New Releases by Octavia E. Butler

Der Klassiker der Schwarzen Amerikanischen Literatur USA, 1976. Die junge Schwarze Schriftstellerin Dana zieht mit ihrem weißen Ehemann Kevin in eine neue Wohnung. Doch schon beim Einzug wird sie urplötzlich und gegen ihren Willen ins Jahr 1815 versetzt – auf eine Plantage in den US-amerikanischen Südstaaten. Dort rettet sie Rufus, dem Sohn des Sklavenhalters, das Leben. Rufus hat die Fähigkeit, sie durch Raum und Zeit herbeizurufen, wenn er in Gefahr ist. Dana muss das Trauma ihrer Vorfahren durchleben – und um ihre Freiheit in Vergangenheit und Gegenwart kämpfen. »Verbunden« ist Octavia E. Butlers bekanntester Roman und inspirierte Schriftsteller*innen wie Ta-Nehisi Coates (»Der Wassertänzer«), Nnedi Okorafor (»Binti«) und Colson Whitehead (»Underground Railroad«). Er wurde als TV-Serie für Disney+ adaptiert.

Seul rescapé d’une mission intergalactique dont les membres ont été contaminés par un micro-organisme mortel, Eli se terre dans le désert californien. L’étrange mal qui l’affecte l’a doté d’une force extraordinaire et d’une quasi-immortalité, mais l’exhorte aussi à se reproduire pour répandre la contagion... Comment contrôler ou échapper au virus dont on est le porteur ? Troisième volume de la saga Patternist, Humains, plus qu’humains révèle une magnifique métaphore de la dualité humaine. Romancière et nouvelliste américaine visionnaire née à Pasadena, Octavia E. Butler (1947-2006) fut lauréate des prix Hugo et Nebula pour ses fictions, du prix Genius de la Fondation MacArthur et du GPI Prix Spécial pour la trilogie Xenogenesis.

把人性整個敲碎，再一塊一塊拼起來 美國首位非裔女性科幻大師 預言狂人統治的驚世奇書 凡你觸碰過的， 皆因你而改變。 凡你改變的， 也將改變你。 唯一不變的真理 即萬物變動不息。 上帝 就是改變。 《播種者寓言》簡介 ☉ 星雲獎提名 ☉ 紐約時報暢銷書 ☉ 紐約時報年度好書 ☉ 被改編成歌劇，於美國、歐洲、亞洲巡迴演出 二○二○年代，全球氣候變遷和經濟危機導致社會陷入混亂，加州危險四起，缺水問題日漸普遍，大批遊民為了活命無所不用其極。十五歲的蘿倫．歐拉米那和牧師父親、其他家人和鄰居住在圍牆高築的社區裡，把混亂的世界擋在門外。在這個不夠強悍就難以生存的社會裡，蘿倫卻擁有異於常人的「共感力」，能敏銳感受他人的痛苦不幸，甚至「感同身受」到無法動彈。 災難步步逼近，左鄰右舍卻固執地視而不見。為了保護深愛的人免於毀滅，耳聰目明又早熟的蘿倫必須說出自己的想法，讓更多人聽見。一開始僅為了生存而展開的奮戰，卻在途中開枝散葉，通向更遠大的目標——一種新信仰孕育而生，以及對人類未來命運的驚人構想。 《地球之籽》系列精準預言了川普首度競選美國總統時喊出的口號，科幻小說與現實世界的吻合令人毛骨悚然，引發熱議。但巴特勒的預言不只這一項。野火、極端氣候、經濟敗壞、現代奴工、AI科技監控……皆反映在她的小說中。然而她也在末日氛圍中注入希望，即我們仰望星辰時，心中升起的雄心壯志。今日已經有小行星和火星登陸地點以奧塔薇亞•巴特勒為名。小說中的夢想和末日，何者會先成真？ 《能者寓言》簡介 ☉ 星雲獎最佳長篇小說 二○三二年，蘿倫．歐拉米那走過家破人亡的慘劇，以她奠定的信仰「地球之籽」為根基，在北加州打造了一個團結和睦的社群：橡實。當時，極端保守的新任總統誓言要「讓美國再次偉大」，橡實成了一些無家可歸並害怕遭受迫害的人安身立命之地。然而，在一個日漸分裂且危險的國家裡，蘿倫帶領的社群不但是少數教派，領導人還是黑人女性，因而成了遂行恐怖統治和壓迫異端的新政權攻擊的目標。 身為人母，蘿倫總是在自己建立的家庭和帶領人類實現遠大目標的天職之間拉扯。幾年後，愛莎．斐爾讀到她從不相識的母親蘿倫．歐拉米那的日記。當她試圖解開自己的身世之謎時，也努力要與母親一生的是非功過和解。 這本一九九八年問世的小說，對人類世界提出驚人準確的預言，書中針對狂人統治下的反抗和希望所傳達的訊息，如今看來無比切中時代現狀。

