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Examining Octavia Butler's unpublished Parable of the Sower sequels (lareviewofbooks.org)

submitted 1 month ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

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I gotta say that I feel weird reading this examination of Octavia Butler's notes.

I'm reading Parable of the Talents right now, and I had to stop. It's gotten too fucking dark. It's about the fascist takeover of America by Christian Nationalists, and a major character just died, and there is sexual exploitation of children... I really like Butler and Parable of the Sower, but this just got so dark I decided to read the summary and find out if I wanted to read more, and I don't think I can read this, at least not right now.

Reading about the unpublished sequels feels even worse. It seems like Butler had a head full of so much darkness and cynicism, and her published works were just the processed output after she managed to find the least brutal version of her thoughts. These books were her at her most hopeful! YIKES.

I like her and these books, but I just had to vent about some of this.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

Wow, this is super interesting. I don't know if these sequels would have been successful (premise seems removed from the realism that made the published books so great), but if anyone could pull it off, it's Butler.

It'd have been a sad but potentially interesting critique of power to show Olamina become a darker character, as was suggested. Idk how I feel about the next book jumping to Earthseed having fulfilled its mission (in part) - seems like there'd need to be a transitional book with them making all the preparations under potentially new leadership first.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Yeah. I think there's a lot she could do with the stories, but I really need more hope right now. I think Parable of the Sower managed to provide just enough of that.

I don't fault her for being so brutal. It's honest. Reading both this and Parable of the Sower, I couldn't help thinking that there are people in Haiti and Palestine for whom these books are just their present reality. I even feel bad that I'm so demoralized, because I know that I need to toughen up. This is what the real world looks like. But I need to have enough composure to be an effective dad and activist, and it takes a balance for me to do that. Too much truth can leave me too drained and despondent to be the force in the world I want to be.