Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler
Octavia Estelle Butlerwas an American science fiction writer. A multiple recipient of both the Hugo and Nebula awards, Butler was one of the best-known women in the field. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Fellowship, nicknamed the "Genius Grant."...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth22 June 1947
CityPasadena, CA
CountryUnited States of America
came discovered early fiction fine interest science
So fantasy was fine early on, and when I discovered science fiction, I was very happy with it, because my first interest in science fiction came with an interest in astronomy.
fiction noses sticks
Science fiction let me do both. It let me look into science and stick my nose in everywhere.
writing fiction natural
No one was going to stop me from writing and no one had to really guide me towards science fiction. It was natural, really, that I would take that interest.
reading writing fiction
I began reading science fiction before I was 12 and started writing science fiction around the same time.
fiction way fantasy
And by the way, I wanted to point out that Kindred is not science fiction. You'll note there's no science in it. It's a kind of grim fantasy.
way fiction conditional
The thing about science fiction is that it's totally wide open. But it's wide open in a conditional way.
wall fiction hem
I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.
books call cautionary clearly direction save series serve type wrote
While Fledging is a different type of book, The Parable series serve as cautionary tales. I wrote the Parable books because of the direction of the country. You can call it save the world fiction, but it clearly doesn't save anything.
black difficult experience feeling gave members personal research talked time
I talked to members of my family, and did some personal research that didn't really have anything to do with the time and place I was writing about, but that gave me a feeling of the experience of being black in a time and place where it was very difficult to be black.
definitely good noses people poke shot
Most of us don't have to worry about being shot if we poke our noses outside. So we are comfortable, but the people I'm writing about are definitely not comfortable, and being shot while they're still inside is a good possibility.
demands mind work
I have the kind of mind that demands that I work things out, to see how they would really work if they were real. I have to be able to do that.
dad vote politician
Dad decided not to vote for Donner after all. He didn't vote for anyone. He said politicians turned his stomach.
may planning victim
A victim of God may, Through learning adaption, Become a partner of God, A victim of God may, Through forethought and planning, Become a shaper of God. Or a victim of God may, Through shortsightedness and fear, Remain God's victim, God's plaything, God's prey.
home arms lasts
I lost an arm on my last trip home.