O FIM E O COMEÇO. COM O PRIMEIRO LIVRO ESCRITO POR OCTAVIA E. BUTLER, A GRANDE DAMA DA FICÇÃO CIENTÍFICA, A ACLAMADA SÉRIE O PADRONISTA CHEGA AO FIM. Os padronistas, uma poderosa raça telepata que domina o mundo, podem destruir, curar e reinar com um mero pensamento. A mente mais forte comanda o Padrão e todos que a ele são suscetíveis. Agora, o filho do Mestre do Padrão deseja ocupar o posto mais poderoso de todos. Ele já assassinou e escravizou todos que poderiam frustrar seus planos – exceto por um último adversário. Nos territórios tomados por perigosos mutantes, um jovem aprendiz está em fuga. Ele deve ser caçado e aniquilado por ser tão habilidoso quanto o tirano em ascensão... e por ser o poderoso outro filho do Mestre do Padrão. Em um cabo de guerra que envolve o direito à liberdade e a sede de poder, O Mestre retrata uma sociedade pós-apocalíptica construída sobre a violenta racionalidade da hierarquização das relações humanas.

Jest rok 2024. Świat nękany przez zmiany klimatyczne, gospodarcze kryzysy i zacięte polityczne spory zatraca się w chaosie i zmierza ku upadkowi. Rozległe tereny zostały wyludnione, a mieszkańcy zamienionych w fortece miast nieustannie mierzą się z groźnymi chorobami, głodem, przemocą, pożarami... Lauren Olamina, córka lokalnego pastora, obdarzona darem – a raczej przekleństwem – hiperempatii, nie godzi się na los, jaki ją spotkał. Wyrusza więc w samotną i bardzo ryzykowną podróż w poszukiwaniu bezpieczeństwa i nadziei. Stopniowo dołączają do niej spotkani po drodze ludzie – tak jak ona pragną przetrwać i na zgliszczach starego świata stworzyć miejsce, w którym będą mogli zacząć żyć na nowo. Octavia E. Butler napisała tę dystopijną powieść w 1993 roku. Dziś przedstawiona przez nią czarna wizja świata wciąż przeraża – głównie dlatego, że okazuje się niezwykle bliska otaczającej nas rzeczywistości.

The wise words of science fiction icon Octavia E. Butler live on in this beautiful and giftable little volume. “There’s no single answer that will solve all our future problems. There’s no magic bullet. Instead there are thousands of answers—at least. You can be one of them if you choose to be.” Originally published in Essence magazine in the year 2000, Octavia E. Butler’s essay “A Few Rules for Predicting the Future” offers an honest look into the inspiration behind her science fiction novels and the importance of studying history and taking responsibility for our actions if we are to move forward. Organized into four main rules, this short essay reminds readers to learn from the past, respect the law of consequences, be aware of their perspectives, and count on the surprises. Citing the warning signs of fascism, the illusive effects of fear and wishful thinking, and the unpredictable nature of what is yet to come, Butler shares realistic but hopeful suggestions to shape our future into something good. An inspiring and motivational gift for students and recent graduates, fans of Butler''s work, and anyone seeking a brighter day tomorrow, this exquisite gift book includes stunning Afrofuturist artwork by Manzel Bowman alongside the full text of the original essay. LITERARY ICON: Octavia E. Butler was a pioneering science fiction writer whose novels, written decades ago, remain eerily relevant, reflecting on themes of racial injustice, women’s rights, environmental collapse, and political corruption. In 1995, she became the first science fiction author to win a MacArthur Genius grant, and her books are taught in over 200 colleges and universities nationwide. This book shares Butler''s timely but lesser-known essay and is a must-read for fans of her classic sci-fi works. CELEBRATE BLACK CREATORS: This book spotlights one of the greatest authors of Afrofuturism, a genre and philosophy that explores and reimagines Black culture, creativity, and liberation through fiction, art, music, film, and other media. Octavia E. Butler’s forward-thinking essay is paired with contemporary illustrations by Manzel Bowman, whose evocative images are also inspired by Afrofuturist visions. INSPIRING GIFT: A unique gift for students, recent graduates, and anyone celebrating life milestones or looking forward in life, this beautifully designed hardcover book is sure to inspire. Octavia E. Butler’s essay is also an important, evergreen reminder for writers, creatives, dreamers, and activists who want to envision and work toward a brighter future. Perfect for: Fans of Octavia Butler and her novels, including Kindred and Parable of the Sower People interested in nonfiction and essays by Black women writers Afrofuturism lovers and social justice-minded sci-fi readers Literary bibliophiles looking for a stunning new addition to their bookshelf Gift-giving to graduating high school and college students Activists and community leaders Inspirational essay readers Fans of Manzel Bowman and Afrofuturist art

