We Should Talk About: Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler is a phenomenal writer who has an eerie knack of portraying experiences before they occur and transforming moments from the past into a horrific present. Butler was raised by a single mother and found immense solace in her public libraries and bookstores. In many ways, libraries shaped Butler into the writer she became. The LA Times published a wonderful article to help visualize this influence, read it here. Butler is the first science fiction writer to win the MacArthur Fellowship. She is also a bestselling author who paved the way for people of color and the created a space in science fiction to explore Afrofuturism, the transformation of feminist utopia, and the response of humanity in post-apocalyptic worlds.

To learn more about Butler you can turn to her essay and story collection Bloodchild. This collection includes the autobiographical essay “Positive Obsession” which delves into the importance of science fiction and its influence on the world of writing that Butler inhabits. You can also check out the interview below!

Ready to read the works of Octavia E. Butler? You can browse our full collection or click on any of the book covers below.