“When I began to do a little public speaking, one of the questions I heard most often was, "What good is science fiction to Black people?" I was usually asked this by a Black person... What good is any form of literature to Black people? What good is science fiction's thinking about the present, the future, and the past? What good is its tendency to warn or to consider alternative ways of thinking and doing? What good is its examination of the possible effects of science and technology, or social organization and political direction? At its best, science fiction stimulates imagination and creativity. It gets reader and writer off the beaten track, off the narrow, narrow footpath of what "everyone" is saying, doing, thinking -- whoever "everyone" happens to be this year. And what good is all this to Black people?”
Quote by Octavia E. Butler
Work
Originally published in 1995, this compilation brings together several short works by acclaimed American author Octavia E. Butler. The centerpiece is the title novella, a complex narrative detailing the relationship between human refugees and an insect-like alien species on a distant planet. The collection delves into recurring Butler themes such as biological imperatives, interspecies dependence, and ethical compromises. In addition to the speculative fiction narratives, the volume includes authorial afterwords that offer readers a glimpse into Butler's writing process, the origins of her ideas, and her thoughts on the science fiction genre. more
Author
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“Lila!" he said cheerfully. "So you aren't a figment of my brothers imagination after all.”