Remembering Octavia Butler: Black Sci-Fi Writer Shares Cautionary Tales In Unearthed 2005 Interview
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- Опубликовано: 4 окт 2024
- As Democracy Now! marks 25 years on the air, we are revisiting some of the best and most impactful moments from the program’s history, including one of the last television interviews given by the visionary Black science-fiction writer Octavia Butler. She spoke to Democracy Now! in November 2005, just three months before she died on February 24, 2006, at age 58. Butler was the first Black woman to win Hugo and Nebula awards for science-fiction writing and the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur “genius” fellowship. Her best-known books include the classics “Kindred,” as well as “Parable of the Sower” and “Parable of the Talents” - two-thirds of a trilogy that was never finished. Her work inspired a new generation of Black science-fiction writers, and she has been called “the Mother of Afrofuturism.” Her 2005 interview with Democracy Now! took place shortly after Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans and as President George W. Bush was overseeing the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When asked how she set out to become a science-fiction writer when there were so few examples of Black women working in the genre, Butler said she never doubted her abilities. “I assumed that I could do it,” she said. “I wasn’t being brave or even thoughtful. I wanted it. And I assumed I could have it.”
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Octavia Butler is not only a science fiction cautionary writer, she is a prophet
The fact that the imaginary American president's slogan in her book was "make America great again" gives me goosebumps
@Wally World It's never too late brother.
I hope a lot of her stories don’t come true!
Came here to say this... 🗣 She is a prophet!
@@P.Funk22 yeah no more prophet coming
She knew the truth of this wicked world. She saw the future.
👍🏾
She?
@@showintell please do not start with the physical bashing.
@@geemcgraff8281 biology matters. ead
@@showintell are you just spewing toxic unfounded drivel from your socially conditioned head or do you have a basis for this statement?
Damn, that lady had a beautiful mind.
Lady? This is a guy
@@showintell You're an idiot.
@@Armistead_MacSkye indeed, im a private person
@@showintell
Quite possibly born an hermaphrodite.
Right?!! I was going to comment this lol💙✨
"Religion is such a powerful thing it's bound to be misused." And it CONSTANTLY is!
It is profound
Power is corruptible. Any power. Wether religious or atheistic.
The bias lies in super atheists tending to think that religion is at fault, the belief in a God...Instead of seeing that it is mankind that when in/with power it can easily be corrupted and corruptive. But we as humans love to shift blame and kill dissonance. The irony here-in is huge.
@@Stoney-Jacksman Most atheists see the notion of a god as a man-made construct,so I'm not sure what you mean.
@@JEHill I added a 'the' in my edit. Maybe now it is easier for you to understand?
@@Stoney-Jacksman This wasn't a misunderstanding so much as your comment doesn't make sense as it relates to atheists.
To all young writers...write something today. Dont worry if its good enough.
Will do!
Thank u! ❤❤❤❤❤
@Sum of all Fears it's a "style", if you wish.
@rad dish old & middle aged writers, as well😉🙌
I will try...
I read her books in the '90s and can't find any sci-fi author I enjoy more. Black people need to write their own stories, regardless if it gets published or not. There is power in the word.
I love her books too but try Tananarive Due
Haven’t read Tananarive due but I know blair Underwood is behind publishing those books
@@MsLuvmusic81 whose Blair Underwood
@@israeliana An actor
Try Nnedi Okorafor. I'm actually pretty sure it's the Black student Ms.Butler is talking about in the video because Nnedi herself told this story.
61 never knew this about the first black sci fi writer my loss thank you
Not too late to read her books!
Her? This is clearly a man
@@showintell And your clearly a piece of 💩 grow up
*Black* women are powerful. Octavia Butler is a beautiful example. It's never too late.
@@israelianasubconscious mind control 101:
1)choose a known person of antiquity (Octavius Valentine Catto)
2)attach said person to a concept ("The Butler") you wish to promote for your agenda (perpetual servants/victims)
3)Combine (1) & (2) into an entity you can control (See movie Get Out)
4)Funnel your agenda through said entity as a buffer so you are free from liability. Have them speak glowingly of the concepts that will usher in your beliefs (Black lives matter, Naacp, The Root etc) and more importantly AGAINST anything that is counter your beliefs i.e free thinkers.
I’ve loved Octavia Butler since I first found her years ago. This interview is prescient. Wishing we’d all paid attention. Thanks Democracy Now for giving this wisdom back to us.
58 years young. Rest in Peace Queen.
I started saving seeds because of , The Parable of The Sower.
