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February 28, 2006
Octavia Butler, The Great SF Writer, Dies at 58
Wild Seed blew my mind in college - it was the first science fiction book that showed me how SF could not simply predict the future, but help us reimagine the boundaries of the human. In the midst of cyberpunk chic, Butler was one of the few SF writers as interested in bodies as machines. Years later, Parable of the Sower was the book I had with me the night I stayed up in the recovery room with my dad after his brain surgery.
A black woman, Butler was a pioneer in the white male world of SF. Today, when almost everything on the shelves advertises itself as "hard SF" - i.e., full of blowhard white guys with science degrees and guns - her voice will be sorely missed.
Science Fiction Writers of America Memorial Page
Posted by tedf at February 28, 2006 02:27 AM
Comments
I just found out this afternoon that Octavia Butler died suddenly over the weekend and have been at a loss this afternoon. She was one of the few "outsiders" that really made an impact on Science Fiction, bringing in culturally relevant issues in exciting ways. Her newest novel, Fledgling, has been on my must read list since it came out and now I'm oddly depressed that I didn't get to read it sooner.
Also, I'm surprised at the lack of coverage her death has received. Even looking today, I found a story mentioning that she "reportedly died on Saturday." For all her work, she deserves a fonder, more precise, obituary than that from online/news services.
Posted by: Sarah T ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.tedfriedman.com//nav-commenters.gif)
at February 28, 2006 09:39 PM
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