. After all that we have been through lately, hope can soothe our ragged nerves.

Butler certainly gives us sympathetic characters. She is adept at illustrating the complexities of human relationships. Her work makes you want to hug or slap her characters. You cannot remain indifferent to them. Although, as compelling and poignant as the story was, I will say that I hope it isn’t made into a movie. If it is, you might want to skip the popcorn. I won’t offer any spoilers, but anyone who has read it would likely agree that there are parts we just don’t want to see.

Parable of the Sower is the first in a duology. The second book is called Parable of the Talents. I am saving that one to reward myself for finalizing some proofreading and editing of my own things. Her stories are a worthy treat after a job well done.