SF/F April & May Book Study: Parable of the Sower

Sai · Apr 2, 2012

Hello folks, welcome to the real April book study

. This month we will be discussing Octavia E. Butler's 'Parable of the Sower.'

Spoilers will be streaking naked through the thread, so beware!

Previous book studies include:

2008:
Ender's Game (August)
Lies of Locke Lamora (September)
A Deepness in the Sky (October)
A Fire in the Deep (November)
Storm Front (December)

2009:
I Am Legend (January)
The Onion Girl (February)
Lord of Light (March)
Small Gods (April)
Beggars in Spain (May)
The Once and Future King (June)
Foundation (July)
The Graveyard Book (August)
Neuromancer (September)
The Last Wish (October)
The Knife of Never Letting Go (November)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (December)

2010:
Battle Royale (January)
Jhereg (February)
Cyberabad Days (March)
Tigana (April)
Next (May)
Perdido Street Station (June/July)
Boneshaker (August)
His Majesty's Dragon (September)
Never Let Me Go (October)
The Child Thief (November)
Solaris (December)

2011:
Lirael (January)
Blindsight(February)
Lavinia (March)
Hugo nominees (April)
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms (May)
Dawn (June)
Good Omens (July)
The Hunger Games (August)
The Last Unicorn (September)
Ubik (October)
The Colour of Magic (November)
The Caves of Steel (December)

2012
The Princess Bride (January)
The Prestige (February)
Servant of the Underworld (March)

Fenika · May 2, 2012

I ordered my copy from the ILL today

Sai · May 8, 2012

I just put my copy on hold. Should be in soon.

Sai · May 12, 2012

Go my copy from the library

. I'm juggling a few books right now, but I'll put this one on the top of my list.

Sai · May 13, 2012

I'm only a few chapters in and I'm loving this book. I've only read one other novel by Butler ('Dawn' as part of last June's book study) and found it kind of bland, so I was surprised by how the narration sucked me in here. I like how the story feels post-apocalyptic but at the same time there's still some semblance of order- wild dogs might be running loose in the streets but there's still presidential elections. There are a lot of interesting things going on just within the first fifty pages, but I'll wait until I've read further before going into them.

Yorkist · May 16, 2012

I happened to pick this book up in a major used bookstore coups recently. Count me in for the thread.

Sai · May 17, 2012

Yorkist said:
I happened to pick this book up in a major used bookstore coups recently. Count me in for the thread.

Yay! I hope you like it. I finished it last night and I really enjoyed it. It's going on my list of 'books I would force everyone to read if I were queen of the world.'

I have some looming deadlines, but I really do want to actually discuss this book. I promise there will be some lengthy posts in this thread very soon.

Sai · May 19, 2012

This may seem unrelated, but I'm tried of zombies. When I see zombies in a book, video game, or TV show, I can't help but see them as a sign of a lack of creativity and vision. With Parable of the Sower, Butler doesn't have to re-animate hordes of the undead in order to put our heroes in danger- they're enough going on already. Plus the dangers they face don't come from an unidentified virus or radiation from a fallen satellite, they're just outgrowths of problems that already exist in the present day. I found it staggering that the things Butler deals with here, like the privatization of public services like the fire department and the cops and the power of companies, are still relevant problems.

I really felt like I could see Lauren growing and changing over the course of the book while at the same time staying the same person. I liked the relationship between her and her father. Butler does a good job of capturing a teenager's perspective- Lauren may love and respect her father, but she still thinks she knows more than him.

I have some thoughts on this book and 'mundane' science fiction, but I think I might start another thread for that.

aliwood · May 19, 2012

*Runs to catch up*

Wait for me, wait for meeee!

I found a copy.

Yorkist · May 23, 2012

Damn, so I'm 1/3 of the way through and this is the best book I've read in at least a year.

I love the (lack of) description in the setting here. It's a cul-de-sac with a gate, and an island, with fruit trees on it. That tells me all I need to know.

The prose is just amazing - I love how when the protagonist gets scared or unconfident or further from God, the narrative voice starts to ramble, to lose its focus. I keep going back to the August 17, 2024 chapter and rereading it (around page 25 in my copy):

This is the right one, the true one. This is the one I keep coming back to:

God is Power--
Infinite, Irresistible, Inexorable, Indifferent.

