Day 78. Still have no computer. Am beginning to despair. Have yet to master paper crane. Giving in to a sense of hopelessness. Also, am entirely out of socks
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I've read one Octavia book, Fledging(Her only vampire novel she passed off as a 'lark' lol), and I found it really well done. But I admit that I was..odded out at the young-ness of the main character (A female poc). But I really still enjoyed the book (and the way the main character managed to manipulate the guy in her life. Not that she did, just how she did it.)
But, either way that's the only book by her that I've read, and I've heard many, many good things about her. I admit that someone once told me where best to start reading her but I've completely forgotten it. Though I do want to read more of her works.
Excellent. I admit to being somewhat prejudiced against older books, since they occasionally break my brain, but having read about Octavia Butler's works in the grand ol' Wiki, they seem pretty awesome. And a good vampire book! That's a rare find nowadays.
Oh god oh god I need to get out and buy this book RIGHT NOW. I've been dying for some kickass female fantasy literature lately and this is just what I need *squees and re-reads description just to live vicariously through your reading*
I'm so glad you posted about this. I had started to give up on finding badass female fantasy characters.
I liked The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, but Nahadoth just does not hit any of my buttons at all either, so I didn't like it as well as I might have. I'm really looking forward to The Broken Kingdoms, though.
I also read Octavia Butler! As for wear to start - haha, okay, it sort of depends how high your tolerance for DEPRESSING is. She is a really fantastic and thought-provoking author, it's just that occasionally you read one of her books and wake up the next day and go "gosh, I feel like getting out of bed and interacting with humanity is really a losing proposition, I wonder why that is? OH YEAH. THANKS, OCTAVIA."
. . . that being said, I would recommend starting where I started, with Dawn, the first book in her Xenogenesis series. It takes the abducted-by-aliens-after-the-apocalypse trope and goes really fascinating places with it, and Lilith, the protagonist, is an incredibly strong woman who essentially makes the decisions that shape the future of humanity. Which is pretty cool!
Hmm. I do like depressing reads, as long as I space them out, and thought-provoking is definitely good. Lilith sounds like my cup of tea! Is she ironically or coincidentally named?
All I will say is that her name was most definitely a deliberate choice on Butler's part!
Kindred is also really amazing, and, unlike Dawn (which begins a series) is a standalone; it's probably her most famous book, about a woman from contemporary times who finds herself sliding through time to the 1800s plantation where her ancestors were slaves, without control or apparent cause.
(Lilith is one of my favorite primordial feminist myths, whee!)
I'll probably read Kindred first, then, since I prefer reading standalones to series as far as testing a new author goes. It sounds good, though- good as in painful and full of social and historical commentary.
Well, it appears I have books I need to go read now. Those protagonists sound very cool; I like strong female characters, but it seems like they're of the I AM A STRONG FEMALE WARRIOR BADASS WHO EATS ARMIES FOR BREAKFAST HAVE I MENTIONED THAT TODAY mold at least as often as they are the balanced, skilled but still flawed and able to learn things mold. Also, fictional pantheons are pretty cool.
Right, and I love me some STRONG FEMALE WARRIOR, but I also need some thoughtful sensitive artist types and rogues and conwomen and struggling actresses and awesome housewives to add variety to my female character diet. As it were.
I know, right? I want to pass out every time I see multiple female characters. Not gonna lie, the books still have more dudes than ladies, but the narrative focus is female and the story is female-driven.
Well, sounds like Octavia Butler is on my to read list.
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But, either way that's the only book by her that I've read, and I've heard many, many good things about her. I admit that someone once told me where best to start reading her but I've completely forgotten it. Though I do want to read more of her works.
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I'm so glad you posted about this. I had started to give up on finding badass female fantasy characters.
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I, too, had begun to give up. I was subsisting on the urban fantasy female punk in leather with attitude until this book came along. <3
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I also read Octavia Butler! As for wear to start - haha, okay, it sort of depends how high your tolerance for DEPRESSING is. She is a really fantastic and thought-provoking author, it's just that occasionally you read one of her books and wake up the next day and go "gosh, I feel like getting out of bed and interacting with humanity is really a losing proposition, I wonder why that is? OH YEAH. THANKS, OCTAVIA."
. . . that being said, I would recommend starting where I started, with Dawn, the first book in her Xenogenesis series. It takes the abducted-by-aliens-after-the-apocalypse trope and goes really fascinating places with it, and Lilith, the protagonist, is an incredibly strong woman who essentially makes the decisions that shape the future of humanity. Which is pretty cool!
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Kindred is also really amazing, and, unlike Dawn (which begins a series) is a standalone; it's probably her most famous book, about a woman from contemporary times who finds herself sliding through time to the 1800s plantation where her ancestors were slaves, without control or apparent cause.
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I'll probably read Kindred first, then, since I prefer reading standalones to series as far as testing a new author goes. It sounds good, though- good as in painful and full of social and historical commentary.
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Well, sounds like Octavia Butler is on my to read list.
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