― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:11 (eighteen years ago) link
''I've talked to high school kids who are thinking about trying to become a writer and asking 'What should I major in?', and I tell them, 'History. Anthropology. Something where you get to know the human species a little better, as opposed to something where you learn to arrange words.' I don't know whether that's good advice or not, but it feels right to me. You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence. It's just so easy to give up!''
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― Casuistry (Chris P), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:26 (eighteen years ago) link
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:34 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:40 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 00:43 (eighteen years ago) link
Dang. There are so few women's voices in sci-fi, and she was such a good one. :(
― Nutsy the Squirrel (pullapartgirl), Monday, 27 February 2006 01:02 (eighteen years ago) link
I think we need people with more courage and vision. It’s a shame we have had people who are so damn weak.
she wasn't one one of them, for damn sure.
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 27 February 2006 06:15 (eighteen years ago) link
― gypsy mothra (gypsy mothra), Monday, 27 February 2006 06:19 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 27 February 2006 06:21 (eighteen years ago) link
=(
i read "dawn" and "wild seed" over a few days, holed up in williamstown, MA in a big airy loft that my sister was housesitting. it was the beginning of spring, too cold for a southern californian guy to want to go outside but sunny enough that i could sit in the big windows w/ the IDM on headphones and lose myself in her world. i had just finished college. it was a big deal for me.
RIP
― vahid (vahid), Monday, 27 February 2006 07:33 (eighteen years ago) link
― etc, Monday, 27 February 2006 08:20 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Monday, 27 February 2006 13:55 (eighteen years ago) link
― adam (adam), Monday, 27 February 2006 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― pixel farmer (Rock Hardy), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:06 (eighteen years ago) link
She got used to the attention fast though, i think. I've only read the Xenogenesis trilogy and Wild Seed, but on the basis of that alone, she's one of the major science fiction writers, she built amazing worlds.
― milton parker (Jon L), Monday, 27 February 2006 20:36 (eighteen years ago) link
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/01/books/01butler.html
― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 15:53 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jaq (Jaq), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 15:59 (eighteen years ago) link
---
HARLAN ELLISON- Sunday, February 26 2006 13:47:2
...SOME SIMPLY AWFUL AWFUL NEWS
----------------------------------------------------------------
OCTAVIA ESTELLE BUTLER (1947-2006) died yesterday.
She was my friend, she was my student, she was a startlingly good and important writer, she was my protege, she was--again--my friend; and today she is lying in the morgue up in Seattle.
A winner of the million-dollar McArthur "Genius" grant, she was a novelist of coruscating individuality.
From what can be gathered at this early moment, something close to the following happened, some time yesterday:
Octavia E. (whom I knew, when we first met in the mid-'70s, as "Estelle" because her mother was Octavia M.) went out of her house, to get the mail, or the newspaper, or to water the lawn, or for some other mundane reason, had a stroke, fell in the street or on the sidewalk, or wherever, right in front of the house, and lay there...until she was (I'm told) discovered by a neighborhood lad, possibly a newsboy, who either ran home and had his parents call 911, or he did it himself, on the spot. The paramedics were called, got there very quickly but--and it's uncertain which--Octavia Estelle was either dead already, or expired on her way to the hospital.
More than that I do not know.
But THIS at least IS known to me: here was a remarkable, courageous, gracious, brilliant and extraordinarily talented woman whose like was seldom seen before her hard-won success, and whose like may be long in coming again. But sooner than would have been the case, had my Estelle not been here first.
Her dreams will be the sweetest.
-he
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 16:03 (eighteen years ago) link
― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 1 March 2006 16:39 (eighteen years ago) link
― Ian in Brooklyn, Thursday, 2 March 2006 06:48 (eighteen years ago) link
― Jordan (Jordan), Thursday, 2 March 2006 18:25 (eighteen years ago) link
― milton parker (Jon L), Thursday, 2 March 2006 20:18 (eighteen years ago) link
is there another thread that isn't a RIP thread? couldn't find one. i've been nabbing what i can of hers whenever it shows up in the bins at work. i've read parable of the sower, dawn, and kindred so far. hard to pin down what i like about her but i can't put the books down once i pick them up. where do i go from here, what should i look for?