And yet, God is Pliable--
Trickster, Teacher, Chaos, Clay.

God exists to be shaped.

God is Change.

This is the literal truth.

God can't be resisted or stopped, but can be shaped and focus. Prayers only help the person doing the praying, and then, only if they strengthen and focus that person's resolve. <snip>

God is power, and in the end, God prevails.

Contrast to a page later:

But this thing (This idea? Philosophy? New religion?) won't let me alone, won't let me forget it, won't let me go. Maybe.... Maybe it's like my sharing: One more weirdness, one more crazy, deep-rooted delusion that I'm stuck with. I am stuck with it. And in time, I'll have to do something about it. In spite of what my father will say or do to me, in spite of the poisonous rottenness outside the wall where I might be exiled, I'll have to do something about it.

That reality scares me to death.

Beautiful.

Sai · May 25, 2012

I really liked the Earthseed religion that Lauren 'discovers,' but I was a little surprised that it never touched on morality. Sure, it's a philosophy that might keep people alive (being prepared but also adaptable to unseen situations) but it doesn't seem to offer much in the way of moral guidance. There were some parts where a diary would have a section like 'they asked me questions about Earthseed and I answered the best I could.' I wanted more than that! I like the pace of the book and wouldn't want it to become bogged down with philosophical discussions, but maybe just one or two more.

Yorkist · May 25, 2012

Alright, finished it. Some books are so damn good that you don't want to pick up another book immediately. I'm chomping at the bit to read Butler's entire oeuvre but I just can't bring myself to pick up another one from my new (used) beautiful stack of books. I'm in mourning that this book is over. *sniff*

Sai said:
Plus the dangers they face don't come from an unidentified virus or radiation from a fallen satellite, they're just outgrowths of problems that already exist in the present day. I found it staggering that the things Butler deals with here, like the privatization of public services like the fire department and the cops and the power of companies, are still relevant problems.

Word. And I like how she addresses and explores these things - like debt slavery - without seeming to push a political agenda.

Another thing I liked about this book is its nonchalant treatment of sex. Like - women enjoy sex, people. Deal.

BTW, what's next month's book going to be?

Sai · May 26, 2012

Yorkist said:
Alright, finished it. Some books are so damn good that you don't want to pick up another book immediately. I'm chomping at the bit to read Butler's entire oeuvre but I just can't bring myself to pick up another one from my new (used) beautiful stack of books. I'm in mourning that this book is over. *sniff*

I felt pretty much the same way when I finished it. It's been a long time since I picked up a book that I just had to keep reading but at the same time dreaded finishing because it meant it would be over. I was so happy when I learned that she wrote a sequel, 'Parable of the Talents.' I have a copy out from the library but I'm kind of afraid to start it since I know I will get sucked in and neglect all the other book I have to read. Such as the book for next month's book study.

Yorkist said:
BTW, what's next month's book going to be?

Little, Big by John Crowley

Yorkist · May 28, 2012

Whoa, there's a sequel? *happy dance*

Sai · Jun 4, 2012

I'm just bumping this because even though it's no longer May (or April) I know there are a few people still reading this book, so please feel free to jump in

.

Evelyn · Jun 6, 2012

Hello everyone,

I read this book several years ago, and it blew me away. It turned me into a major fan of Octavia Butler, and I searched for all of her books. I loved them all. "Lilith's Brood" was one of my favorites, probably the favorite.

Her last book was "Fledgling", a vampire story, a very different take on the genre. I loved that one, too. I am lucky enough to live in Seattle, where Ms. Butler was from, and she gave a great author's talk about Fledgling right after it was published. She spoke about how she came to write it, and about her history as a writer (what it felt like to be a young black girl who only wanted to write and how nobody had a clue what was WRONG with her ... etc.) Wonderful speech! I became even more of a fan. She chatted with me afterwards, and signed my copy.

And then, trajedy struck a few months later. She slipped on ice in her front yard, hit her head, and died soon afterwards. So very sad. Such a great loss. I was depressed for weeks.

I just wanted to share with y'all. You know who she is! So many times, I say Octavia Butler is my favorite author, and that I'd love to write as well as her one day, she's my hero - and all I recieve are blank looks...

