Change is afoot as Kate and I take our first tentative steps to consider moving house. It is no mean feat after 8-ish yrs of growing lovingly attached to these four walls. But change can be good, and when it is it is worth the effort.
There is another reason for this train of thought about change: it is the central premise to the books I am reading – Octavia Butler’s Earthseed series. In my opinion the books are many things, including brilliant.
Parable of the Sower is a testament to the power of SFF in general, and in particular dystopian novels. Published in 1993, the story is set in LA in 2024. Now only 3 years away in the real world, it’s frightening to see how close this work of fiction feels.
The backdrop to the story is the impact of climate change on the world, with global warming giving rise to drought and rising seawater, widening the divide between rich and poor. Those with the means live in gated communities, guarding against the surrounding rising violence and chaos.
The book follows the journal entries of fifteen-year-old Lauren, born with a condition called ‘hyperempathy’ which causes her to feel the pain of others. As the world descends into a societal apocalypse, Lauren is forced to flee the place she called home. Along with other desperate soles, it is a dangerous journey, filled with grit which at times can be hard to read. The author pulls no punches in exposing us to the harsh conditions, which give real depth to the story, and for me, added gravity to the explored philosophy Lauren develops on her journey; the philosophy is called Earthseed, as the series name suggests.
Earthseed was my favourite aspect of the book, a train of thought which feels relevant to the world today. The book is a journey of the mind, as much as of the physical distance travelled, and this is what I was left with when I came to the last page. There is no tidy ending, only a desire to pick up the sequel, which I did and am now in the middle of. So far so great with Parable of the Talents, which at times leaves me wondering whether Octavia Butler actually had some talent to see the future…
What are you reading?
