OctaviaButler.net A fan blog for Octavia E. Butler, writer.

by Joe D., Shanghai, China and Seattle, Washington

1) I stumbled upon Octavia Butler years ago because I read a book by Orson Scott Card titled How to Write Science Fiction and Fantasy.  In this book, Mr. Card uses Ms. Butler's work quite often as a great example of certain writing techniques.  It is quite obvious that he is a huge fan.  If you haven't already, check out this 2001 interview with Mr. Card (http://www.sffworld.com/interview/18p0.html) where in the last question he states, "I would require people who think they hate science fiction to read Octavia Butler's Xenogenesis trilogy."

2) I have a a newborn son, and lately I've been contemplating the path he will take as he begins to read.  Of course, he will be free to choose his own path, but I'm sure I will have the opportunity to influence (directly or indirectly) his choices along the way.  As part of my contemplation I have done a bit of a self-assessing of my own personal library (which is sizable, but not huge).  Every book I've kept, I remember fondly (i.e., I didn't tend to keep things I didn't like, why should I have?).  Thus, when I go through my books I either remember things fondly (and consider rereading), remembering things fondly (but sort of dislike them today), or remember things fondly (but realize they are better read when younger...e.g., Narnia).  Long story short, Octavia Butler I remember very fondly and it stands the test of time (i.e., it is very rereadable).  In addition, I believe it is perhaps the best set of material I could give to my son to assess (and even to influence) his Emotional Intelligence.  EQ is very important to me and I also believe, based on her novels, Ms. Butler must have had exceptional EQ.  I also tend to believe (although I've never thought much about this before) that folks drawn to Ms. Butler's type of fiction as a rule, probably have strong EQ.  If you are a study of Meyer's Briggs personality types, you might conclude (as I have) that most of her more passionate fans probably tend to be "INF_'s". 

3) I don't want to get political (okay, maybe I do), but have you reread the first few pages of "Parable of the Talents" lately?  To quote a bit:
    " I have also read that the Pox was caused by accidentally coinciding climatic, economic, and sociological crises.  It would be more honest to say that the Pox was caused by our own refusal to deal with obvious problems in those areas.  We caused the problems: then we sat and watched as they grew into crises.....I have watched education become more a privilege of th rich than the basic necessity that it must be if civilized society is to survive.  I have watched as convenience, profit, and inertia excused greater and more dangerous environmental degradation.  I have watched poverty, hunger, and disease become inevitable for more and more people.".....
    "Amid all this, somehow, the United States of America suffered a major nonmilitary defeat.  It lost no important war, yet it did not survive the Pox.  Perhaps it simply lost sight of what it once intended to be, then blundered aimlessly until it exhausted itself.  What is left of it now, what it has become, I do not know."

Written in 1998, 3 years before 9/11 and before the current administration which seems to be fulfilling her vision by floundering its way to nowhere.  Very eery.  It's time for a big change to someone who has the ability to THINK.  One guess who I'm voting for in November.