Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) was the first black woman to gain popularity and critical acclaim as a major science fiction writer.
Born in Pasadena, California, Butler was the only living child her mother, Octavia M. Butler, was able to carry to term out of five pregnancies. Her father, Laurice, a shoe shiner, died when she was just a baby and her mother and grandmother raised her in a racially mixed neighborhood where her mother worked to support the family as a maid.
Butler was very shy in school, a daydreamer, and that made school very difficult for her—as did her dyslexia, which she later overcame. Nicknamed Junie, Butler began writing at 10 to escape boredom and loneliness. A couple of years later, she had become interested in science fiction. She told the Black Scholar, “I was writing my own little stories and when I was 12, I was watching a bad science fiction movie called Devil Girl from Mars and decided that I could write a better story than that. And I turned off the TV and proceeded to try, and I’ve been writing science fiction ever since.”
In 1968, she received an associate degree from Pasadena City College and then enrolled at California State University, Los Angeles and UCLA. Much of her success came about because of the Open Door Program of the Screenwriters Guild of America and the Clarion Science Fiction Writers Workshop. Butler also spent time researching developments in biology, the physical sciences and genetics. While attending school, she held down a number of odd jobs, and her work experiences come through in the character of Dana in her novel Kindred.
Her first published story, “Crossover,” appeared in Clarion’s 1971 anthology. In her short fiction collection Bloodchild and Other Stories, Butler wrote “I thought I was on my way as a writer…In fact, I had five more years of rejections slips and horrible little jobs ahead of me before I sold another word.” In 1976, she published her first book, Patternmaster, though it became the fifth in the Patternist series. Most of the Patternmaster novels were written and published out of sequence.
Butler won her first award in 1980, a creative arts award from the Los Angeles YWCA. In 1984, she won a Hugo Award for her short story, “Speech Sounds”. The following year, she won another Hugo for her novella Bloodchild. It also won the 1984 Nebula Award. Other science fiction writers and fans decide on the Hugo and Nebula Awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation “Genius” Grant, which “is not a reward for past accomplishment, but rather an investment in a person’s originality, insight, and potential”.
Her novel, Parable of the Sower, was nominated for a Nebula in 1994 and five years later, she won the award for the sequel, Parable of the Talents. Butler had originally planned to write a third Parable novel, tentatively titled Parable of the Trickster, but encountered writer’s block and went seven years without publishing a new novel.
For her 2005 novel, Fledgling, she shifted her focus, and although Butler passed it off as a lark, the novel is connected to her other works through its exploration of race, sexuality and what it means to be a member of a community. Moreover, the novel continues the theme, raised explicitly in Parable of the Sower, that diversity is a biological imperative.
Butler has been quoted saying: “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…. Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.”
She died outside of her home in Lake Forest Park, Washington, on February 24, 2006, at the age of 58. Some have stated she died of head injuries after falling and hitting her head on her sidewalk, while others report she suffered a stroke as a result of those injuries.
The Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship was established in Butler’s memory in 2006 by the Carl Brandon Society. The scholarship enables writers of color to attend one of the Clarion writing workshops where Butler got her start.
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Concrete Loop features ‘Black History Spotlights’ each week honoring black people who have played pivotal roles in history. submissions are welcome.
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Wow! overcoming adversity. Writing one of the things that are difficult for a child with dyslexia. Thanks concreteloop these spotlights give inspiration.
Congrats to her. Her accomplishments are inspiring. Writing is my passion. I look forward to following a similar path.
There are a lot of prolific Black writers, but Octavia conjures up a kind of mania in readers that is uncommon and beholding to witness. If you’ve never read any of her books its like you missed a whole happening. She is bad-ass.
And the only way she will truly be remembered is if Black people take the effort to do so.
Read a book negro. Read a GD book.
Cl I always appreciate these spot lights!! just think in 20 years, somebody will be having a major spot light about Barack Obama!! OBAMA ’08
Sounds like a great life. Ashame how she died so young.
She is one of my all time favorites and the author that I credit with turning me on to “Afrofuturism”. Please don’t sleep on Ms. Butler. Expose yourself to something new.
I ALWAYS have respect for writers.
THAT’S POWERFUL TO OVERCOME A CHALLENGE AND BECOME A WRITER.
