Saturday, August 8, 2020

Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler

genre: science fictions

Lauren Olamina's dream of Earthseed seems to be coming true.  She and her small band of believers have created a safe haven where they can learn and work the land, where they are safe from the angry forces at work among people that are bent on "making America great again." (I am not making this up and this book was first published in 2000).  Safety in such a world cannot last, though, and Earthseed and its destiny will be at the mercy of what Lauren Olamina is prepared to suffer - and what she is willing to sacrifice - to make it happen.

Told from multiple points of view at different points in time, Parable of the Talents is a look at what we as human beings have the potential to become - both good AND bad - and so much of it depends on where we allow our focus to settle and the choices we are willing to make for a greater good.  It's a story that moves along at just the right pace, upsetting at times when the filth and degradation of so-called Christians results in horrible trauma all in the name of "saving the heathen."

Octavia Butler is an incredible writer.  The structure of this book intrigued me, the plot is nuanced and didn't go where I expected.  Lauren Olamina is a complex character and I love her arc throughout the two books.  Her dreams, her expectations for herself, the way she reacts to the really ugly world around her, I just found this a really interesting read.  A little slow, but in a deliberate and thoughtful way.  Good stuff.

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