Author’s legacy: Strong black women in sci-fi
The daughter of black servants, Octavia Butler made history in 1995 as the first science fiction writer to be awarded a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship, often called the “genius grant.”
The Pasadena, Calif., native’s futuristic fare – often revisiting slavery periods – enabled her to rise to great prominence in a genre traditionally dominated by white males.
Her stories – with strong female protagonists exploring race and humanity – garnered best-selling status, international acclaim and countless accolades, including Nebula and Hugo awards. Nebula Awards honor outstanding science fiction literature, and Hugo Awards are decided by the votes of science fiction fans.
The works of Butler (right) – which include her 1979 breakthrough “Kindred,” 1987’s “Dawn” and 1995’s “Bloodchild and Other Stories” – have been translated into 10 languages with more than one million copies in print.
Her 1993 novel, the biblically inspired “Parable of the Sower,” has been adapted into an opera by musician Toshi Reagon and her mother, Sweet Honey in the Rock founder Bernice Johnson Reagon. Fusing spirituals, R&B, electronica, folk and punk in a dystopian narrative, the show premiered last year in the United Arab Emirates at New York University Abu Dhabi’s Arts Center and has won over audiences in Boston, Chapel Hill, N.C., Philadelphia and other cities.
Butler’s final book, “Fledgling,” was released the year before her death in 2006 at age 58.
Speculative fiction author and Afrofuturism professor Tananarive Due considers the late literary legend a “matriarch” to a growing community of black scifi writers who carry on Butler’s legacy. Due teaches a 10-part public webinar, found at www. afrofuturismwebinar.com.
“Octavia Butler’s work has had incalculable impact on our culture, from science fiction readers to activists to readers who didn’t even know they liked science fiction,” she said.