― Check out these bent items: (arby's), Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:00 (twelve years ago) link
She didn't write anything bad (although Lilith's Brood--of which Dawn is the first part--is my least favorite.) The sequel to Sower, Talents is great. And so is the Patternist series (which is collected chronologically in Seed to Harvest.)
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:07 (twelve years ago) link
I've said this on other threads too, but anyone who loves Parable of the Sower, should really read Jack Womack's terribly underrated (and unfortunately titled) Random Acts of Senseless Violence which came out roughly about the same time (and is itself part of a larger--albeit somewhat stranger--series.)
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:10 (twelve years ago) link
I have also been on as much of a binge as my local library will allow. (I pester them to get her books, and they've found many throughout the Lambeth system, but they come in all out of order.)
I read Parable of the Talents last week (stupidly, without reading Sower first, but it was what they had) and though it was one of the most head-fuck territory books I've read in ages. Not because it wasn't believable, (which some of the Patternist books weren't, but that didn't make them un-enjoyable) but because it was so incredibly believable, that sense of "this is not actually science fiction, this is what is already happening, or could so easily be happening very soon." Which made it much, much more terrifying.
But also beautifully written, and full of hope, and made me almost wish that Earthseed were a real thing.
― ...I KERNOW BECAUSE YOU DO (White Chocolate Cheesecake), Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:29 (twelve years ago) link
talents and random acts of senseless violence were extraordinarily cheap on amazon and are on their way. thx.
― Check out these bent items: (arby's), Saturday, 17 March 2012 13:41 (twelve years ago) link
Ebook versions of her work out soon -- and here are the covers:
http://io9.com/5924507/an-exclusive-first-look-at-the-gorgeous-new-covers-to-all-of-octavia-butlers-books
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 July 2012 20:28 (eleven years ago) link
I don't like these anywhere near as much as I like the old mass market pb covers.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Monday, 9 July 2012 20:39 (eleven years ago) link
they're nohttp://cd.pbsstatic.com/l/76/5376/9780445205376.jpg
― john zorn has ruined klezmer for an entire generation (bene_gesserit), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:06 (eleven years ago) link
INVISIBLE CHILDREN
"african" face. gif
OCTAVIA E BUTLER
― the late great, Monday, 9 July 2012 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
reminds me of this ripoff
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_gSqWmU1tR5k/R08JnWcW2nI/AAAAAAAAAM0/IMTXzLNouFg/s320/nova.jpg
vs
http://theneonheart.com/skeleton/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/SamuelRDelany-Nova.jpg
― the late great, Monday, 9 July 2012 21:11 (eleven years ago) link
don't like those new designs at all
I've intermittently tried to get into Butler with little success. her stuff seems overly didactic
― the alternate vision continues his vision quest! (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:13 (eleven years ago) link
Out.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 July 2012 21:20 (eleven years ago) link
Have you read the Parable of the Sower, Shakey?
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:32 (eleven years ago) link
I.... don't think so?
― the alternate vision continues his vision quest! (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:35 (eleven years ago) link
You should give it a shot. The Patternmaster books aren't for everyone (except for Clay's Ark which is kinda its own thing anyway) and I don't rate Lilith's Brood at all, but the two Parable books are well worth it.
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:43 (eleven years ago) link
yeah I think it was the Patternmaster stuff I picked up
― the alternate vision continues his vision quest! (Shakey Mo Collier), Monday, 9 July 2012 21:46 (eleven years ago) link
http://beautone.tumblr.com/post/28910238328/octavia-butler-is-remembered-by-authors-samuel
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 15:36 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/obit/story/2012-08-07/Marvin-Hamlisch/56844358/1
Can't say I have any feeling for his music, but he was everywhere in the '70s.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 15:42 (eleven years ago) link
Sorry...clicked on the wrong thread.
― clemenza, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 15:43 (eleven years ago) link
lol
― Fig On A Plate Cart (Alex in SF), Tuesday, 7 August 2012 16:27 (eleven years ago) link
Nobody transspecies better...