A magvető példázata Nebula-díjas folytatásában tovább követhetjük Lauren Olamina történetét a 2030-as évek társadalmi és gazdasági válsággal küszködő Kaliforniájában. Lauren, aki meg van győződve arról, hogy az emberiség problémáinak megoldását a csillagok gyarmatosítása jelenti, a híveivel együtt azon dolgozik, hogy megtegye az ehhez szükséges előkészületeket. De a társadalmi összeomlás és a fanatikusok feltörése következtében a teljes közössége rabszolgasorba kerül, és a lányát is elrabolják. Laurennek fel kell vennie a harcot az ellenfeleivel, hogy megteremthesse az új világrendet. Octavia E. Butler Földmag-duológiájának befejező kötete szédületes látomás és egyben komoly figyelmeztetés a jövőnkre nézve. Az 1998-ban megjelent regény a klímaváltozás valóra vált jóslata mellett kitüntetett figyelmet kapott az USA-ban nemrég, ugyanis a történetben mellékszereplőként megjelenő amerikai elnök az “Ismét naggyá tenni Amerikát”-szlogennel népszerűsíti magát, amit aztán később Donald Trump is használt az elnökválasztási kampányához.

From a celebrated, award-winning author, a modern classic about a young girl fighting for survival in a post-apocalyptic world, perfect for fans of N.K. Jemisin and Margaret Atwood. Fifteen-year-old Lauren Olamina lives inside a gated community with her preacher father, family, and neighbors, sheltered from the surrounding social chaos and anarchy caused by climate change and economic crisis. In a society where any vulnerability is a risk, she suffers from hyperempathy—a debilitating sensitivity to others'' emotions. Precocious and clear-eyed, Lauren must make her voice heard in order to protect her loved ones from the imminent disasters her small community stubbornly ignores. But what begins as a fight for survival soon leads to something much more: the birth of a new faith . . . and a startling vision of human destiny. Includes a foreword by LeVar Burton and an afterword by N. K. Jemisin Lauren''s story continues in The Parable of the Talents. "In the ongoing contest over which dystopian classic is most applicable to our time, Octavia Butler''s ''Parable'' books may be unmatched."—The New Yorker

From the acclaimed author of the Earthseed series, two immortals chase each other across continents and centuries, binding their fates together—and changing the destiny of the human race. In the far future, the human race is divided into two groups striving for power. The Patternmaster rules over all, the leader of the telepathic Patternist race whose thoughts can destroy or heal at his whim. The only threat to his power are the Clayarks, mutant humans who live either enslaved by the Patternists or in the wild. Coransee, son of the ruling Patternmaster, wants the throne and will stop at nothing to get it, even if it means venturing into the wild mutant-infested hills to destroy a young apprentice—his equal and his brother.

