Octavia Butler, The Grand Dame of Science Fiction | It’s Lit

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If you are a fan of science fiction a name you should be familiar with is Octavia E. Butler (cough especially if you watched our telly award-winning Afro-Futurism video cough) One of the most prolific and important Black authors in the genre, Butler’s storytelling pushed the boundaries of what Black people were allowed to be in science fiction.
Today we will be highlighting the Grand Dame herself, how her novels were important, and sometimes, oddly predictive.
Hosted by Lindsay Ellis and Princess Weekes, It’s Lit! is a show about our favorite books, genres and why we love to read. It’s Lit has been made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor.
Interested in using this video as a teaching resource? Check it out on PBS LearningMedia: to.pbs.org/3Ey9Hk1
Hosted by: Princess Weekes
Written by: Princess Weekes, Angelina Meehan
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Producer: Stephanie Noone
Editor: Nicole Kopren
Writing Consultants: Maia Krause, PhD
Assistant Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing
Executives in Charge (PBS): Brandon Arolfo, Adam Dylewski
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
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[@sceptre1067]

side note she made sure her first editions were hard covers so libraries would carry them. and that is amazing if you know how book publishers work.

[@kaamn1829]

How does that work? Wouldn't they do paperbacks for the versatility of them?

[@sceptre1067]

@@kaamn1829 libraries buy hard covers for durability, she wanted to make sure her work endured in libraries. after that then paperbacks.

[@katlynbowman8168]

@@sceptre1067 Libraries actually buy both hard covers and soft covers, but the hardcovers tend to last much longer.

[@kaamn1829]

@@sceptre1067 so libraries are more likely to buy hard covers for longevity, but does making your book a hard cover make a library more likely to buy it?

[@sceptre1067]

@@kaamn1829 her goal was to get into university libraries, so yes. This is based on a Q&A she gave at Minicon in 1999.

[@Katherine_The_Okay]

Octavia Butler wrote the kind of books that are frankly painful to sit down and read through, but that you know afterwards you *needed* to read and are better for having read. Amazing writing with amazing insights, and (most importantly) insights into things that most people go out of their way to not think about. Once you've read a couple of her novels, you kind of stop being able to ignore certain things.

[@Aprevan]

Yes, yes. A beautiful writer, but she can really capture harder to feel textures, moods, feelings. She really gets in your senses and fears.

[@ellegilyard1348]

Loved everything except that Fledgling isn’t about a vampire who was changed young. In that world, vampires are born. She’s just young. She’s different because her genes were changed to make her black so she could be awake during the day and sunlight wouldn’t harm her.

[@hannahrobbins1017]

Yeah, agree that was jarring and actually missed a chance to mention how she interwove racial ideas into vampire mythology in a totally unique way

[@mashmakhlyagina8101]

THIS!

[@markiep8477]

There were a couple other small mistakes in the presentation, but you caught the big one. Butler is fantastic.

[@conniecarroll7222]

@@hannahrobbins1017 Thank you, I just read a review about this book which made it out to be a Vampire book. I am into that field right now, so almost ordered it. Think I would rather have one of her other books instead.

[@justinw1219]

So, I'm guessing that Fledgling wouldn't be classified as a Hard science fiction novel then?

[@RobExNihilo]

The day I accidentally picked up a copy of Dawn (thinking it was something else) was one of the best mistakes I've ever made. I'm so glad I found it, and subsequently Octavia E. Butler.

[@markiep8477]

That's a wild book. Such a great take on what aliens might be like.

[@CajunWolffe]

Yeah, "Dawn" was my introduction to Butler, too.

[@TolarianCommunityCollege]

Fantastic, amazing, outstanding episode!

[@zoidbergnoise]

Prof's here! Also, glad to see you're a fan of one of the best Sci-fi authors ever, Prof.

