On Saturday, one of my favorite authors passed away. Octavia Butler was 58 years old.
She wrote a different kind of science fiction, and had a knack for bringing issues of social consciousness out and blending them with “what if..” Her last book, Fledgling, was recently released.
A few weeks ago, Mike and I had the pleasure of talking with Octavia. That interview is scheduled to be released in a couple of weeks, which now seems rather… awkward.
I got a few of her books for Christmas. I haven’t had the chance to read any of them yet.
Octavia was and still remains my favorite author. I am stunned by this news- I expected to be able to anticipate her books for many years to come. Everyone please read her books and pass them on to others.
I was stunned when I heard this news yesterday. Her Xenogenesis trilogy changed the way I thought about what it means to be human. This is a terrible loss to the sf community, and to the world.
Please play the interview anyway. It’ll be especially poignant to hear, though.
Dang, I knew this was the author you guys were trying to hook up with when I was in Phoenix. Just goes to show how mortal our “mortal coil” is. My condolences to her family. I look forward to reading some of her work to help her legacy live on.
Parable of the Talents and Parable of the Sower were, and are, incredible.
Her passing is a tragic loss for her family and for the science fiction community. Sadly, this is the last chance we have to listen to this wonderful woman speak. Please play her interview as soon as possible.