From the acclaimed author of the Earthseed series, two immortals chase each other across continents and centuries, binding their fates together and changing the destiny of the human race. This deluxe edition includes: A new cover and package Premium French flaps and newly designed, full-color interior covers High-quality paper with elegant deckled-edges Doro knows no higher authority than himself. An ancient spirit with boundless powers, he possesses humans, killing without remorse as he jumps from body to body to sustain his own life. With a lonely eternity ahead of him, Doro breeds supernaturally gifted humans into empires that obey his every desire. He fears no one—until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is an entity like Doro and yet different. She can heal with a bite and transform her own body, mending injuries and reversing aging. She uses her powers to cure her neighbors and birth entire tribes, surrounding herself with kindred who both fear and respect her. No one poses a true threat to Anyanwu—until she meets Doro. The moment Doro meets Anyanwu, he covets her; and from the villages of 17th-century Nigeria to 19th-century United States, their courtship becomes a power struggle that echoes through generations, irrevocably changing what it means to be human.

From the acclaimed author of the Earthseed series, a young woman harnesses the power of a viral mutation and challenges the ruthless man who controls her—at the expense of the human race. “Vivid ... explosive.” —Publishers Weekly Mary is a treacherous experiment. Her creator, an immortal named Doro, has molded the human race for generations, seeking out those with unusual talents like telepathy and breeding them into a new subrace of humans who obey his every command. Mary is the result: a young Black woman living on the rough outskirts of Los Angeles in the 1970s, who has no idea how much power she will soon wield. Doro knows he must handle Mary carefully or risk her ending like his previous experiments: dead, either by her own hand or Doro''s. What he doesn''t suspect is that Mary''s maturing telepathic abilities may soon rival his own power. By linking telepaths with a viral pattern, she will create the potential to break free of his grip once and for all—and shift the course of humanity.

One woman is called upon to rebuild the future of humankind after a nuclear war, in this revelatory post-apocalyptic tale from the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower. When Lilith lyapo wakes from a centuries-long sleep, she finds herself aboard the vast spaceship of the Oankali. She discovers that the Oankali—a seemingly benevolent alien race—intervened in the fate of the humanity hundreds of years ago, saving everyone who survived a nuclear war from a dying, ruined Earth and then putting them into a deep sleep. After learning all they could about Earth and its beings, the Oankali healed the planet, cured cancer, increased human strength, and they now want Lilith to lead her people back to Earth—but salvation comes at a price. Hopeful and thought-provoking, this post-apocalyptic narrative deftly explores gender and race through the eyes of characters struggling to adapt during a pivotal time of crisis and change.

From the acclaimed author of the Earthseed series, two immortals chase each other across continents and centuries, binding their fates together and changing the destiny of the human race. Blake Maslin is traveling with his teenage twin daughters through an alternate America marked by volatile class warfare when their car is ambushed. Their attackers appear sickly yet possess inhuman strength, and they transport Blake''s family to an isolated compound. There, the three captives discover that the compound''s residents have a highly contagious alien disease that has mutated their DNA to make them powerful, dangerous, and compelled to infect others. If Blake and his daughters do not escape, they will be infected with a virus that will either kill them outright or transform them into outcasts whose very existence is a threat to the world around them. In the following hours, Blake and his daughters must make a vital choice: risk everything to escape and warn the rest of the world, or accept their new reality—as well as the uncertain fate of the human race.

From the award-winning author of Parable of the Sower:After the near-extinction of the human race, one young man with extraordinary gifts will reveal whether the human race can learn from its past and rebuild their future . . . or is doomed to self-destruction. In the future, nuclear war has destroyed nearly all humankind. An alien race intervenes, saving the small group of survivors from certain death. But their salvation comes at a cost. The Oankali are able to read and mutate genetic code, and they use these skills for their own survival, interbreeding with new species to constantly adapt and evolve. They value the intelligence they see in humankind but also know that the species—rigidly bound to destructive social hierarchies—is destined for failure. They are determined that the only way forward is for the two races to produce a new hybrid species—and they will not tolerate rebellion. Akin looks like an ordinary human child. But as the first true human-alien hybrid, he is born understanding language, then starts to form sentences at two months old. He can see at a molecular level and kill with a touch. More powerful than any human or Oankali, he will be the architect of both races'' future. But before he can carry this new species into the stars, Akin must reconcile with his own heritage in a world already torn in two.

