Reviews with content warning for Racism - Parable of the Sower

The good:
I went into this book knowing nothing about the plot, so was excited to realize it takes place in a dystopian, near-future setting — one of my favorite sub genres. Butler’s imagining of the 2020’s feels unsettling in the same way that Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale does. Both worlds feel extreme and hyperbolic while also giving you that nagging feeling of being scarily possible. This novel explores a version of California ravaged by climate change and late stage capitalism, where modern progress and technology has effectively collapsed and the economy has crumbled.

Throughout the novel I found myself wondering how I might fare in this version of America — where would I feel safe? Would I know how to effectively grow my own food? Learn how to mend, how to maintain and fortify my own home base? Would I be a useful asset in my community like Lauren, or cling to the old and dead ways of life?

I became totally immersed and engaged in Lauren’s journey and also appreciated Butler’s commentaries on American culture, race, status, and the pitfalls of capitalism.

The not so good:

I really didn’t connect with Earthseed, though it’s clearly a major plot element throughout. I suppose it serves as a vehicle to push Lauren— and by way of her leadership, the rest of her ragtag crew—towards a different way of living. A rejection of the imploding system that they’ve all been bound to. I just found it hard to believe that she was seemingly so alone in this endeavor. With all the chaos, violence, and dire lack of resources, were there no other people seeking out some kind of communal/alternative lifestyle?

This leads me to my next issue. Where the hell are all the bicycles, wagons, carts, trailers…any kind of low tech wheeled vehicle?! In a world where no one can afford to drive gas powered vehicles surely this would have become a major form of transportation and something that many people would learn to improvise. Characters ride bikes early on, in and around the immediate neighborhood but they’re never mentioned again once Lauren hits the road. Have all the horses and cows and donkeys been eaten? All forms of animal husbandry have been completely abandoned? Seems lazy!

Last and most importantly….the significant age gap romance gave me major ick. I’m really not seeing the greater purpose for our girl Lauren to fall for a man who is not only nearly the same exact age as her presumably dead father, but actively reminds her of her father. Like…I get it, Lauren has suffered significant trauma and latches onto a man that can take the place of her missing dad but ugggghhh, did it have to be a sexual relationship? A barely 18 year old girl and a 55 year old man??? I guess she’s just “an old soul”…. “mature for her age”…..etc. Sigh.

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meghancolbert's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

This book is so heavy and so dark. It’s chilling to see how accurately Butler predicted the 2020s in 1993. It’s a difficult but necessary read.

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chadconnecticut's review against another edition

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challenging dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

My first Butler novel, after being introduced to her work last year via BLOODCHILD. There really is no one out there doing it like she did, and this novel’s spirit, soul, and prescience are wound through every page. The current discourse surrounding science fiction, climate fiction, and dystopian genre fiction seems to hinge on the way the subject material treats its readers, with so many people grasping for work that tackles the intersections of political and climate breakdown with thought and maturity.

And while there’s much handwringing over this, it seems anything current readers are grasping for is simply reinventing the wheel that Butler shaped nearly 30 years ago. This book is sobering and pulls no punches, but it also grounds itself firmly in the hope and possibility of community.

Butler is one of the greatest to ever do it.

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gustgustgust's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book shocked me. It was written in the '90s and yet it felt prophetic. If it was written in this year, people would say it was too on-the-nose.

The story is beautiful. the main character, Lauren Olamina, is such a beautiful, complicated character. The relationships are complicated and dense and tentative. The real shining moment is just the world Bulter weaved. It felt not only like it happened, but that I was watching it happen in front of me. It's not for me to adapt, but it is definitely something that would make an incredible series if given full opportunity to be as dark, grim, and haunting as it needs to be.

The only thing that knocked it down for me was there was a lot of violence, and I understand that the world needed it so it's just a personal taste thing. I don't think anything was don't to scandalize or be outrageous, it was true to the world, I just got pulled out going "oh no, this is too much, too real"

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bexrecca's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

My first Octavia Butler and now I'm wondering what took me so long. While it was a little strange having a much older woman narrating for a teenager, Lynne Thigpen's voice was so soothing and wonderful for this.

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