Earthseed - The Parable of the Sower

Octavia Estelle Butler is a powerful Black writer. She has written many award winning books including those in the Earthseed series.

Parable of the Sower was the last book I read in 2024. I came across it while reading Black Earth Wisdom. It is referenced multiple times as an important story that inspires community making and collective action. 

I began writing about power because I had so little. - Octavia E. Butler, in Carolyn S. Davidson's "The Science Fiction of Octavia Butler."

Serendipitously, or was it synchronicity, the book, written in 1990s, begins in 2024. I was pleasantly surprised when I began reading it. It gave the story an extra sense of relevance and meaning.

For me, the takeaway was; prepare for the worst, accept what is, listen to your intuition, work towards your dreams, join with like-minded people, and don't give up. 

Easy to say these were the takeaways, but there is a big difference between hearing or thinking about these concepts and contemplating and meditating on them for weeks as you read the book. Reading the book helped me move the understanding of these ideas from mind to marrow. 

If you have read the book, I'd love to hear your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment below. 

*Cover art for Parable of the Sower by John Jude Palencar