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Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
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Parable of the Sower (edition 1993)

by Octavia Butler

Series: Earthseed (1)

MembersReviewsPopularityAverage ratingMentions
8,0362371,075 (4.06)386
"Parable of the Sower is the Butlerian odyssey of one woman who is twice as feeling in a world that has become doubly dehumanized. The time is 2025. The place is California, where small walled communities must protect themselves from hordes of desperate scavengers and roaming bands of people addicted to a drug that activates an orgasmic desire to burn, rape, and murder. When one small community is overrun, Lauren Olamina, an 18 year old black woman with the hereditary train of "hyperempathy"--which causes her to feel others' pain as her own--sets off on foot along the dangerous coastal highways, moving north into the unknown"--… (more)
Member:seojen
Title:Parable of the Sower
Authors:Octavia Butler
Info:Rebound by Sagebrush (1999), School & Library Binding
Collections:Your library
Rating:
Tags:science fiction

Work Information

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

  1. 61
    The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (wonderlake)
    wonderlake: IMO Year of the Flood is a much superior book
  2. 40
    Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (rstaedter)
  3. 30
    The Postman by David Brin (infiniteletters)
  4. 41
    Into the Forest by Jean Hegland (GCPLreader)
  5. 20
    Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler (sturlington)
    sturlington: Sequel to Parable of the Sower
  6. 31
    The Girl Who Owned A City by O. T. Nelson (infiniteletters)
  7. 20
    The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (Othemts)
    Othemts: Young narrators observe the slow decline of society into dystopia as result of natural disasters.
  8. 31
    Mara and Dann by Doris Lessing (amberwitch)
    amberwitch: Both featuring young female protagonists of colour, traveling north looking for a place to live after her society disintegrated, partially due to climatical changes.
  9. 53
    The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (MyriadBooks)
  10. 10
    The Memory Librarian: And Other Stories of Dirty Computer by Janelle Monáe (Othemts)
  11. 10
    Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson (sturlington)
  12. 21
    An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (bibliovermis)
  13. 21
    The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk (espertus)
    espertus: Another post-apocalyptic feminist novel, although unlike in Parable of the Sower, the religion/magic is real, not symbolic.
  14. 32
    Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany (thesmellofbooks)
    thesmellofbooks: A very different dystopia written by a very different African-American science fiction writer. Yet the intensity and humanity of Parable of the Sower are present as well in this much older book.
  15. 10
    The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin (msemmag)
    msemmag: Both series explore the intersection of 'troubled, powerful female protagonist', radical community, climate apocalypse/breakdown of established society, and racism/oppression of marginalized communities. Both have queer themes centered around women and family.
  16. 22
    When She Woke by Hillary Jordan (ellbeecee)
    ellbeecee: Near-future dystopian fiction that makes you consider what's going on and the various paths that could be taken.
  17. 33
    How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff (wonderlake)
    wonderlake: Strong female teenagers traverse war-torn environments in the near future
  18. 01
    Morne Câpresse by Gisèle Pineau (Dilara86)
  19. 01
    Mind-Call by Wilanne Schneider Belden (infiniteletters)
  20. 01
    Galveston by Sean Stewart (amberwitch)

(see all 23 recommendations)

AP Lit (108)
1990s (219)
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» See also 386 mentions

English (230)  Italian (2)  French (2)  All languages (234)
Showing 1-5 of 230 (next | show all)
Well written in terms of character and world-building but it felt 'lite' almost conceited, a faint smug sense of 'I'm alright' all the way through and didn't properly capture the fear, uncertainty and unpreparedness the characters would actually have - which is ironic because that was part of the message it was trying to convey.

One of those the future is now books. Written decades ago, the opening is a futuristic 2024. We had managed to develop much better technology (although phones are close and not envisaged) but the trends of growing extremism and drug gang segregation, enclaves and no-go areas, have all risen much faster and overcome the world. Our heroine is living in a low-middle class such enclave surrounded by the mostly lawless and feral Outside. More feared than experienced. However the frequent attempts to break in are proof that at least some of the fears are real. It of course all comes crashing down and she's forced to flee, initially alone, but then with a small but growing crowed of trusted friends and companions to whom she preaches her new-though religion - why don't we all try to be nicer to each other.

