In 1993, Octavia Butler published Parable of the Sower, a work of speculative fiction that takes place in 2024. The main character, Lauren, lives in California in carefully cultivated safety with her family in a walled-in cul-de-sac while the ravages of climate change, severe poverty, robbery and drug addiction rage outside. After a major tragedy forces Lauren and the rest of the neighborhood outside the walls of the cul-de-sac, she hits the road and heads for higher ground, hoping to find a new safety in northern California. As she travels, Lauren gains followers, both physically and spiritually, as she fleshes out the belief system of Earthseed, which aims to harmonize humanity and change. In this episode we dive into Parable of the Sower, which today is almost unnervingly accurate, and we discuss aspects of adventure fiction and survival that appeal to us as readers, even during a pandemic.
Titles discussed:
Titles from the RA Corner: