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A review by 18ck
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
4.0
This book is way ahead of its time. It was written in the 90s and already she is anticipating the sort of grim, dystopian, world-falling-apart narrative that's become quite familiar in these panicky, pessimistic times. The narrator is a teenager living in July 2024, which, at the time, was the far-flung future but now is two months ago. Climate change is starting to cut into coastal areas of California and society has clearly been decaying for some time (for example, reading has already become quite a rare skill for young adults). The new president is a fascist, slavery is starting to reappear, police still exist but the rule of law has broken down to where they behave like any other armed group; money still works, but inflation is astronomical; there's some new tech like "compu-classes" and earring radios, but it's chaotic, and there are new drugs that make people want to burn everything. In general, there's a sense of an end of decline, chaos and lawlessness.
When Laureen's settlement is overrun she makes a journey through the wilderness accumulating a group around her. There's the familiar post-apocalyptic theme of trying to work out who you can trust and how to keep everyone else well away.
I read it as prep for a podcast recording of Backlisted, and I'm glad I did because it was great and I enjoyed what the participants said about it when Imit was still fresh in my mind.
I wish I was better at asking questions though. I really wanted to ask them whether they thought it would still work if they left out the book's Central conceit: Earthseed. Earthseed is a religion invented (sorry: "discovered") by Laureen, and it's a sort of pastiche of inspo poetry and spriritual bollocks that looks toward the idea of colonising other planets. Now most people, hearing a teenager tell them about a religion they've invented, will not tend to take it very seriously, but the adults around her tell her it's logical (is it? Er... OK) and although they are skeptical of how it will be interpreted, they basically become her disciples.
This seemed implausible on its face and even if it were true it wouldn't end well. The guests at the podcast compare her to Jesus or Mohammed, but I felt like I was witnessing the birth of a cult. Butler died after writing part 2 of what was meant to be a 6 part series, but I feel like if they'd got to the sixth it would have been like Heaven's Gate. "Cut Off Your Balls And Meet Me Behind the Comet".
And yet... I don't know, it would have been a much more pedestrian book without the hopeful message of the new religion and I think Butler intended it to lead them into a new, brighter future in the stars. And maybe that's a poor reflection on her, but also maybe that's realistic. Maybe we as creatures have to believe in something in order to have purpose, and if that thing is some total bullshit it doesn't really matter.
When Laureen's settlement is overrun she makes a journey through the wilderness accumulating a group around her. There's the familiar post-apocalyptic theme of trying to work out who you can trust and how to keep everyone else well away.
I read it as prep for a podcast recording of Backlisted, and I'm glad I did because it was great and I enjoyed what the participants said about it when Imit was still fresh in my mind.
I wish I was better at asking questions though. I really wanted to ask them whether they thought it would still work if they left out the book's Central conceit: Earthseed. Earthseed is a religion invented (sorry: "discovered") by Laureen, and it's a sort of pastiche of inspo poetry and spriritual bollocks that looks toward the idea of colonising other planets. Now most people, hearing a teenager tell them about a religion they've invented, will not tend to take it very seriously, but the adults around her tell her it's logical (is it? Er... OK) and although they are skeptical of how it will be interpreted, they basically become her disciples.
This seemed implausible on its face and even if it were true it wouldn't end well. The guests at the podcast compare her to Jesus or Mohammed, but I felt like I was witnessing the birth of a cult. Butler died after writing part 2 of what was meant to be a 6 part series, but I feel like if they'd got to the sixth it would have been like Heaven's Gate. "Cut Off Your Balls And Meet Me Behind the Comet".
And yet... I don't know, it would have been a much more pedestrian book without the hopeful message of the new religion and I think Butler intended it to lead them into a new, brighter future in the stars. And maybe that's a poor reflection on her, but also maybe that's realistic. Maybe we as creatures have to believe in something in order to have purpose, and if that thing is some total bullshit it doesn't really matter.