“Parable of the Sower” by Octavia Butler, Book Review Example

I have never been a fan of science-fiction literature, before I became acquainted with the masterpiece of Octavia Butler, the book called Parable of the Sower. The story begins in the near future of America, with American civilization deteriorating rapidly over the last hundred years. As a result, crime is out of control, food is insufficient, and the economic and financial condition of the country is worse than ever. Moreover, people live in communities surrounded by walls, watched over by families fighting together for survival. Lauren, the protagonist of the story, lives in one of such communities. Her father, beside being a local preacher, is a very strong man. Lauren is also an empath, feeling pain and pleasure of other people. However, existing in such a cruel and inhumane world, she mostly experiences pain and misery. What has surprised me greatly is the fact that after Lauren’s community is attacked and most of her relatives and friends die, she becomes a sort of a messiah and creates her own religion. While travelling North in search of work and safety, she attracts disciples, and teach them that God is change, meaning, as far as I understand, that there is a way to change the brutal and heartless world into something better through love and change. Though it seemed to me that the story is somewhat overloaded with religious ideas, it does not interfere with a great and thoughtful plot, which vividly represents the modern problems of racism, hatred, greed, and self-interest.