Thanks. Back to the great book discussion!

Sai · Jun 6, 2012

Evelyn said:
Hello everyone,

I read this book several years ago, and it blew me away. It turned me into a major fan of Octavia Butler, and I searched for all of her books. I loved them all. "Lilith's Brood" was one of my favorites, probably the favorite.

Her last book was "Fledgling", a vampire story, a very different take on the genre. I loved that one, too. I am lucky enough to live in Seattle, where Ms. Butler was from, and she gave a great author's talk about Fledgling right after it was published. She spoke about how she came to write it, and about her history as a writer (what it felt like to be a young black girl who only wanted to write and how nobody had a clue what was WRONG with her ... etc.) Wonderful speech! I became even more of a fan. She chatted with me afterwards, and signed my copy.

And then, trajedy struck a few months later. She slipped on ice in her front yard, hit her head, and died soon afterwards. So very sad. Such a great loss. I was depressed for weeks.

I just wanted to share with y'all. You know who she is! So many times, I say Octavia Butler is my favorite author, and that I'd love to write as well as her one day, she's my hero - and all I recieve are blank looks...

Thanks. Back to the great book discussion!

Thanks for sharing this! After I finished reading 'Parable of the Sower' I really felt sad that Ms. Butler had already passed away and that there wouldn't be any more books from her. Usually I'm pretty pragmatic when it comes to authors and their body of work, saying that we should be happy that we have anything from them at all, but with Butler I really did feel like we missed out on a lot from her dying way too early.

Yorkist · Jun 16, 2012

^I've been gone for a while, but what she said. Thanks, Evelyn, for posting about that.

Sai said:
I really liked the Earthseed religion that Lauren 'discovers,' but I was a little surprised that it never touched on morality. Sure, it's a philosophy that might keep people alive (being prepared but also adaptable to unseen situations) but it doesn't seem to offer much in the way of moral guidance. There were some parts where a diary would have a section like 'they asked me questions about Earthseed and I answered the best I could.' I wanted more than that! I like the pace of the book and wouldn't want it to become bogged down with philosophical discussions, but maybe just one or two more.

I really liked that it didn't. I think maybe part of the point here is that you can't depend on religion or any other organization to make you a decent person. You actually have to try to be a decent person. You have to make that choice, and that choice takes work.

That's why God = change. Change is growth.

It's kind of... meta-fictive.

Has anyone taken a look at a Bible to read the original allegory?

Just wikipedia'd it. Three of the gospels deal with Jesus's parable of the sower, and so does the gospel of St. Thomas (which is not included in the Bible). In St. Thomas's version, Jesus explains to the disciples the purpose of the parable and says...

the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to those on the outside, everything is said in parables so that they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding

In the traditional gospels' versions, Jesus says...

The sower sows the word

The seeds falling on the road represent those who hear the word but dismiss it straight away - the synoptics state that the wicked one (Matthew's wording)/Satan (Mark's wording) is what takes the word away

The seeds falling on the rocks represent those who hear the word, but only accept it shallowly - the synoptics state that these sorts of people reject the word as soon as it causes them affliction or persecution

The seeds falling on thorns represent those who hear the word, and take it to heart, but allow worldly concerns, such as money, to choke it.

The seeds falling on good soil represents those who hear the word, and truly understand it, causing it to bear fruit.

Just thought that was interesting.

Sai · Dec 28, 2012

I recently finished reading 'Parable of the Talents,' the sequel to 'Sower.' It's also great. Talents has a similar set-up to Sower: the first 1/2 is set in seemingly safe haven, but then it all goes to hell. Usually I don't like it when sequels hit similar beats to the first book, but here I thought it worked as it showed that it's not easy to break out of patterns and shows Lauren repeating many of the same mistakes her father made in the first book. I really recommend Talents if you enjoyed Sower- Octavia E. Butler manages to give the books a very satisfying but bittersweet conclusion.

SF/F April & May Book Study: Parable of the Sower

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Fenika

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Yorkist

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Sai

Book lover/Spy

aliwood

Penmonkey Contrarian

Yorkist

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Yorkist

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Yorkist

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Evelyn

I'm writing!

Sai

Book lover/Spy

Yorkist

Sai

Book lover/Spy