Book Review

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Parable of the Sower is a dystopia written by Octavia Butler in 1993. It takes us on a journey to the future (2024-2027) in the United States, to the outskirts of Los Angeles and its surroundings. At this time, violence and chaos reign. Cities have become walled ghettos. Inhabitants must protect themselves collectively, through surveillance and the use of weapons. There is poverty, prostitution, and drug addiction, including pyro. This drug makes people feel pleasure by setting fire to and destroying houses and people. There is rape and even cannibalism. The police have lost their authority and the law, leaving only anarchy and chaos in their wake. In this context, Lauren Olamina's story unfolds. She is a girl who suffers from hyperempathy and navigates early maturity. She tries to protect her loved ones and herself, facing loss and change. This leads her to seek survival and create a better world in a dystopian future. The parable serves as a metaphor for Lauren's search for hope.

Despite Lauren’s efforts and the group she gathers while traveling north, the author leaves the story open-ended, questioning whether hope or Earthseed’s success is truly possible in a world where humanity itself appears as its greatest threat.

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