Originally published in 1998, this shockingly prescient novel's timely message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is more relevant than ever.
In 2032, Lauren Olamina has survived the destruction of her home and family, and realized her vision of a peaceful community in northern California based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. The fledgling community provides refuge for outcasts facing persecution after the election of an ultra-conservative president who vows to "make America great again." In an increasingly divided and dangerous nation, Lauren's subversive colony—a minority religious faction led by a young black woman—becomes a target for President Jarret's reign of terror and oppression.
Years later, Asha Vere reads the journals of a mother she never knew, Lauren Olamina. As she searches for answers about her own past, she also struggles to reconcile with the legacy of a mother caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future.
What People Are Saying
"In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler's 'Parable' books may be unmatched." New Yorker
"One of the finest voices in fiction-period . . . A master storyteller, Butler casts an unflinching eye on racism, sexism, poverty, and ignorance and lets the reader see the terror and beauty of human nature." Washington Post Book World
"If we're talking must-read authors like Maya Angelou, James Baldwin, and Toni Morrison, the one-and-only Octavia Butler needs be a part of the conversation. The groundbreaking sci-fi and speculative fiction author was a master of spinning imaginative tales that introduced you to both the possibilities—and dangers—of the human race, all while offering lessons on tribalism, race, gender, and sexuality." O, The Oprah Magazine
"The story of three generations of Olamina women . . . Most touching in the novel are the friction between generations, the kinds of faith each generation indulges in, and the new families that form when traditional ones are splintered." Los Angeles Times
"Continues and deepens the story [Butler] began five years ago in Parable of the Sower. . . Butler's narrative skills are impressive." New York Times Book Review
"Enthralling...compelling and truly original." Denver Post
"Impassioned . . . stands out as a testament to the author's enormous talent." Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Brilliant . . . powerful, moving, and beautifully written." Library Journal (starred review)
"Splendid . . . provocative . . . a parable that deserves to be pondered." The Plain Dealer
"[Butler] wrote powerfully, imaginatively, and creatively. The worlds she built were beautiful, harsh, and grim. Her protagonists were stoic and inspiring. Despite tackling multiple issues-politics, environment, segregation, religion, social injustices-her prose was concise. Her stories were powerful and believable." SFF World
"The Earthseed books are instructional in a way that other apocalypse fictions are not . . . they offer something beyond practical preparations: a blueprint for adjusting to uncertainty." Slate