Ma dernière nuit d’enfant commença par une visite. Les sœurs de T’Gatoi nous avaient attribué deux œufs stériles. Le premier, T’Gatoi le donna à ma mère, mon frère et mes sœurs ; l’autre, elle tenait à ce que je le mange en entier. Peu importait. Il y en avait assez pour que tout le monde se sente bien à la ?n. Presque tout le monde. Ma mère ne voulait pas y toucher. Elle restait assise là, à nous regarder planer et rêver sans elle. La plupart du temps, elle me regardait, moi. Couché contre le long ventre velouté de T’Gatoi, je sirotais mon œuf en me demandant pourquoi ma mère se refusait un plaisir aussi inoffensif. Elle aurait eu moins de cheveux gris si elle se l’était accordé de temps en temps. Les œufs prolongeaient la vie et la force. Mon père, qui n’avait jamais dit non à aucun, était parvenu à un âge au moins deux fois plus avancé que la normale. Et, sur le tard, quand il aurait dû se trouver ralenti, il avait épousé ma mère et lui avait fait quatre enfants... Octavia E. Butler Enfants de sang

Het iconische meesterwerk van Octavia Butler nu voor het eerst in het Nederlands vertaald. Na haar 26e verjaardag te hebben gevierd in Californië in 1976, belandt Dana plots op onverklaarbare wijze op een plantage in Maryland. Het is 1815. Omdat ze Zwart is, wordt Dana er als een tot slaaf gemaakte vrouw beschouwd. In Maryland ontmoet ze Rufus voor het eerst: hij ligt in het water en als Dana niet ingrijpt, zal hij verdrinken. Ze redt zijn leven en dat zal keer op keer gebeuren. Geen van beiden begrijpt Rufus’ macht om haar op te roepen als hij in gevaar is, noch de betekenis van de banden die hen binden. Hoe vaker Dana hem redt, hoe meer ze zich ervan bewust is dat haar eigen leven misschien voorbij zal zijn, voordat het zelfs nog maar is begonnen. Dit is het buitengewone verhaal van twee mensen; verbonden door bloed, gescheiden door zoveel meer dan de tijd.

Aventure de science-fiction et exploration philosophique, un roman aussi ambitieux qu'époustouflant par une voix fondatrice de l'afroféminisme. « J'aime l'écriture d'Octavia Butler pour son refus de la simplification et la finesse des dilemmes moraux auxquels sont confrontés ses personnages.» Ketty Steward Après un sommeil de plusieurs siècles, Lilith s'éveille à bord du vaste vaisseau spatial des Oankali. Créatures dotées de tentacules, experts en génétique, ils ont sauvé les rares survivants d'une Terre mourante et sont prets à ramener Lilith et les derniers humains sur leur planète régénérée. Mais la survie a un prix... « Je la tiens pour une des auteures les plus inspirantes de notre génération. » Virginie Despentes.

A modern klasszikussá vált disztópia, ami 27 évvel a megjelenése után lett New York Times Bestseller! 2024-et írunk: a klímaváltozás elviselhetetlen károkat okoz világszerte, járványok, háborúk és tartós vízhiány sújtja az emberiséget. Los Angeles külső részén fegyveres erőkkel védett, zárt közösségek próbálnak biztonságban fennmaradni a fosztogatókkal szemben, akik gondolkodás nélkül ölnek a túlélésük érdekében. Lauren Olamina az egyik ilyen közösségben él családjával. Apja lelkész, és másokkal együtt azért küzd, hogy megőrizze az emberiség méltóságát és azokat az értékeket, amik egyszer naggyá tettek minket. Miközben apja a helyes úton próbálja tartani a gyülekezetét, Lauren hiperempátiával küzd – egy ritka betegséggel, melynek során rendkívül érzékennyé válik mások fizikai fájdalmával szemben. Egy nap fosztogatók törnek be a közösségbe, és bekövetkezik, amitől mindenki tartott: otthonukat hátrahagyva menekülniük kell a farkastörvények uralta senkiföldjén. Lauren a túlélőkkel együtt északra tart és idővel a vezetőjükké válik; ráadásul az út során megfogalmazódik benne egy új hitvilág alapja, ami az egész emberiség számára a túlélést jelentheti. Octavia E. Butler 1993-as és mára klasszikussá vált disztópiája évről évre egyre aktuálisabbá válik. A magvető példázata számtalan írót inspirált és a műfaj egyik legfontosabb modern műveként tartják számon – hatását jól illusztrálja, hogy 2020-ban, huszonhét évvel a megjelenése után New York Times Bestseller lett.