[@KierTheScrivener]

That's crazy how young she was. In my mind she's always been in a timeframe with Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Alice Walker, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Margaret Atwood Atwood and Walker are still alive and publishing, but I kinda though she was older as she had been dead since I knew her name. But if she had of lived she would only be in her early 70s. I had this same realization with Audre Lorde recently. She's been dead for thirty years but is the same age/younger than all my grandparents still alive and healthy. And Octavia E. Butler is closer in age to my parents than grandparents. I had this conversation about classics lately, and how we think about them. When I think Parable of The Sower I think classic. And yet it came out four years before Harry Potter. Which is just strange. But is classic just something that has stood the test of time or has become more than it's parts and stayed resonant.

[@conniecarroll7222]

It's hard to believe when w lose artists or authors so young. L A Banks died very young I believe she was in her late 30s when she lost her battle with cancer. Her writing career had really taken off with 2 series. I have her Vampire series, still looking to fill her Werewolf series, of which both are something I have never encountered in writings before. She is sadly missed. Wish some one would do a series on her. I meant to say she was in several PBS specials around Halloween on TV before I believe KZbin where she did interviews, that's how I found out about her. Just want people to know about this wonderful writer who was taken from us far too soon.

[@katherinelynch4193]

“All that you touch, you change. All that you change changes you. The only lasting truth is change, God Is Change.” - Earthseed, the Books of the Living

[@John_Malka-tits]

Totally not how a dissociative personality sees the world.

[@conniecarroll7222]

That is great wording.

[@Nick-dx2pt]

​@@John_Malka-tits i dissociate a lot but i don't get what you mean????

[@terenceconnors9627]

Frankly, she's one of the 10 best science fiction authors ever. No collection is complete without at least one of her books.

[@rochellerodriguez6431]

Two things that set Butler's work apart for me were her interest in biological and sociological systems and her consistent theme of alternative family dynamics. It still breaks my heart that she was taken from us so soon because no one else had really recreated her unique appeal. Her stuff was a great combo of hard and soft science fiction and her perspective was incredibly valuable in a very white very male genre. I also appreciate how her books weren't sexless as characters had consensual and loving experiences too even if she didn't shy away from depicting sexual violence (usually in a respectful way, not a gratuitous way)

[@superuby]

The parallels she predicted are freaky! EDIT: Love the moon phases shirt, too. 💗💜💙

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

The Book of Martha is a cool short story and she says, in the afterward, "One person's utopia would likely be another person's nightmare."

[@netobawatson4502]

I.e. Israel

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

@@netobawatson4502 honestly, I would not have thought of that example, but having later learned about the Nakba... you make a good point, sadly 😕

[@PassportReasons]

This woman is the greatest science fiction writer ever. She is prophetic. Her parable series is playing out in real time right now in America

[@sandraperkins203]

Octavia Butler is an amazing author. I see her Parables novels as a view into the present and future. She was so much more than an author but a seer.

[@ludettep]

She was an amazing author. Her short stories stick with me the most. 'The evening the morning and night' and 'blood child' I reread every year and with every year that passes, hope wins a little more than the dread feeling it leaves with me.

[@rochellerodriguez6431]

Yes! Blood child is always one of my recommendations for short story collections. I also appreciate how she has sections that talk about her writing process

[@ludettep]

@@rochellerodriguez6431 i like the collection with her writing process a lot. it gave me quite a bit more insite about her than at college where all i was told was that she was a black female sciemce fiction author.

[@philsophkenny]

You presented the hell out of Octavia. Loved it.

[@yoavrahm2748]

Even though I'm not a reader, I continue to watch all of these, for the commentary, for the knowledge for the fun

[@simeonfalafel]

Princess Weekes has her own youtube channel too, you may enjoy it. I watched her 90min video on fandom, despite not being in any way part of fandom culture! She’s just such an engaging performer & educator, it kept me in the game!

[@yoavrahm2748]

@@simeonfalafel I came here because of her and Linsdey Ellis, am subscriber of both for a while now 😃

[@simeonfalafel]

@@yoavrahm2748 hooray! Do you do audiobooks? I have a hard time reading, for me listening is much easier. I’m halfway through Octavia Butler’s Kindred on audiobook and it’s blowing my mind! I’m excited to listen to more of her books soon.

[@yoavrahm2748]

@@simeonfalafel I haven't tried audiobooks, but I don't think it would work for me either, when it come to stories, I tend to want to focus on it, and for me to focus on it means I can't really be doing anything else while I'm listening...like nothing else other than walking or sitting I have a hard time with dense podcasts also because of this reason...I've accepted that and am OK with it

[@simeonfalafel]

@@yoavrahm2748 Legit! Our brains are all so different and beautiful 💗🧠💗

[@TripleRoux]

Her interview with Democracy Now was brilliant! A must watch... 👑

[@linthao637]

Love Octavia E. Butler! Kindred was one of my first sci-fi books and got me interested in how the genre can examine society and culture. Thanks for highlighting her work.

[@bilonic111]

The more I learn about Octavia Butler the more I come to love and respect this author, I need to go read some of her books now.

[@animezae]

I can’t stop talking about her to anyone who’ll listen after I read Dawn. She’s so amazing.

[@CortexNewsService]

I discovered Butler at the public library when i was in college and I've loved her work ever since.

[@guttaslimes]

SO HAPPY TO SEE OCTAVIA GET SOME LOVE!!!!!

[@ave116]

Found so much peace reading Parable of the Sower this past year during the pandemic. Her words of Earthseed gave me hope and strength when it felt like I was living through my own dystopia.

[@Onirot69]

I recently finished the talents and sower. I was telling a friend of mine about all the ridiculously accurate details Mrs Butler included. When I got to make America Great Again my friend exclaimed “that does it, she had a time machine” 😂

[@spirou55]

Here in Greece, Butler (just "Kindred") was translated for the first time this year, as crazy as it seems. But since i loved Kindred, i also read her Parables books in english and loved them!

[@robertwinslade3104]

Octavia E. Butler is underrated AF

[@pencilpauli9442]

Okay I'm paused at the start to comment on Butler's predictive writings. I'm current reading Parable of the Talents and boy is it so close to the knuckle, It's scary close. She didn't mention Jarrett having orange skin though. So a prediction point off for that! lol

[@BenjaminMooreinJapan]

Sounds presciently spot-on for a novel written a few decades early; you can hear the orange skin in her prose: 'Jarret condemns the burnings, but does so in such mild language that his people are free to hear what they want to hear. As for the beatings, the tarring and feathering, and the destruction of “heathen houses of devil-worship,” he has a simple answer: “Join us! Our doors are open to every nationality, every race! Leave your sinful past behind, and become one of us. Help us to make America great again.”'

[@pencilpauli9442]

@@BenjaminMooreinJapan Absolutely. A tad too prescient for my liking. Such things are best kept to dystopian fiction lol

[@quitaphillips]

Her “It’s not a phase” shirt! I want it. 💘 P.S. I love everything about Lindsay. Bubbly, brilliant, and beautiful.

[@shirendjorgee9320]

To clarify, Lauren doesn’t feel others emotions, she feels their pain (and occasionally pleasure but mostly pain), which is dangerous for her in a world with a lot of violence.

[@ironrose5403]

I LOVE Octavia Butler and have read all her books many times. She is the best!!!!

[@CountOrlok22]

The greatest science fiction writer of the last 45 years. Hands down.

[@ChrisPage68]

Bold claim. Care to substantiate?

[@CountOrlok22]

It is a bold statement and she was a profoundly bold author. Read her books. They're more substantive than I can articulate within the limitations and context of a KZbin comment.

[@erikkaye1114]

In the 1990s, a friend of mine (white) recommended me (white, Jewish) to read 4 books by Octavia Butler, Clay's Ark and the Xenogenesis trilogy. Upon reading them, I pointed out that i especially liked the books because of the slavery subtext, which didn't exist in this depth in any other science fiction that I knew of. I said that in most science fiction, a protagonist who is kidnapped and forced to breed by aliens would find a way to overcome the threat and remain uncompromised, which in many cases is unrealistic and naive. I found Butler's conceit, that sometimes the only way you can get out of a moral bind is to sleep with the enemy, to be completely refreshing. (It was, as her mentor Harlan Ellison would call it, a "Dangerous Vision." ) My friend thought that I was being ridiculous, that I must be over-reading the books because there was no slavery subtext. And then he found the book Kindred, and had to concede to me that her work is indeed imbued with the theme of slavery. (How did I, a white boy, recognize the slavery subtext? Honey, all Jews are descended from slaves, don't you know! We were commanded by God to never forget it, and we never did!)

[@HarlequinDrFaustus]

Only "discovered" her over the last decade, and read ...SOWER in '20, then ...TALENTS the following year - 2 of the scariest stories I've ever read. I fully agree that she was a genius, and lament her far too early passing.

[@izabelakujawska5245]

❤️🌼 I love Octavia Buttler's works! Oryginal ideas, great characters, social commentary and unique perespective. Can't wait to read more of her books!

[@sandracraft517]

It's one of my greatest regrets, as a reader, that she never had time to write the planned Parable of the Trickster, which would have followed the Earthseed colony into space and told their story.

[@jaysun4069]

Parable of the Sower is probably my 2nd favorite book

[@jesict3763]

Got to read Kindred in a women's studies course ~2005, and goodness, it sticks with you.

[@auldthymer]

The best chapter titles EVER!

[@fbritorufino]

Weekes does the best plugs

[@y.s.mnails7834]

I was given one of her books for my birthday several years back and now I'm on a mission to collect all of her books. 💓

[@trayne3156]

I read only one book two decades ago, her work has stayed with me

[@GothMusicLatinAmerica]

I was introduced to her work in a Race in Science Fiction class I took as a GE in college and she's been my favorite fiction writer ever since.

[@robofthewest]

I discovered Octavia Butler years ago and based on a reference in an article decided to check out one of her novels. The tale was The Wild Seed and caught my attention with its strong characters and fascinating situations and moral dilemmas. Two immortals, one a shape changing regenerative woman from Africa, the other a parasitic being of energy that requires new bodies to take over in order to survive. Very original and one of my favourite reads. After many years I am rediscovering the works of this author. I enjoyed your presentation and I hope, as you suggest, that her popularity continues to grow.

[@wuttbruh]

I adore Octavia Butler. Discovered her writing in college, and requested every book I could in my little home town library. Love the vid!

[@LunaBianca1805]

Not familiar with her, yet, but in my defence: I may really Iike reading in English, but I am German and she might just not be so well - known here. I definitely add her to my reading list, though, I'm always looking out for authors that are new to me, especially if they can show me another POV and different cultures through their works 🥰

[@BobbyPERu4u]

Most Americans have never heard of her either so don’t worry about it

[@sharonoddlyenough]

I'm Canadian and I only know of her from shows like this.

[@kleerude]

She’s having a bit of a revival here in the States, but until very recently she’s been a bit on the fringes. Luckily that’s changing, but I’m not surprised you haven’t hear of her before.

[@Painocus]

For a long time she has been kind of a "your favorite author's favorite author" type figure. Extreamly well respected within the field and among more committed SF fans, but not that widely read by the avarage person in the street.

[@auldthymer]

I suggest "Bloodchild," a collection of short stories. The title story is about a group of aliens who use human males to gestate their offspring. "The Evening and the Morning and the Night" tells about a disease resulting from a cancer cure. Both of these stories have stayed with me decades after reading them.

[@juliafalandocoisas]

I have just finished Kindred. A few minutes ago. I am.... speachless. Such a GREAT book. TOO MANY FEELINGS I-I CANT

[@Tru1Tani]

I love her books and omg how she describes herself is very on point for myself

[@karlmark9967]

This channel, never disappoints, NEVER, always informative, always inspiring. Thanks guys

[@emilys7834]

Wow, perfect timing! I'm reading the Parable of the Sower now after finishing Kindred and Dawn. So far, I've found most interesting how Lauren perceives the government (this is in the beginning , and probably changes alot over the series). She notes that there is a presidential election, but most adults have opted not to vote because it isn't seen as relevant to their lived experience. The space program is debated as frivolous or humanity's flickering hope to escape. This perception of the govt as out of touch, but with possibly huge impact, really intrigued me in our current environment where the government does often feel like a separate body that rarely touches our lives, and that many feel disconnected to.

[@gasparinha]

Saw this and immediately clicked. Butler is fantastic! (I had forgotten about that political slogan in the Parable series. 😳) I wish I could finish the Exogenesis series, but the first book (Middle Passage, anyone?) was really dark and SO HARD.

[@josephinepuck8370]

Are used Dawns framework of humans as intelligent but hierarchical for a paper that synthesized all of the work that we read that semester and it was amazing and kind of changed my life and my thinking and I absolutely love her.

[@incubustimelord5947]

I would've loved it if she would've written a Black Panther comic book or a Cyborg comic book back in the 1980s and 1990s. Can you imagine how amazing and incredible that those comics would've been?

[@vamps_rock]

Great commentary on such an underrated genuis. I agree that although Ms Octavia certainly had immense respect in the industry, in the mainstream she is woefully unknown. My first read of hers was Kindred, which of course was an incredible experience, but when I read the Parables... I was consumed and didn't put them down until I was done. They were dark, prophetic and thought provoking to the extreme and literally my mind was blown... especially with book 2. I've not yet read all of her books, but I absolutely plan to.

[@rosswebster7877]

Great job as always Princess Weekes, Lindsay Ellis and It’s Lit team! Kudos for also including the graphic novel adaptations of Kindred and Parable of the Sower!

[@aylaeh]

I absolutely loved Octavia e Butler's book fledgling. I've also read the parable books and found them to be really interesting and kind of scary and how accurate they've been. I read them about 5 or 6 years ago. She was an incredible storyteller.

[@Markadown]

This video is lit! Amazing work. I love Octavia. I'm so glad I found her work. A shame she isn't with us anymore.

[@vanessa6708]

Please I want some Caribbean literature video 💓💓💓💓

[@imaloserdude7227]

Excellent video, and funny at times. Thank you. A great video introducing me to Octavia Butler and some of her books, ideas, contributions to change.

[@Ninnative]

Wow. Thank you so much for making this video. Kindred has been on my "to read" list for quite awhile and now the synopsis (synopses?) of the other series you mentioned are so interesting, I'll probably have to add them, too. I love finding new books to read!

[@purcascade]

I need to read more of Butler's work. I've loved what I've read so far. Important and interesting.

[@Someguywithalotoftism]

I'm only roughly 40 percent black but like this really helped explain a lot of things I've been thinking about and feeling. I just got my first of her novels, so this video was awesome thank you!

[@CRohrscheib]

This was a fantastic ep, thank you. I just finished Kindred and am very much lookinf forward to starting Parable of the Sower soon.

[@applesushi]

Kindred was my first exposure to Butler’s work. What an introduction! Great video.

[@alex_long]

Wow, it's like the signs were all there, she saw them and tried shouting from the rooftops of what could happen next

[@squirrelsinmykoolaid]

I love how this video uses images from the graphic novel adaptions of her work. That is how I read Kindred and Parable of the Sower.

[@leftylion816]

Awesome video. I learned so much about Octavia Butler's works. I will be reading some of her novels. And on a side, Ms. Weekes has a beautiful smile 😍. Stay safe everyone!

[@shealstewart271]

Octavia Butler, you *KEEP REREADING* and will always come back something new.

[@troygaspard6732]

Her novels have always moved and excited me.

[@mustbeaweful2504]

So excited about this episode.

[@stephaniehendricks3537]

Excellent episode, I love it's lit episodes!

[@christinakcover]

So amazing!!! Loved this video!!!

[@sparkplugz75]

Another fantastic episode. I appreciate and adore your analysis of the story and your super awesome humor. Never thought that I’d be nodding my head in agreement with your point and lolollolol at the same time. Thank you so much for doing this series.

This is one of my favorite videos on KZbin.

[@UniversalOpera]

That was a truly lovely episode. Thank you.

[@arribalaschivas91]

Every additional sentence of this video increases my desire to read all her work. Her opinion on utopias is similar to mine. Sign me all they way up!

[@readilykatie8312]

Awesome video, I love it when you guys focus on one author!

[@skyllalafey]

1) Ever since reading the Parable books a few years ago, I think Butler's work cannot get enough praise 2) Where'd you get that t-shirt?!? Because damn do I want one 🌈

[@POBAllstar46]

Great episode! loved the commentary

[@GPerla26]

I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS YESSSS

[@troygaspard6732]

Clay Ark is one of my favorite books. It is not for the faint of heart.

[@StriketheSunMD]

Love Octavia E. Butler! Bloodchild and Other Stories and Kindred are fantastic. I hope to read more.

[@someblaqguy]

My absolute favorite author

[@sunniqa899]

Parable of the Sower was assigned reading when I was in college and some of the discussions we had about it were incredibly eye opening. I remember getting personally involved in a surprisingly heated debate on the privatization of government agencies (specifically the police.)

[@erinmcdonald7781]

Which college and course? It sounds like a forward thinking institution. I'm always on the lookout for what college or university is doing things right.

[@sunniqa899]

@@erinmcdonald7781 Community College of Allegheny County Pittsburgh, PA

[@positronicfeed]

I'm a white dude. Apart from the 'a black' part, her 'who am I' basically describes me. Especially the part about the 'oil and water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty...'. To have overcome not only the obstacles society has put in front of her for the stupidest of reasons, but also those of self doubt, she was a remarkable woman.

[@icebabey3644]

I read ‘Bloodchild’ this year and 😳😳 It’s a heavy story even on the surface level, but looking deeper, it’s so much more.

[@richarddean4763]

Storied, love your research

[@annefoley6950]

I'd heard before that Butler's work is the absolute most prescient writing for our time- and oh boy they were not exaggerating.

[@panzertorte]

One of my absolute favourite authors!

[@malizee2264]

Thank you for this!!!!

[@michelelong5891]

Love the Parable books. Thank you for this

[@BelaHetaRus]

I love when Princess hosts the videos!

[@jannetteberends8730]

Had never heard of her. There is only one book of her available translated in Dutch. But a I found story, ‘Blood-child’, that can be downloaded for free. It’s very interesting. The fun part of discovering an established author is that the early novels are cheap.

[@BearchoKarofsky]

Thank you for this videos :D

[@charlesjrmoss2541]

Beautiful; succinct points and honest admiration.

[@NYIKAZENO]

I read the Patternist Series, and Xenogenesis Series before I actually knew that Octavia Butler was black. Though the subjects and events of the books were difficult to read (or emotionally tackle (such as genocide and global nuclear Armageddon)), they felt very inclusive and greater American culture as a whole. I was happy to find out she was indeed a black woman, only because kind of proved that the Genre of SciFi open to everyone (even someone like me) to build and expand in a substantial way. I dearly wish she was able to create more worlds and timelines to tease and expand our imaginations. Thank you Octavia, and thank you Storied for sharing...

[@erinmcdonald7781]

Three other writers I would recommend to you are N K Jemison, Nnedi Okorafor, and P Djeli Clark.

[@nicolosciscont9413]

FINALLY! THANK YOU!!

[@mgmcdb7606]

Thank you for your work comrades.

[@andrewlim9345]

I enjoyed Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talent. Good look at American society and politics from a Black Female perspective.

[@kawaiwong408]

Great as always

[@OddLeah]

I was a SciFi books fiend when I was younger, but I have NEVER heard of Butler before. Luckily my partner works for our library system, so Ill be able to get my hands on her works.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

I own all of those novels and more! Love this author!

[@SpeakWritePlayinEnglish]

Another incredible episode!