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A review by phidgt
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
4.0
After the results of the 2024 election I was in the mood for a good dystopian read. I wasn't in the mood for anything with too much science fiction or set way into the future. Therefor, I found it quite interesting (and eery) that the book starts off on Sunday July 21, 2024. The book was originally published in 1993 and I am genuinely considering the idea that Octavia Butler could see into the future.
Basically, the planet has been ravaged by climate change, the United States is no longer a superpower (more like a third world country), Alaska has seceded and drugs, crime and chaos run rampant to the point of anarchy. It's an election year and the popular candidate believes he can fix all of America's problems with more religion and less regulation. Sound familiar? Well, there are many points throughout the book that either mimic our actual present day events or are so probable seeming that it wouldn't be too far of a leap for them to become reality.
The story starts off in Los Angeles where Lauren Olamina lives with her family and a few other families in a gated community. They are the lucky ones since they have money paying jobs and can still obtain food, water and other necessities. However, due to shortages of everything, vast quantities of the population are constantly on the move, migrating north to find better opportunities. Among the bands of people relocating there are also those who are hell bent on reaping destruction and death along the way.
There is a religious theme throughout the story. Lauren is somewhat of a prophet for this new religion/cult where she believes that everything we do changes us and everything around us and while we can influence change, we cannot stop it. It is this religion, Earthseed, that Lauren believes is her mission to spread - God is change.
During a conversation in 1999 with Octavia Butler the interviewer asked her, "What would you like readers to get from this novel? What would you like them to think about?" Her response, "I hope people who read "Parable of the Sower" will think about where we seem to be heading - we the United States, even we the human species. Where are we going? What sort of future our we creating? Is is the kind of future you want to live in? If it isn't, what can wed o to create a better future? Individually and in groups, what can we do?"
The writing is great, characters well developed and, even though the book is 34 years old, it definitely stands the test of time. "Parables of the Sower" is the first book in the Earthseed series.
Basically, the planet has been ravaged by climate change, the United States is no longer a superpower (more like a third world country), Alaska has seceded and drugs, crime and chaos run rampant to the point of anarchy. It's an election year and the popular candidate believes he can fix all of America's problems with more religion and less regulation. Sound familiar? Well, there are many points throughout the book that either mimic our actual present day events or are so probable seeming that it wouldn't be too far of a leap for them to become reality.
The story starts off in Los Angeles where Lauren Olamina lives with her family and a few other families in a gated community. They are the lucky ones since they have money paying jobs and can still obtain food, water and other necessities. However, due to shortages of everything, vast quantities of the population are constantly on the move, migrating north to find better opportunities. Among the bands of people relocating there are also those who are hell bent on reaping destruction and death along the way.
There is a religious theme throughout the story. Lauren is somewhat of a prophet for this new religion/cult where she believes that everything we do changes us and everything around us and while we can influence change, we cannot stop it. It is this religion, Earthseed, that Lauren believes is her mission to spread - God is change.
During a conversation in 1999 with Octavia Butler the interviewer asked her, "What would you like readers to get from this novel? What would you like them to think about?" Her response, "I hope people who read "Parable of the Sower" will think about where we seem to be heading - we the United States, even we the human species. Where are we going? What sort of future our we creating? Is is the kind of future you want to live in? If it isn't, what can wed o to create a better future? Individually and in groups, what can we do?"
The writing is great, characters well developed and, even though the book is 34 years old, it definitely stands the test of time. "Parables of the Sower" is the first book in the Earthseed series.