BACK IN THE DAY PEOPLE DIDN’T UNDERSTAND A PERSON WITH THAT TYPE OF CHALLENGE THEY WERE PUSH A SIDE AND TREATED LIKE A KID THERE WHOLE LIFE.
very interesting. i may have to pick up a book…
After reading this story, which was brilliant by the way, I cannot help but to think of how many brilliant African Americns minds went to waste because of segregation. Just on the simple fact that people were not given the opportunity to develop these minds. I beleive if given the opportunity black peope would be one of, if not, the top scholars in the world competing with the Asians.
I love this!! Shes from my city!!!!!
Her books are so amazing. When I read Parable of the Sower I had nightmares for a week. I don’t generally like science fiction but Ms. Butler was a true American genius. I wish I had gotten a chance to tell her what her books meant to me. I hope a new generation of young adults are exposed to true writing and her work.
I read her book Fledgeling… It was an amazing story.. It really pushed some uncomfortable buttons in regards to race, sexuality, and was so well written. She took the vampire story to a whole new level with that one.
I miss her writing soo very much.
My husband took me to her last signing in New York before her untimely death.
for the book Fledging.
A powerful woman to say the least.
Fledging was awesome writing
Power of the Sowers
Kindred (one of my favorites)
Parable of the Talents.
Earthseed
Pattermaster
Just an AWESOME WRITER.
I miss her…
IF you haven’t read Octavia, please do so. PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great Post! I LOVE Octavia E. Butler!!!…. Her books are really really good!!!… Read one… “The Parable of the Sower” is good. … and “Kindred” is as well…
Why didn’tyou mention she was a lesbian? This stigma that blacks have against gays has to stop and it needs to start some where and since you put up a prominent science fiction writer who is not only black, but gay you should acknowledge that.
#17: I didn’t know she was a lesbian.
Thanks Yachi for pointing out that this brilliant woman was indeed a lesbian. I figured J. Dakar didn’t know or didn’t want to invite the homophobic comments that are usually posted on this site when anyone gay or lesbian is mentioned. I do remember him including the sexual orientation in a past post on Ma Rainey. Thanks J. Dakar.
She was so extremely talented. Her books Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talent are 2 of my favorite books of all time. Definitely pick up some of her books if you haven’t already.
First time hearing about her. She was a very talented woman. Definitely going to check out her work,
I LOVE THIS FEATURE!
Thank you for featuring one of my fave authors. Her books are very left field but they’re oh so good. LOVE LOVE LOVE!
This is my favorite author of all time. Her talent is amazing.
I’m defo gonna check her out. I like how CL incorporates the educational and political features. Keep up the good work
She was a very talented writer. I loved her novel called Wild Seed.
If your not into Sci-Fi Octavia Butler will make you love it! Kindred was so engrossing. And I absolutely couldn’t put down Parable of the Sower. She is a great writer and will be absolutely missed!
If you want to read more Sci-Fi in the same vein as Ms. Butler pick up Tananarive Due, her books will have you up all night reading!
octavia butler is one of my favorite writers and my other favorite writers’ favorite writer. her patternist/patternmaster series is fantastic and definitely worth reading and re-reading. i never knew she was dyslexic though, thanks for sharing this post!
bless her spirit!
Wow… science fiction? Cool but to be honest, I don’t read science fiction. Haven’t found a SF book that I like after “The Day The Earth Stood Still” and that was in MS lol.
Kindred was RIDICULOUSLY AMAZING
I love the book “kindred” of hers. It was a gd read.
Once again, all I can say is THANK YOU.
I grew up reading sci-fi , and always wanted to have a novel that address the future or science from a African point of view , then after years of waiting I went to an African American book store ,browseing I discovered (KINDRED) and loved it !!! I didnt know of her death ,I am very sad to have learn that , but very happy to have read her greatness.
“Kindred” was indeed a great book and her patternist series was also very innovative and intriguing. If you don’t want to buy all separate books you can purchase “Seed to Harvest” which has the whole series.
CL, Thanks for postng on Butler. She is one of my favorite writers. I am currently re-reading her books! This is why I will continue to support this site everyday and spread the word.
I too wondered why her being a lesbian was not mentioned….it just adds to her complexity and provides us an awareness that it takes a village ……
You also forgot to mention that she is a member of my illustrious sorority Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated….
I love her! She is a big inspiration and KINDRED is my all time favorite book
Her life partner was a White woman to, which makes her even more “different”. Also, based on rumors, she had a love for blue eyes. All of her girlfriends she had had to have blue eyes – and one “black” girlfriend she had [who was actually mixed black/white] had blues aswell…odd woman but great writer.