Octavia E. Butler
Octavia E. 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
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth22 June 1947
CountryUnited States of America
introduce norm people reason telling view
The norm is white, apparently, in the view of people who see things in that way. For them, the only reason you would introduce a black character is to introduce this kind of abnormality. Usually, it's because you're telling a story about racism or at least about race.
caused civilization felt might mileage people several shared somehow
Several years ago, when I was about to start a novel, I thought I might get some mileage out of the idea of a civilization in which people somehow felt - that is, they shared - all the pain and all the pleasure they caused one another.
aside certain countries generally people reasons religious spit
In countries where there are no racial differences or no religious differences, people find other reasons to set aside one certain group of people and generally spit in their direction.
asked classes elderly fiction finally handing kept polite science taught took wrote
I took classes taught by an elderly woman who wrote children's stories. She was polite about the science fiction and fantasy that I kept handing in, but she finally asked in exasperation, 'Can't you write anything normal?'
astute course fun information needed people stories time travel truth
People who think about time travel stories sometimes think that going back in time would be fun because you would have all the information you needed to be much more astute than the people there, when the truth is of course you wouldn't.
hear others permitted
Beware, all too often we say what we hear others say. We think what we are told that we think. We see what we are permitted to see. Worse, we see what we are told that we see.
science
Science fiction frees you to go anyplace and examine anything.
discovered guess men people vampires
Most vampires I have discovered are men for some reason. I guess it's because of Dracula; people are kind of feeding off that.
Most of us, if we're not careful, tend to dehumanize the enemy.
bought mother portable stories typewriter
I pecked my stories out two-fingered on the Remington portable typewriter my mother had bought me. I had begged for it when I was ten.
science wants
Hollywood wants to go for the flash, because that's what a lot of them think science fiction is.
people
I used to give up writing like some people would give up smoking.
Getting your writing criticized can be a lot like getting skinned, and you respond to it just as enthusiastically.
adds attitude causes changes forces helps people understand
Every story I write adds to me a little, changes me a little, forces me to reexamine an attitude or belief, causes me to research and learn, helps me to understand people and grow.