2032. Célèbre créatrice de jeux virtuels, Asha découvre le journal dans lequel sa mère Lauren a posé les bases de sa philosophie humaniste et pacifiste. Dans une Amérique au comble du chaos qui renoue avec l’esclavagisme, Asha entre en résistance à son tour... PRIX NEBULA 1999 « Les visions dystopiques d’Octavia E. Butler, célèbre auteure afro-américaine de science-fiction, prennent toujours plus de sens. » Les Inrockuptibles

2024. Le nouveau président des États-Unis provoque une crise sans précédent. Dérèglement social et climatique, épidémies, pauvreté, violences... Dans ce décor post-apocalyptique, la barbarie règne, les murs s’élèvent. La fille d’un pasteur noir atteinte d’hyper-empathie entame la rédaction d’une Bible d’espoir et d’humanité, Le Livre des Vivants. UNE ANTICIPATION VISIONNAIRE « Une grande dame de la SF, auteure américaine majeure ayant écrit sur la question noire et dont l’œuvre foisonnante déconstruit les mythes de la technologie, de la conquête et du pouvoir. » Léa Mormin-Chauvac – Libération

Zwischen zwei Welten Die dreigeschlechtlichen Oankali haben die Menschen wieder auf der Erde angesiedelt, die nach dem Atomkrieg für Jahrhunderte unbewohnbar war. Jetzt leben Menschen und Aliens zusammen, doch nicht alles ist friedlich: Während einige Menschen den Handel mit den Fremden akzeptiert haben und „Konstruierte“, mit Ooloi-Genen veränderte Kinder, zur Welt bringen, leben andere in abgeschiedenen, rein menschlichen Gemeinschaften. Doch die Ooloi, Angehörige des dritten Oankali-Geschlechts, haben sie unfruchtbar gemacht, sodass keine menschlichen Kinder mehr geboren werden können. Akin ist der erste männliche Konstruierte. In ihm steckt mehr Menschliches als in jedem anderen Hybridwesen – doch er hat auch Oankali-Gene und versteht, dass die Vermischung der beiden Spezies notwendig ist, wenn die Menschheit weiter überleben will ...

A perfect introduction for new readers and a must-have for avid fans, this New York Times Notable Book includes "Bloodchild," winner of both the Hugo and the Nebula awards and "Speech Sounds," winner of the Hugo Award. Appearing in print for the first time, "Amnesty" is a story of a woman named Noah who works to negotiate the tense and co-dependent relationship between humans and a species of invaders. Also new to this collection is "The Book of Martha" which asks: What would you do if God granted you the ability—and responsibility—to save humanity from itself? Like all of Octavia Butler’s best writing, these works of the imagination are parables of the contemporary world. She proves constant in her vigil, an unblinking pessimist hoping to be proven wrong, and one of contemporary literature’s strongest voices.

Fledgling, Octavia Butler’s last novel, is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly un-human needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: she is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted—and still wants—to destroy her and those she cares for, and how she can save herself. Fledgling is a captivating novel that tests the limits of "otherness" and questions what it means to be truly human.

NEW FOREWORD BY JANELLE MONÁE Selected by The Atlantic as one of THE GREAT AMERICAN NOVELS. From the New York Times bestselling author of Parable of the Sower and MacArthur “Genius” Grant, Nebula, and Hugo award winner The visionary time-travel classic whose Black female hero is pulled through time to face the horrors of American slavery and explores the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now. “I lost an arm on my last trip home. My left arm.” Dana’s torment begins when she suddenly vanishes on her 26th birthday from California, 1976, and is dragged through time to antebellum Maryland to rescue a boy named Rufus, heir to a slaveowner’s plantation. She soon realizes the purpose of her summons to the past: protect Rufus to ensure his assault of her Black ancestor so that she may one day be born. As she endures the traumas of slavery and the soul-crushing normalization of savagery, Dana fights to keep her autonomy and return to the present. Blazing the trail for neo-slavery narratives like Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer, Butler takes one of speculative fiction’s oldest tropes and infuses it with lasting depth and power. Dana not only experiences the cruelties of slavery on her skin but also grimly learns to accept it as a condition of her own existence in the present. “Where stories about American slavery are often gratuitous, reducing its horror to explicit violence and brutality, Kindred is controlled and precise” (New York Times). “Reading Octavia Butler taught me to dream big, and I think it’s absolutely necessary that everybody have that freedom and that willingness to dream.” —N. K. Jemisin