Science Fiction Annotation

Amazon.com: Parable of the Sower (Parable, 1) (9781538732182): Butler, Octavia E.: Books 

 Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler   

Genre: Science Fiction; Dystopian  


Publication Date: 1993


Number of Pages: 299


Geographical Setting: California


Time Period: Dystopian future (years 2024-2027)


Plot Summary: This novel tells the story of Lauren Olamina, a young girl who is determined to survive. Lauren's world is beginning to crumble around her as she prepares for the day she must leave home. The walls of her neighborhood were once all that kept her and her family safe, until they came crumbling down. The police are no help, the cost of water is now more than food, and there is a new drug out there creating even more destruction. Forced to leave behind the life she once knew, she must rely upon what she read about in books and remind herself of her ultimate purpose. She calls it Earthseed and lives by it while gathering followers on the way to fight to survive against all odds. Lauren feels it all, the pain her friends and enemies feel, but must do what she can to protect herself and others. 


Subject Headings: African American Fiction; Twenty-First Century Fiction; California; Southern Fiction


Appeal: The storyline is certainly one of the largest draw of the book. It is neither fast-paced nor a slow read, but is the continuous drive for finding out what will happen next. The setting of this journey takes places in a world in which civilization is crumbling and only the wealthy can survive. Poverty is overwhelming and people are succumbing to a drug that makes lighting things on fire pleasurable. The "othering" of those who deserve to die and those who are fighting to survive creates a paradox within humanity. Lauren feels the pain of others yet is willing to feel that pain to survive, a fantastic element of the work that creates such a thought-provoking narrative about social, ethical, and philosophical questions. 


3 terms that best describe this book: suspenseful, gripping, thought-provoking


Similar Authors and Works:

    3 Relevant Fiction Works and Authors
        1) The Book of the Unnamed Midwife by Meg Elison
        2) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 
        3) The Harrows of Spring by James Howard Kunstler

Comments

  1. Erin CataldiMarch 10, 2021 at 7:47 AM

    Fantastic annotation! This has been on my to read list for a while now. Full points!

    ReplyDelete

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