Tag Archives: Octavia Butler

Bookshop.org’s 100 Bestselling Books of 2025 (So Far)

Posted on July 14, 2025 by Brian D. Butler

The online bookseller bookshop.org recently released a list of their bestselling books of the year (so far). The list is quite a bit different than what you might see from larger booksellers and looks more like what your local bookstore … Continue reading →

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Respect the law of consequences

Posted on August 18, 2024 by Brian D. Butler

Those of you who stop by TBTP on a regular basis know that I am an evangelist for the work of Octavia E. Butler . The first widely read Black science fiction author and Afro-Futurist pioneer was also a perspicacious … Continue reading →

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The only lasting truth is change.

Posted on September 14, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

When she was nine years old, Octavia Butler saw a sci-fi film called “Devil Girl From Mars” and thought to herself: “I can write a better story than that.” She went on to become the first widely recognized Black female … Continue reading →

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Snowstorm of Rejections

Posted on January 26, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

All authors face rejection at some point in their writing careers. Some of us throw in the towel and are content with publishing blogs, but the greats always seem to persevere. Here are some suggestions from writers who knew how … Continue reading →

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Mapping Fiction

Posted on January 21, 2022 by Brian D. Butler

Loren Latker, “Shamus Town” The Raymond Chandler Mystery Map of Los Angeles, the Wonder City of America, 2014. Map, 39 3/4 x 26 1/2 in. © Loren Latker, 2021. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens. I have always been … Continue reading →

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Black Voices Matter

Posted on November 8, 2021 by Brian D. Butler

Singer/songwriter/performance artist and actress Solange recently announced via her Saint Heron foundation that she would use the organization’s website to host a free digital library of rare works by Black writers and artists. The Saint Heron Community Library includes “stories … Continue reading →

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Predicting The Future

Posted on December 29, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

The late American author Octavia Butler died nearly 15 years ago, but the disturbing plague year that is coming to a close has resulted in a renewed interest in her books. Her Parable books were especially popular in 2020, with … Continue reading →

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The Parable of the Author

Posted on September 7, 2020 by Brian D. Butler

I am not a big re-reader of books, but at the start of the pandemic I picked-up a copy of Octavia Butler’s The Parable of the Sower. If you are not familiar with the novel, it was published in 1993, but was … Continue reading →

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