I'm sure at the time it was ground-breaking and much disliked by many of the conservative side, even though it's portrays the evils of drugs etc. but I could never quite suspend my disbelief far enough, not just from the timeline, but also in how the enclaves and towns they passed through survived. Civilisation relies on a lot more integrated networks than seemed to exist. And all the people she met were either nice or obviously terrible, and the world just doesn't work that way. ( )
1 vote reading_fox | Mar 15, 2024 |
This is such a hard book to rate according to a 5 star system. I'd give it 4.5 if I could. In many ways it reminds me a great deal of [b:The Left Hand of Darkness|18423|The Left Hand of Darkness (Hainish Cycle #4)|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488213612l/18423._SY75_.jpg|817527]--in its plot structure and in some of its flaws. ( )
  localgayangel | Mar 5, 2024 |
Dramatic post-apocalyptic world narrarive that serves as background to a philosophical discussion about god as change. Many interesting themes spring from the world of misery and violence.

A cult of firearms places the book in US context.

The religious tome sometimes takes away from believability of the story. ( )
  yates9 | Feb 28, 2024 |
I was expecting more from this book after hearing so much praise for so long. Objectively it's well done, especially the world-building. However, our protagonist strikes me as a Mary Sue and none of the characters are strongly drawn. I was borne along on the tide of story but never felt immersed by the plot. ( )
  fionaanne | Feb 27, 2024 |
I first read this a long time ago and love it. And since the book begins in 2024, I thought it was time to read it again. I think it was even more amazing this time. I didn't need to rush to the end to find out what happens. I took the book at a slow pace. I could recognize the various religious beliefs present in Lauren's thinking, especially Buddhism. And I could critique the ultimate goal of Earthseed to leave Earth entirely. I'm sorry Butler never got to write that third book, to send everyone into space, because, even though I disagree that space is the only way to save humanity, I still would have liked to see what she had to say about it. ( )
  wellred2 | Feb 18, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 230 (next | show all)
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» Add other authors

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Butler, Octavia E.primary authorall editionsconfirmed
Blackford, JohnCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bracharz, KurtÜbersetzersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Bravery, RichardCover designer and artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Chełminiak, JacekTł.secondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Estevez, HermanCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Gyan, DeborahCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Jemisin, N. K.Forewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Johansson, LinaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lewin, PaulCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Manzieri, MaurizioCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Ming, Cheung ChingPhotographersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Moreno, SilviaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Mustafa, MumtazCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Palencar, John JudeCover artistsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Polo, AnnaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Puckey, DonCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Rouard, PhilippeTraductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Steinem, GloriaIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Sutherland, CharlesDesignersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Thigpen, LynneNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
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Epigraph
Prodigy is, at its essence, adaptability and persistent, positive obsession. Without persistence, what remains is an enthusiasm of the moment. Without adaptability, what remains may be channeled into destructive fanaticism. Without positive obsession, there is nothing at all. -- EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING by Lauren Oya Olamina
Dedication
First words
I had my recurring dream last night.
Quotations
All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes You.
The only lasting truth
is Change.
God
Is Change.
-- EARTHSEED: THE BOOKS OF THE LIVING
It seems almost criminal that you should be so young in these terrible times. I wish you could have known this country when it was still salvageable.
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Wikipedia in English (1)

"Parable of the Sower is the Butlerian odyssey of one woman who is twice as feeling in a world that has become doubly dehumanized. The time is 2025. The place is California, where small walled communities must protect themselves from hordes of desperate scavengers and roaming bands of people addicted to a drug that activates an orgasmic desire to burn, rape, and murder. When one small community is overrun, Lauren Olamina, an 18 year old black woman with the hereditary train of "hyperempathy"--which causes her to feel others' pain as her own--sets off on foot along the dangerous coastal highways, moving north into the unknown"--

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Hachette Book Group

2 editions of this book were published by Hachette Book Group.

Editions: 0446601977, 0446675504

 

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