Parable of the Sower

Octavia E. Butler

Jun 2009 · Recorded Books · Narrated by Lynne Thigpen

About this audiobook

Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author Octavia E. Butler paints a stunning portrait of an all-too-believable near future. As with Kindred and her other critically-acclaimed novels, Parable of the Sower skillfully combines startling visionary and socially realistic concepts. God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs-and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars. For her elegant, literate works of science fiction, Octavia E. Butler has been compared to Toni Morrison and Ursula K. LeGuin. Narrator Lynne Thigpen's melodious voice will hold you spellbound throughout this compelling parable of modern society.

Ratings and reviews

I loved the idea of this story. Of people overcoming staggering adversity and pain and loss to find peace onceagain. As a Christian, the Earth seed removing was so interesting once I moved past the (blasphemy?)...or just awkwardness of it all. Of course I still believe in God and the wordof God but I can see the truths the main character was reaching for. Definitely worthy of contemplation. Can't wait for the next book!

I couldn't get into this book. It had too much internal dialog for my liking and seemed to have a lot of self-insertion by the author. I prefer to read political, cultural, racial, gender, relegious, and economic dialog directly instead of being masked in sci-fi dystopia. I could see this book being used in high school for coming of age dialog, but for me, it was hard to finish. I don't get the hype.

I dont normally write reviews, but if you're considering reading/listening to this book, do it. This is a great one.

About the author

Science-fiction writer and novelist Octavia Estelle Butler was born in Pasadena, California, on June 22, 1947. She earned as Associate of Arts degree from Pasadena City College in 1968 and later attended California State University and the University of California. Her first novel, Patternmaster, was the first in a series about a society run by a group of telepaths who are mentally linked to one another. She explored the topics of race, poverty, politics, religion, and human nature in her works. She won a Hugo Award in 1984 for her short story Speech Sounds and a Hugo Award and Nebula Award in 1985 for her novella Bloodchild. She received a MacArthur Grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The award pays $295,000 over a five-year period to creative people who push the boundaries of their fields. She died in Lake Forest Park, Washington on February 24, 2006 at the age of 58.