A review by elly29
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler

challenging dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I'm glad I read this, but it was a stressful read that didn't have the payout I was looking for (ie, space colonization). Written in the 1990s and set in the 2020s (eep, the novel starts in 2024), it was a look at a potential and dire future of massive distrust, climate change, poverty, comapny-endorsed slavery, violence, and just short of societal collapse.

There were a few gems: the Earthseed religion and how God is Change. The slow growth into a spirit of community, and how the way to succeed is by working together.

But, at times a hard, hard read. Mostly about survival among the dregs of a dead civilization. And it was hard because this could be a potential future for us.

Lots of content warnings: rape, murder, pyromania, cannibalism, dismemberment, starvation, child death...
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