Me, too! I still can't bear to throw out seeds from my produce, either. I am terrible at growing things, but I can't help trying.
I have also spent 4 decades considering how I and my neighbors would succeed in living in our neighborhood if we had to wall it off from the world and survive collaboratively. This book made a huge impression on me.
@@SouthCountyGal so glad you pointed this out! I’ve had nearly the same thought many times
@@keho723 lol A thought now reinforced by the Walking Dead, but I remember for me the thoughts started immediately after reading Parable of the Sower when I was 13.
Loved that book! True. This lady is a genius...Beautiful soul.
I believe some artists are in communication with a higher power when they create, Orwell, Octavia Butler, many others. Parable of the Sower and Talents are both prophetic novels that we see unfolding in the world today. She was ahead of her time and a genius in her own right.
A true Artist recognizes the artist's place is to channel spirit from the Source. I agree.
Insightful point
Octavia is a phenomenal writer. I hope and pray that the Parable of a Sower does NOT come true. That book is terrifying.
@@AnimalTime659 Agreed. But the ways things are looking now in this world we are living in, I fear the worst 😳😳😳
True
Thank You Democracy Now! Octavia Butler Is One Of A Kind. A National Treasure.
I Have Never Heard Of Ms.
Octavia Butler Until Now.
I Must Read Everything She Has Ever Written.
Omain Shante Tu Yah Ase'
~°~
Excited for you!
Yes. you are in for a treat.
That's the great thing about books. It's never too late to discover a new author. Enjoy!
You will find them highly addictive and original!!
Looks like a former Mr
I love to find other females with deep androgynous voices. It is entrancing. R.I.P Queen.
"I wanted it and I assumed I could have it." This is a mantra that should be chanted by ALL American Descendants of Slaves.
We are more than that. Read Babylon to Timbuktu
Depending what you want,that mantra and practice could be bad for your health.
All who seek enlightenment 🕉
Mantra? Only if you seek self-destruction
They were not slaves. They were engineers, doctors, teachers, and artists. They so happen to be enslaved but Black History is rooted in Africa. It is rooted in the birth of humanity in the beautifully Black genetically diverse African continent.
Don't internalize what the white men call you. You're not from slaves you're descendent of Africans. Find our ancestry through DNA and embrace the culture. Africa to the world!
She predicted the future we are currently in. She was a gem and a legend. RIP
There's a guy that did a Ted talk back in 2015 that predicted what kind of technology will be coming out in the next 5-10 years. Does that make him a prophet? Or someone that is living in the future and projecting themselves in that moment/reality at the time? That is what is happening.
Not only in politics but even the slogan, ”make America great again”?
The phenomenal Octavia Butler did her level best to warn us. So many of the exact same issues she raised back in the 90's are the red flags smacking us in the face today.
Some visionaries don't get the acclaim they deserve during their lifetimes. Van Gogh, for example--& like him, Octavia Butler. Imagine, Van Gogh sold just a single painting while he was alive...but today he's recognized as a genius, a master of colour, & is loved & admired around the world. Octavia's day is coming. I hope I live to see her widely recognized as one of America's greatest visionaries, a day when she's read in every classroom & her novels sit on every shelf. She deserves it all.
If you haven't read her two Parable novels, you have one of life's rarest pleasures ahead of you: immersion in a truly great novel, written by an author with extraordinary powers of vision & storytelling.
This video was suggested by RUclips. I watched it bc I’m getting into the tech field and I wanted to start reading sci-fi. I’m a young black woman that just graduated from Michigan state university and this just inspired me to write my own in the future. I was meant to see this video, it gave me the epiphany I needed. Out of all the universities in the country she said MINE. That’s fate and I won’t be convinced otherwise.
This is CHILLING. She was a true visionary.
just discovered Octavia during the year of covid and love love love their writing.
She was a hidden treasure . You can count me of one the people. Who have never heard this late writer. But she live on through her writings in books.
Their? She is one person
@@femmenoir8847 When I am unaware of how a person identifes with preferred pronouns, I default to they/theirs.
@@tigerlily238 She's dead and can't give you that confirmation. So, just use her...😔😒
@@moniqueloomis9772 My default; You do you boo!
Her work has always inspired me. Wild Seed and the Parables are among my faves. I've been missing her so much over all of these rocky years. We need her voice more than ever. Thank you for this segment today💗
My first introduction to her was Wild Seed and then Kindred... I love Wild Seed much better followed by the Parable books.
We're lucky and blessed she was so prolific during her short stay on this Earth 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾
Her voice is so beautiful and luscious
What a brilliant person. I wish 🕊 I would have known about her earlier in my life. Now I will read her books.
Kindred was the 1st "adult" book...before that it was goosebumps... kindred is my favorite book ever...
RIP to the goat😔
Kindred is my favorite too. I’ve read it twice and will likely read it again some time.
I’m so late to her work. I’m reading Kindred now and wow! I’m in awe! It’s so good!
Excellent food for thought. Visionary.
Octavia Butler's words on electing leaders is the pin on all my social media accounts.
Thank you. It's as if she was seriously foreshadowing the last 3 years.
Would include 2021 as well, and the years to come.
Absolutely. We all know she's talking about rumpie.
@@sonnyroy497 And the fool is Beebee. 😉
Her voice is as badass as her way to speak
You can feel the inteligence leaking
Make Octavia required reading as well as other brilliant black authors. So tired of Europe literature stuffed down our throats in school and considered classics. Black children need representation in books in various genres.
Femme Noir....... ABSOLUTELY.
Yes, I’m older and white, and they were killing me with no culture ! We should all be taught , and have access to the great black authors, ect . Even currently for black history month, they teach about more ppl, but I would switch her with Jay Z , who is now represented! It’s like they hide the gold from us. Maybe if other cultures, were taught about all these hero’s, great minds , ect. The black race could have the respect they deserve.
Yessss thank you😊
Yes!
Huh? You can do both.
I dont care who you are... If you live in north america... when she was reading the first passage, we all thought of the same person.
Yep.
Indeed and that fool is still around
I thought of a few people tbh lol
@@jammin9061 completely fair. He’s definitely not the only one.
Thank you for introducing me to this author Octavia Butler.
A coworker told me about her book Dawn and since than I’ve become obsessed with all her work. It really makes you think about now and every aspect of life.
Thank you for republishing this, and for the original interview.
I am blessed that I had a really quality English teacher when I was in high school ( around the time this interview was recorded) who gave me a copy of Parabel of the Sower. It changed my life.
I would not have survived the hardships of my young adult life without EarthSeed and I deeply believe Octavia was a prophet.
Parable*
I appreciate DN for exactly this kind of treasure.
The human condition is predictable.
perfectly stated!
Nothing new under the sun
I remember her. I didn't know she passed away 15 years ago. How prescient was she!! I'm sure I have one of her books somewhere on my bookshelf!!!
I am passionate about her short story, “Bloodchild” - read it, everybody! Everything she said in this interview came to pass. So she needs to be read, because she knows what’s coming.
This is clearly a MAN
@@showintell what difference does that make?? Never mind. If you took the time to type such an irrelevant comment then you couldn't possibly have an intelligent answer for my question.
@@ddsfarmacy692 That irrelevant statement is clearly a juvenile attempt at an ad hominem attack. Pay no attention to the child.
That's very true
@@showintell God created us differently. I know there are those who have chosen to live as women when they are created as man but what if you are judging her wrongly just because of her physical make up.
She was more then a writer. She was a visionary among other gifts and talents she shared with world.
Thanks RUclips for bringing this to my account.
Throughout this clip I wanted to comment something, this is the first I've heard of Octavia. But I had to stop myself from thinking and just listen to what was being said. I'll be going back and watching this again.
If you're a Reader, start EnJoying Her immersive, prophetic & brilliant Books-:)
@@nadiadragonfly11 Right 🙂. I am a aspiring writer myself, it was very enlightening to be graced by the words she spoke.
I love her!! She's so prophetic yet so down to earth and realistic. I would have loved to meet her.
I too read O Butler 20 years ago. She blew me away. The thing I remember most is her statement that we must accommodate change.
I’ve heard of her and even was JUST looking at Parable of the Sower in a stack of books in my house that was my son’s from his English class in hs and thought that I needed to read this. I NEED to read her books, I see that now💜
it will be a easy and revealing experience
Rest in Peace my sister, your gift of prophecy and writing will always be remembered through your life changing novels.
When she said “my own conscious will get me” her crown is very much open
Exactly
Such a sharp mind. I could listen to her for hours
Shame on Gerard Bush for stealing her work and then claiming to have “dreamed” the concept .
What an insult the the GENIUS, CREATIVITY, HARD WORK, AND ORIGINALITY that she put into her writing.
Really? That's unfair. I hope they will give her due credit
@@michaelmaps2004 same thing happened with the writer of Matrix/Terminator and the Wachowski brothers 😒.
A prophet for our times.
I've loved Octavia Butler since I was a little girl. I love science fiction like Star Trek, Lost in space, Isaac Asimov and others BUT when I found Octavia Butler, I knew Black people had a real future in the future. She humanized Black people. She made Black people powerful and creative. I am so glad to see this interview.
This woman must not have gotten much media attention . Because I love books but I have never heard any discussion of this wonderful woman before now.
There was conflict with her religious views and her sexuality at the time of her releasing them. I remember still seeing negative comments about her lack of a belief system. No matter your religious views, her books were good. I wouldn't be able to tell at all anyways from it.
RIP QUEEN
My god. It's like she could see the future.
R.I.P octavia Butler.
I always loved Sci Fi and then when I found Butler's work; I really fell in love. I just read Kindred for the third time and Fledling for the fourth time. Parable of the Sower and Talents are favorites.
She was just a fabulous writer with both her characterization and plot twists. I loved that her novels were multiracial as well as multispecies.
I miss her. she was a brilliant lady.
She was anointed by YAH to speak future events. It wasn't science fiction, it was prophecy. SELAH.
Yes
Wow! Even back in the 80s people were dismissive of climate change as political. So much wasted time.
No hon it goes back further than that. It was the 30's when the United Nations started receiving concerns from various parts of the world.
Climate change is the agenda they use as a vehicle to perpetrate their tyranny. Eugenics and population reduction are what the oligarchy is working on.
Climate change is not controllable and is a natural cycle. Environmental impact is a different matter of which we absolutely can control.
What a gift! Did this world even deserve her....❤️
I've never read a single thing by her that wasn't prophetic, lyrical, hard-hitting, and brilliant.
She is incredible 😍😍😍😍definitely going to read her work!
She was that often abused word -- genius.
yooo. I'm in tears, Very grateful for Octavia's Wisdom. makes me proud to be human. proud to be earthseed
Rest in power Queen and certified genius. You changed what I thought was possible in Literature and taught me so many lessons on life and the human condition. Thank you for everything Octavia.
This is one of the best interviews I have ever seen ❗
I was shocked that I never heard of Octavia Butler before and I am very sad her books are not translated in my native language.
Marvin says: Don't panic and wear your Mask. 🖖😷👍 ❗
Octavia Butler and Richard Wright(Native Son) truly personify the reality of writers as seers. My they rest in peace!!!
I am a science fiction reader, and I only recently discovered Octavia Butler. I wish I knew about her when she was alive so I could have gone to one of her events. I am sad that she never got the fame she deserved during her life, but I am happy that so many are discovering her now after her death, myself included. She is one of the best sci-fi writers of all time.
Thank you Democracy now for adding to the conversation....
I have all her books.
my goal is to have all her books one day!
I have every one of them! It took me years to track down the book Survivor :)
Holy heck. She was awesome. I'd add an argument that some want freedom. A freedom that comes as a result of the combination of the desire to blindly follow, and the delight in freedom from the consequences of choice.... irrespective of the fact that that personal freedom may well result in the subjugation of others.
Thanks for sharing, as I never knew of this deep thinker. Peace and praise be to you Octavia E Butler.
some people really come to us from the future
She was a treasure... died before her time. And she is a boss... her books are the most shop lifted at Barnes and Nobles on Court st. So many years after her death. I was shocked when the store clerk told me that.
Everything that she's penned should be read and taught in schools
I needed this interview this morning! Thank you Democracy Now and happy anniversary.
Thank you so much for this piece. I never found Ms Butler an easy read but my love of the genre she worked within impelled me to persevere. I'm so glad I did. As a white male I was lead down a road I never dreamed existed. I began to frequent a different kind of bookstore and fell in love with The Woman's Press publications of the 80's and 90's. I suppose what I fell in love with was the idea of a discourse far outside of my own particular ambit. Led in part by the suffering of my three siblings who were for the most part treated terribly by the men in their lives. As far as I recall Ms Butler was not known for her love of the Deus ex Machina, for her it was always people who worked out the problems of their lives, or not. Octavia Butler RIP.
Octavia Butler’s work made me feel seen. She was such a bad ass.
Thank you, thank you for airing this. I love her books, and it was wonderful to hear her. So sad her life was cut short--for her, of course, but for all of us, too.
Happy 25th Anniversary! Thank you for speaking the truth.
One of my very favorite writers, whom I only "discovered" a few years ago. Last month finished reading PARABLE OF THE SOWER, which was rather frightening for it's possibilities. