Parable of the Sower & Parable of the Talents

My thoughts on the Earthseed books by Octavia E. Butler.
Sorry if this video is quite choppy. It was much too long and I had to really edit my thoughts down.
Parable of the Sower
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Parable of the Talents
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[@vamps_rock]

REALLY late to the table on this one, but I never knew that there was a book 3 in the works. I read one and two last month and was blown away by them. Although the themes were dark, and had me bawling my eyes many times (yes I'm _that_ type of person!), it was the synergy with what is going on in America, and elsewhere, today that had me really catching my breath. From the first time MAGA was mentioned in Sower I felt physically sick and couldn't get it out of my head. Then in Talents, the regression to an alternative take of what used to be the norm in the USA had me reeling. I literally couldn't put it down. Sower drew me in but Talents, even through all the repugnant parts, just kept me going. I had many thoughts about Lauren throughout, and at some parts was confused about what I felt about her character as there was so much to admire, but when you mentioned her cult like behavour in terms of Eathseed, you hit the nail on the head. That's a big part of what I struggled with her on. Despite everything though, I felt the seeds (exc. the pun!) of repair and recovery throughout from Sower to Talents and would have loved to see what the third book gave us. TFS

[@mssa9487]

"Talents" is a continuation of the "Sower," narrated by Lauren's daughter, Larkin. Lauren rejected Christianity because it didn’t work for her, and she created Earthseed as an alternative, establishing her own religious beliefs. She described Earthseed as “a collection of truths. It isn’t the whole truth. It isn’t the only truth. It’s just one collection of thoughts that are true.” (124) Even though some identified Earthseed as a cult, she took care of the Earthseed family, established schools for orphans and other students, and sent promising students to universities. (402) It didn’t appear that Lauren was living a lavish lifestyle like Christian prosperity ministers today, as she didn’t own a home or rent an apartment. Though, she did do a lot of traveling abroad spreading Earthseed. What was most disturbing was Christian America, which “was” a cult made up of false prophets, terrorists, rapists, murders, who kidnaped children and enslaved people with different religious beliefs. Octavia wrote her book in 1998 and her writing style included journals dated from 2032 to 2090. What’s really striking and prophetic are the story’s political events compared to our real-life current events. The Earthseed community was politically conscious and the political animosity that existed in the story is similar to what we are experiencing today. The political characters resemble Trump (Jarrett) and Biden (Smith), and the purpose of Christian America resoundingly screams Trump’s infamous “Make America Great” campaign slogan. (277) I was most impressed with Octavia’s foresight, and how she demonstrated purpose, leadership, relationships, taking agency, and capacity building. “Talents” also demonstrated the exertion of power, conflict, resilience, and achievement. Octavia stated the "Talents" was a novel of solutions, but to some extent, I disagree because Lauren’s relationship with her daughter and her brother remained broken, and Lauren never forgave her brother.

[@phangkuanhoong7967]

Just finished reading the two books and immediately had to find some reviews. Grateful to have found yours. I think ultimately Earthseed is appealing not because of its cultish aspect, but because its an ideology that can be interpreted in several ways. To me, it's like putting the empiricism of the scientific method, in a semi-religious frame, as in, the verses can be observed, experienced and even experimented upon to prove their validity, and because they're written in a simple and direct way, to me, it's essentially applying the scientific method to survival and life in general. Lauren's persuasion methods are cultish, but that's kinda also how every other real world religion operates. the most pious in any given religion tend to either have grown up with the belief system, and attached to the community that came with it, or was going through a tragedy when their pious friends bring them in. Also, all real world religions are basically overgrown cults, in my opinon. To be honest, Lauren's methods didn't really bothered me until you mentioned it. To me, although Earthseed is a cult, the real material benefits it brings to their members, i.e. housing for the poor, education, teaching each other practical skills and knowledge, a genuine community, makes it a greater good than bad.

[@TheFarahProject]

I didn't know The Parable of the Sower even had a sequel! It's definitely on my list!

[@Kalanadi]

The story really takes a turn in it!

[@Nhlovo]

I picked up parable of the sower because you just recently got into religion even though ok not religious. There were times where I had to put parable of the sower on hold because of my anxiety, in parable of the sower it got hectic but it's things we all knew were gonna happen so the story for ke continue bit when Christian American invaded Acorn it was really heavy for me, after a few days I got back to it and I really got so much out of the book than I had expected, Lauren felt so relatable because I also have a saviour complex and her belief system made more sense than anything else I had ever read about, practical and straight to the point, Also understood why she had to trick people into believing in what she believed in, human beings are mostly not that bright and dont know what's good for them

[@MusicalTati]

Great review! I have such a love & admiration for Lauren for much of what you discuss here. I was very unnerved by Sower because it all seems so possible! To this day that part still bugs me. I loved Lauren's determination not only to get to a better place & make her own village, but to do so knowing she was at a severe disadvantage because of her ability. I've said the same also about Christianity being represented in sci-fi and OMG I totally forgot about Jaret's catch statement until you said it! Even scarier. I mean..damn. I bawled during Talents. I won't say where, but you can probably guess. I also had similar feelings about Earthseed & the CRAZY Christianity America or whatever the hell they were.

[@MusicalTati]

I just knew YT was going to say that was too long of a comment. I'm so glad you read these. I didn't like Talents as much as Sower either but I think that had more to do with how much I really really liked Lauren and then her kid offends me within the 1st 2 sentences of the book. Lol. Also with the reappearance of a certain someone who, I don't care what he said, helped ruin everything. And wasn't sorry. But anyway. I could talk about this forever.

[@Kalanadi]

I totally admired Lauren's determination too. It was very frustrating to see people not trying to move forward or to build, but instead live in stasis or destroy other people and things. Lauren really stood out; I didn't appreciate Earthseed as a religion, but the community-building aspect to give people a reason to do better.... that was needed. Lauren's daughter annoyed me too! I didn't like her attitude and her dislike of her mother was so obvious, I wanted to ask her "Why are you even bothering with this?" I wondered if her daughter was supposed to take up the story in the proposed third book, and she clashed with her mother so much because they were cut from the same cloth. The "certain someone" who reappears... I was FURIOUS at him by the end! Who the hell does that?!

[@epiphoney]

The Sword & Laser podcast/Goodreads group is reading it now.

[@youwerewild]

I totally agree. Parable of the Sower is one of my favorite books, and I've read it several times, but only read Talents once. Butler tends to be dark anyway, but in that book it is extreme, and I'm not in a hurry to revisit that.

[@Kalanadi]

I thought I'd be prepared for how dark Talents was, since I read Gerry Canavan's academic overview of her work a few weeks ago. He really highlighted the dark themes she uses a lot. But reading it was something else! I could see myself rereading Parable of the Sower. Have you read the Xenogenesis series?

[@youwerewild]

Kalanadi I've read most of her books several times but I didn't make it all the way through that series, I need to try again. I really enjoy most of the Patternmaster series, though (with the exception of Survivor and Clay's Ark).

[@worksupermodel]

Make America great again was actually the bush Reagan campaign slogan in 1980. So damn creepy

[@shopobjetdart]

Thank you for reviewing both books. You have definitely piqued my interests in Octavia Butler. And you have a new subscriber.

[@Kalanadi]

Thank you! :-) Hope you enjoy her work!

[@neurobibliophile3907]

Hi Rachel. Once again, I have thoroughly enjoyed your reviews and look forward to them. I have a question: I am curious as to how you read so prolifically with such a large volume of books.. which clearly are read with precise understanding since your reviews and summaries are so well done. Do you have any suggestions or advice to be able to read as rapidly and completely as you have been able to do. Will you perhaps one time offer a vid of such suggestions? Any suggestions would be appreciated~! Thank you!

[@Kalanadi]

I wish I could offer suggestions, but I really don't have any secret methods. I devote a lot of time to reading, I think about what I'm reading and constantly compare books (I think it's easier to suss out what's working and what's not in a story by comparing to a similar one, or just what else I'm reading at the same time), and I also read *about* the books I'm reading.

[@FinalBlowJoe]

Great review Rachel. You definitely have me interested in this. I need to read the third and final book of the Xenogenesis before anything else by Butler.

[@Kalanadi]

That's what I plan on reading next - I have Adulthood Rites and Imago left. I think they will be more what I like with science fiction, even though Parable of the Sower was such an interesting read.

[@FinalBlowJoe]

We'll definitely have a interesting talk after Imago I suspect. The direction the books take is interesting and should prove more so in the third.

[@kittygbooks]

These sound really interesting and I do definitely want to try them as I read some of her work earlier this year and she's a fab writer :) Thanks for this great review Rachel!

[@Kalanadi]

Kindred was one that you read, right? I have rest of the Xenogenesis series, then I will tackle that. I suspect it's brutal like the Earthseed books, but so, so well written.

[@kittygbooks]

Kalanadi yeah it was very good!

[@youwerewild]

Kalanadi Read Kindred next! I really think it's her strongest book. Very accessible also and not a huge commitment like a multi book series.

[@nickabbott6088]

Parable of the Trickster, the final Parable, started but never progressed. Also, there is a retrospective of Butler at the Huntington Library in LA, through early August. gerrycanavan.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/scenes-from-my-octavia-butler-book-part-2-parable-of-the-trickster/

[@gorram]

Sounds like a very interesting duology - I've not read any Butler, though she is on my list to get to. Do you have a recommended starting point? These two sound like they might be a little bit further into an exploration of her.

[@youwerewild]

Jill Munro Start with Kindred.

[@Kalanadi]

I'm not sure I know if there's a perfect starting point with Butler. Kindred is perhaps her most popular, but I jumped in with Wild Seed when I was a kid, then Dawn last year. Dawn was very science fictional, which is what I wanted. The Earthseed duology is *really* where I see her typical dark style.

[@8nayrb]

Great review! Science fiction writers usually have some background in real science and critical thinking. I have not read much sci-fi that bashes religion but those that do probably hold the view that acting on information from one of the thousands of religions is silly. I imagine as in any story extreme views allow their worst ends come to pass. Richard Dawkins views on science and religion would be a place to understand these ideas.

[@karinlarsen4251]

To me this is a follow-up to the Bible's prediction of tribulation at the end of mankind. Very prophetic. So happy I am on the path of Trust and Obey the God of the Bible, for the glory of Jesus Christ

[@gustavramirez2891]

I read both books recently. I understand where Octavia was coming from - a lesbian raised in a strict household, where Baptist Christianity was forced upon her. I understand that. But I feel she went too far in bashing all Christians in the second book - not all Christians are deceivers, tyrants, and rapists. Not all of them would favor a repetition of the witch hunts and Inquisition. I’ve meet plenty of nice Christians in my life, who’ve been OK with my orientation and theological disagreement (I’m a gay Deist). I’m very sorry that Octavia had that experience, but I think a more nuanced portrayal of religion was in order. As for the “Make America Great Again” slogan in book 2 - probably a reference to Ronald Reagan’s campaign as he used that slogan long before Trump.

[@vilstef6988]

Yes, rapey books are not pleasant. You would not like Diary of a Space Tyrant by Piers Anthony. They are really rapey and the series as a whole is terribly brutal.

[@jett11west]

This is a fantastic review. The book sounds depressing as heck though. I think I'll pass on it.