The first Butler book I ever read was Kindred and we read it for school in 8th grade. Because my English teacher was AWESOME. (Kindred was...um, intense for a 13-year-old: time travel, antebellum South, slavery, rape, horrific abuse/violence, etc.--and yet my parents were fine with me reading this and STILL THEY WOULDN'T LET ME SEE TITANIC IN THE THEATRES WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY--yeah STILL BITTER ABOUT THAT.) She handpicked a few of us who, based on our reading comprehension scores, she thought might be able to handle the book. (Private school, class of 36, English teacher had us for two years--she knew us well enough to be able to gauge that, I think, but also: private school, can get away with shit like this.)
ANYWAY, long story short, Kindred stayed with me in such a powerful way that when I saw Butler's name on the science fiction shelf at Vroman's a few years later, I bought it. That book happened to be the Parable of the Sower, which takes place in a future where the social order has broken down, resulting in a dystopic society. (I thought it was the Earthseed books because that's the religion that develops in it, but no, they're just called the Parable books.) I totally recommend the Parable books--they're my favourites of hers.
Also, she lived a few blocks from me. So local author!
Yeah; I'm going to return to the Lilith's Brood slash Xenogenesis saga as the year continues. I liked it. Oh, that means you should read Brother Termite; it is a book about FEEEELINGS in a way I think you'd appreciate.
ANYWAY, long story short, Kindred stayed with me in such a powerful way that when I saw Butler's name on the science fiction shelf at Vroman's a few years later, I bought it. That book happened to be the Parable of the Sower, which takes place in a future where the social order has broken down, resulting in a dystopic society. (I thought it was the Earthseed books because that's the religion that develops in it, but no, they're just called the Parable books.) I totally recommend the Parable books--they're my favourites of hers.
Also, she lived a few blocks from me. So local author!
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