Remembering unsung science-fiction hero/Genius Grant winner Octavia Butler

[ganzfeld]

Butler wrote in a genre known for exotic dystopias and Martian landscapes — where white men created the work and starred in the narrative. Butler saw great power in the parameters of science fiction. Instead of white men exploring galaxies, she could create futures or pasts where women of color were at the center of the story.

http://www.scpr.org/programs/offramp...ro-genius-gra/

[thorny locust]

We lost her way too soon.

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

Octavia Butler was a genius.

Originally Posted by ganzfeld

Butler wrote in a genre known for exotic dystopias and Martian landscapes...

I do think the author was cherry-picking to come up with that description, though. I know very few SF fans who would land on "exotic dystopias" as an initial description of the genre.

Seaboe

[GenYus234]

Especially as a initial description of the genre when she started writing in the '50's.

[Mr. Billion]

I have to say I'm a fan of hers. I've read her book Kindred and the three books in the Xenogenesis or "Lilith's Brood" collection. Disturbing but very good.

I knew she had been awarded a MacArthur fellowship, but I had never thought of what a distinction it is that she's the first science fiction writer to ever win one.

[Ryda Wong, EBfCo.]

She was utterly brilliant. I also believe that she, along with a few others, helped pave the way for more women and people of color to enter the genre.