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 16:35 (eleven years ago) link
thank you ned
― the late great, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 20:05 (eleven years ago) link
Yer welcome.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 7 August 2012 20:06 (eleven years ago) link
http://review.gawker.com/the-law-of-remembrance-what-octavia-butler-taught-me-1685340561/+jparham
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 12 February 2015 18:08 (nine years ago) link
a look at her unpublished archives:
http://boingboing.net/2015/11/01/the-incredible-treasures-of-th.html
― sleeve, Monday, 2 November 2015 17:57 (eight years ago) link
Wonderful to see that.
― Ned Raggett, Monday, 2 November 2015 18:37 (eight years ago) link
i heard there's some television deals afoot?
― a llove spat over a llama-keeper (forksclovetofu), Monday, 2 November 2015 18:38 (eight years ago) link
gonna pretend I didn't read that
― sleeve, Monday, 2 November 2015 18:45 (eight years ago) link
maybe don't click on this thenhttp://deadline.com/2015/09/allen-bain-bainframe-dawn-book-rights-liliths-brood-1201512687/
― a llove spat over a llama-keeper (forksclovetofu), Monday, 2 November 2015 19:12 (eight years ago) link
OK that doesn't seem so terrible after all, thanks
― sleeve, Monday, 2 November 2015 19:15 (eight years ago) link
Well goddamn. I'll give Google that much.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgRRI1wVAAA9k5r.jpg:large
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 22 June 2018 04:52 (five years ago) link
It remains a mystery to me why her stuff hasn't been adapted for the screen
― nevertheless, he stopped (flamboyant goon tie included), Friday, 22 June 2018 14:03 (five years ago) link
I went to this gallery show in 2016, and the musical performance. Most of the art didn't do much for me but the music performance was good.
http://www.desotogallery.com/attachment/en/55f713866aa72c9f38bb6662/News/5714eff77cc138da7f853727
― nickn, Friday, 22 June 2018 16:42 (five years ago) link
So after having devoured all of Le Guin and being about to start on NK Jemisin's trilogy, which Butler should I start with? Reviews of Parable of the Sower make it sound brutal, which I'm not sure I'm up for right now lol.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Monday, 27 August 2018 03:37 (five years ago) link
I'd recommend starting with Bloodchild and other stories since it is really great and a super quick read, then moving onto Kindred since it's her best standalone novel.
― methanietanner, Monday, 27 August 2018 03:57 (five years ago) link
Wild Seed (the first book in the Patternist series) is great, though it's pretty heavy as well.
― DPRK Nowitzki (EMEL), Monday, 27 August 2018 16:04 (five years ago) link
starting with Bloodchild sounds like a good idea. After that I'd say dive right in to the Patternist (start w/Wild Seed) or Lilith's Brood (start w/Dawn) series, but sure Kindred is great too.
― sleeve, Monday, 27 August 2018 16:08 (five years ago) link
xpost I will most definitely second that. Wild Seed is fantastic. I just recently finished the entire Patternist series (my first Butler). Honestly, I kinda wish I'd read it in publication order rather than in the chronological order of the narrative. They're all very different stories and don't connect as much as I might've preferred.
It's funny, Tracye, I was thinking about getting through all of Butler's work and moving on to Le Guin.
― Blag Blingeeborp (Old Lunch), Monday, 27 August 2018 16:09 (five years ago) link
Thanks all! I'm loving the NK Jemisin trilogy so far too so may have to devour that first haha.
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Monday, 27 August 2018 23:38 (five years ago) link
How correct, how *proper* this is. I had to stop catching up on the press conference that was detailing this to take it in. https://www.pasadenastarnews.com/2021/03/05/mars-rover-perseverance-rolls-out-from-landing-site-named-after-pasadena-writer-octavia-butler/
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 6 March 2021 01:27 (three years ago) link
agreed
― G.A.G.S. (Gophers Against Getting Stuffed) (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 6 March 2021 01:48 (three years ago) link
Good to see.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/17/arts/octavia-butler-vision-kindred.html
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 19 November 2022 05:13 (one year ago) link
Also good to see. May there be endless celebrations.
https://www.vulture.com/article/octavia-e-butler-profile.html
― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 23 November 2022 02:48 (one year ago) link
I did end up reading Kindred, and Parable of the Sower & Talents, havent covered anymore of her work but loved all those. Am looking forward to this TV adaptation, it looks reasonably faithful!
― Stoop Crone (Trayce), Wednesday, 23 November 2022 03:09 (one year ago) link