Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. MorrisMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Octavia Butler has been gone for nearly twenty years (she died in 2006) and she is still sorely missed. I never knew her, but according to this book, by all accounts she was a kind and generous person. But I have her books, her enduring legacy, and that is what this slim volume delves into: their themes and the ideas that Octavia circled back to again and again. She was apparently a keen observer both of human behavior and of history, and the most fascinating part of this book is how both Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents extrapolated the excesses and horrors of Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich into a future President who boasted of "Making America Great Again."
Sound familiar?
I don't think she would have been the least bit surprised by Donald Trump. She would have been disgusted, as I am, but not surprised. And that's the saddest part of all, that for the last twenty years we have been deprived of her intellect, her ability, and her razor-keen observations of the world. It's almost enough to make one weep, thinking of what could have been.
But we do have her past works, and the legacy of her genius. Her "positive obsession," which has inspired so many people. This is a good introduction to her work, perhaps not as deep as some, but brisk and relatable. If it motivates you to read her books and stories, so much the better. We need her voice and her vision today.
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