Parable of the Talents

I fought my way through Parable of the Talents, not because it isn’t masterful - it is - but because Octavia Butler’s writing unflinchingly covers ideas and traumas that have become more relevant in the time since its publication. Butler was a soothsayer, unfortunately able to accurately predict the future based on the treatment of people in her present. It’s a harrowing read with obvious parallels to our current right-wing context. But it wasn’t until the epilogue that it completely destroyed me. This is a human story at its heart, with living, breathing characters who love and yearn, sometimes messily. It’s real, for every definition of real. I fought my way through Parable of the Talents, not because it isn’t masterful - it is - but because Octavia Butler’s writing unflinchingly covers ideas and traumas that have become more relevant in the time since its publication. Butler was a soothsayer, unfortunately able to accurately predict the future based on the treatment of people in her present. It’s a harrowing read with obvious parallels to our current right-wing context. But it wasn’t until the epilogue that it completely destroyed me. This is a human story at its heart, with living, breathing characters who love and yearn, sometimes messily. It’s real, for every definition of real.

The second (and unfortunately last) Earthseed book addresses most of the things that bugged me about the first one. Changing the perspective of the narration to Olamina’s daughter and thus a retrospective and slightly academic one is a real masterstroke. It continues the themes of the first book, especially how you have to build community - and a large one - to survive. What also struck me was how well the book conveys the lifelong pain of deeds that seem small in the grand scale of it. This is the one where a guy, running a hateful election campaign with the slogan "Make America Great Again“ becomes President. It's interesting that Butler thought that it would take a lot of societal collapse and an established religious figure to do it. Some people close to Olamina end up voting for him or supporting him and she shows that conflict in a very realistic way. Needless to say, a lot of horrible things happen in this book as well, and again, it comes with all the content warnings. But it's also kinda hopeful.

the writing is fantastic. also there is more... story than in parable of the sower, definitely more things happening and also more hope. somebody (I forgot the source) wrote about this "parable of the sower is about problems, while parable of the talents is about solutions" and yeah, this seems true. it is also still about horrible, horrible problems. some of these chapters were really hard to get through.

also everything seems so realistic - the characters and the choices they have to face, but also the USA/world politics.

the earthseed verses feel so much on point by now. they're definitely the thing I will remember most. as religions go, it's a good one.

EDIT: I wanted to add, if you want to read this book, check out the Octavia's Parables podcast by adrienne maree brown and Toshi Reagon. It is worth it for the songs from the opera "parable of the sower" alone!