83 pages 2 hours read

Octavia E. Butler

Parable of the Sower

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1993

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Before You Read

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Super Short Summary

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler follows Lauren Oya Olamina, a teenage girl with hyperempathy, navigating a post-apocalyptic society plagued by climate change and societal collapse. Her walled community near Los Angeles eventually gets destroyed by arsonists, leading Lauren and two allies to travel north. Along the way, they form a group, adopt Earthseed, Lauren's new belief system, and strive to build a new life on land owned by Bankole, a much older man with whom Lauren develops a romantic relationship. Sensitive topics include sexual abuse, drug use, and violence.

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower is praised for its powerful storytelling and profound social commentary. Reviewers commend its visionary, dystopian world and the complex protagonist. Critics, however, note the pacing can be uneven and some plot points may feel underdeveloped. Nevertheless, it remains a compelling and thought-provoking read.

Who should read this

Who Should Read Parable of the Sower?

A reader who would enjoy Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler is likely drawn to dystopian fiction with deep social commentary, complex characters, and themes of survival and resilience. Fans of The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood and 1984 by George Orwell would appreciate its poignant exploration of societal collapse and human hope.

RecommendedReading Age

18+years

Book Details

Themes

Values/Ideas: Truth & Lies

Natural World: Climate

Genre

Allegory / Fable / Parable

Afrofuturism

Science-Fiction / Dystopian Fiction

Topics

Climate Change