Octavia E. Butler by Kristyna Esquivel https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf en-us 2021-04-30 07:06:11 UTC 2025-12-31 20:44:00 UTC hello@padlet.com Biography krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477161722      With such special intention in the sun zodiac of Cancer, Octavia Estelle Butler came into the world on July 22 1947. Pasadena California was home to this shy visionary, the social isolation that she faced early on was how she first began imagining worlds where limitation was only as far as one was willing to go. Raised by women, a widowed mother and a religiously devout Baptist grandmother, she spent life outside of school  at times going alongside her mother to the homes she would housekeep for. Support came to her in the form of tools that fueled her passions; her mother purchased her a typewriter at the age of ten that allowed her the ability to expand past the scratches of a tween on the binder paper of hot pink notebooks, and into this altered state of consciousness. This could symbolically mark a point where she could feel the value of her words, value that was always alongside her.
Butler graduated with the class of 1965, and began attending community college in the evenings while working in the day time. During this time she won a short story contest for a story she had written, which may be indicative of what she needed to inspire her to continue her writing pursuits. Between her graduation in 1965 and throughout the 1970's, she faced a dry period with in which she struggled as a writer to get significant publication, up until she won the Hugo Award in 1984 which ultimately circumvented her success. During those few years she created the Patternist Series, a collection of short stories, and her novel Kindred.
The same year that she won the Hugo Award, she wrote her famous short story Bloodchild, which would go on to win her several awards. In two, five year periods she constructed the Xenogenesis (Lilith's Brood) series ('84-'89) and the Parable Series ('93-'98). California has been a hot spot for cultivating many science fiction authors within the span of a few decades. She spent the latter half of her life in this region, only relocating North to Washington after the death of her mother in 1999.  Fledgling was the last novel she wrote, which was in 2005. She passed away in her home in 2006, with the ultimate cause being unclear but being due to a possible stroke, and head injury from the result of the fall.

]]> 2021-04-30 07:07:29 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477161722 Major Works krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477162433 Patternmaster (1976) - Part of a series, this work revolves around the division of humans, into these subdivisions that are pitted against each other. A young protagonist has to relearn their position in this highly stratified and hierarchical society when he discovers he is the lineage of a Patternmaster, the elite class, but belonging to a the Patternists, a lower divison of class.
Kindred (1979) - In this novel, the protagonist becomes part of a warp in time in which she, a young black woman residing in L.A. in the 70's is sent back in time and finds herself on a Maryland plantation during slavery and meets her ancestral lineage.
Xenogenesis series: Dawn (1987), Adulthood Rites (1988), Imago (1989) - This series, released in 1990 and reissued as Lilith's Brood in 2000, is set in a reality in which interbreeding between humans and an intelligent species called the Oankali occurs in order to survive through genetic diversity.  Humans are saved from a dying Earth, but conflict occurs between the species.
Parable of the Sower (1993) - This is part of a two novel duology. In this novel, the focus is on a deteriorating Earth as the planet continues to succumb to the impact of human interaction. This science fiction novel not only focuses on a dystopian future but could be considered speculative fiction as we see the truth in this writing to become particularly accurate.
Parable of the Talents (1998) - This novel fixates around the religion of Acorn and their desire to inhabit other planets. This novel highlights the divisive nature of human beings and the conflict that is created through this.  There are more themes of speculative fiction within this novel, where Butler makes eerily accurate predictions of social issues.
Fledgling (2005) - This is a particularly interesting novel by Butler; this focuses on a species called the Ina. The story follows Shori, a woman who attempts to piece together aspects of her past that she is unable to recall. She realizes that she is attracted to and desires blood, which reveals the interesting theme where Octavia makes the main protagonist a vampire. Other themes within this novel focus on race and the variability that relationships can take that subvert bipartisan views. 

]]> 2021-04-30 07:07:52 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477162433 Major Themes krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477162758 Familial Relations - Octavia was raised by a single parent household and that seemed to be incredibly reflective in the relationships that she creates between protagonists in many of her works, such as Bloodchild with Gan and his mother. The relationship between these two may appear to be loving but distant, the type of resilience and strength a mother may have and need to protect and raise their child. 
Isolation - Growing up isolated and with writing as an outlet for that isolation, the imagery that Butler uses to depict this isolation is heavily used; this speculation derives from the dialogue that she often creates for the protagonist- there is consistent thoughts streaming from these characters which may come from Butler’s experience of self reliance and creating a world within her mind to keep her entertained and as validation for her thoughts. 
 Race and Hierarchies -  She writes of entrapment in Bloodchild, being, “inside of the preserve” (pg 1316). Reading about Butler’s upbringing and how she would accompany her mother to the homes of upper class white people. She was living in a non-segregated area of Los Angeles, but witnessed and experienced society as we went through the Black Power Movement. The language she uses to construct these ideas are very prevalent, especially in short stories such as Bloodchild, where the social stratification and separation is incredibly contrasting and obvious to what it alludes. 

]]> 2021-04-30 07:08:03 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477162758 Additional Links krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477163128 Image of where you can find Octavia's landing site

]]> 2021-04-30 07:08:13 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477163128 Additional Links krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477164495 An interesting video where Octavia discusses her childhood with Shirlee Smith. This is a wonderful and very special insight into how her childhood impacted and influenced her, with her very own words.]]> 2021-04-30 07:08:58 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477164495 A photograph of Octavia and her mother krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477169071 2021-04-30 07:11:11 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477169071 Image of Octavia E. Butler krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477174201 Posted on her would be 71th birthday on Google ]]> 2021-04-30 07:13:47 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1477174201 Achievements and Awards krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480609303 Hugo Award (1984) - Short Story "Speech Sounds"
Science Fiction Chronicle Award (1985) - Best Novelette "Bloodchild"
MacArthur Fellowship Genius Grant (1995) - First Science Fiction Writer awarded
Los Angeles Times (1999) - Bestseller Parable of the Talents
Arthur C. Clarke Award (2001) - Parable of the Talents 
Science Fiction Hall of Fame (2010)
NASA Landing Site named "Octavia E. Butler Landing" (2021)

]]> 2021-05-01 08:17:27 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480609303 Additional links: krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480629261 This is a link to an article that discusses Octavia Butler and her relationship to her hometown of Pasadena. This is a place that heavily influenced her world view and perspective, and in this article the author discusses that influence. ]]> 2021-05-01 08:43:48 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480629261 Notes of Octavia's Lilith's Brood, ideas of a character in the novel krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480633007 from the Huntington Library, Art Collections]]> 2021-05-01 08:48:26 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480633007 School Photo (Sophomore) krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480635329 from The Huntington Library, Art Collections]]> 2021-05-01 08:51:24 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480635329 Image of Butler's Spiral Bound Notebook krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480694451 from The Huntington Library, Art Collections]]> 2021-05-01 09:55:37 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480694451 Additional Links krstyna1 https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480697353 A very thoughtful article written about Octavia that summarizes and highlights her life, with a focus on her childhood and adolescence. Perceptions of her are also discussed in which the writer highlights what some people thought of her writing at the time. ]]> 2021-05-01 09:58:23 UTC https://padlet.com/krstyna1/rxiy0myvd8eekotf/wish/1480697353