Scan barcode
A review by jenyakohnson
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
i read “parable of the sower” by octavia e. butler for the first time this month. it was immediately clear why this story is considered a classic and a pioneer in scifi.
written in 1993, the story begins in, what was then considered, the faraway dystopian future of 2024. climate change caused intense natural disasters, extreme heat + UV rays, lack of precipitation and clean drinking water, and coastal cities are underwater. capitalistic greed brought back company towns and indentured servitude. those who are not the 1% live in poverty resorting to violence and theft to survive. the world is changing and lauren, from a gated community in robledo, california, is observing it very closely. she believes that her neighborhood wall won’t keep them safe from the chaos on the other side, and she desperately wants to be prepared. so lauren starts packing a to-go bag, encouraging people to do the same, and discovers the foundation of her religion earthseed: god is change. when, not if, the time comes, lauren will head north, establish earthseed, and survive.
good dystopians examine our past to create a world that eerily mirrors our own. that’s exactly what “parable of the sower” did. it is both a brilliant and hard read. when butler began to describe the america in the book, i thought about the new diseases that are popping up (bird flu + long covid), the undrinkable water on reservations and in flint, michigan, and the increasingly severe hurricanes that are hitting the gulf of mexico. when lauren started to express her frustration with the previous generation’s denial and inability to adapt to the changing world, i thought about the world’s initial reaction to covid and climate change denial. the capitalistic greed is very apparent when i think about prison workers and unlivable wages. when i read about the cops in the book, i immediately thought about all the lives taken at the hands of our police and how time and time again they do nothing to protect communities and prevent crime. as an american, i dont even want to talk about the parallels between the politicians in the books and ours (i know one says “make america great again” in book 2). butler’s (very educated + researched) predictions about the future are not far off from our reality.
despite all of this, i did not come away from the book feeling discouraged. lauren was not a doom and gloom character. she makes it clear that survival requires adaptation and community. although lauren’s neighborhood’s didn’t last, they were a tight knit community, which for the most part, tried to take care of each other. they held schools, neighborhood watches, and shared food / resources when a neighbor was in need. when lauren left, she formed her own community with other travelers bc moving up north alone makes you a vulnerable target. a group of 3, 6, or 10, however, is not only intimidating, but allows everyone to benefit from different skills.
the story was a wake up call for me and it made me want to evaluate what i’m doing to adapt to the ever changing world around me and how i’m giving back to my community. at the end of the day, the government, politicians, and police won’t protect us, we keep us safe. an amazing read, excited to read book 2, parable of the talents.
written in 1993, the story begins in, what was then considered, the faraway dystopian future of 2024. climate change caused intense natural disasters, extreme heat + UV rays, lack of precipitation and clean drinking water, and coastal cities are underwater. capitalistic greed brought back company towns and indentured servitude. those who are not the 1% live in poverty resorting to violence and theft to survive. the world is changing and lauren, from a gated community in robledo, california, is observing it very closely. she believes that her neighborhood wall won’t keep them safe from the chaos on the other side, and she desperately wants to be prepared. so lauren starts packing a to-go bag, encouraging people to do the same, and discovers the foundation of her religion earthseed: god is change. when, not if, the time comes, lauren will head north, establish earthseed, and survive.
good dystopians examine our past to create a world that eerily mirrors our own. that’s exactly what “parable of the sower” did. it is both a brilliant and hard read. when butler began to describe the america in the book, i thought about the new diseases that are popping up (bird flu + long covid), the undrinkable water on reservations and in flint, michigan, and the increasingly severe hurricanes that are hitting the gulf of mexico. when lauren started to express her frustration with the previous generation’s denial and inability to adapt to the changing world, i thought about the world’s initial reaction to covid and climate change denial. the capitalistic greed is very apparent when i think about prison workers and unlivable wages. when i read about the cops in the book, i immediately thought about all the lives taken at the hands of our police and how time and time again they do nothing to protect communities and prevent crime. as an american, i dont even want to talk about the parallels between the politicians in the books and ours (i know one says “make america great again” in book 2). butler’s (very educated + researched) predictions about the future are not far off from our reality.
despite all of this, i did not come away from the book feeling discouraged. lauren was not a doom and gloom character. she makes it clear that survival requires adaptation and community. although lauren’s neighborhood’s didn’t last, they were a tight knit community, which for the most part, tried to take care of each other. they held schools, neighborhood watches, and shared food / resources when a neighbor was in need. when lauren left, she formed her own community with other travelers bc moving up north alone makes you a vulnerable target. a group of 3, 6, or 10, however, is not only intimidating, but allows everyone to benefit from different skills.
the story was a wake up call for me and it made me want to evaluate what i’m doing to adapt to the ever changing world around me and how i’m giving back to my community. at the end of the day, the government, politicians, and police won’t protect us, we keep us safe. an amazing read, excited to read book 2, parable of the talents.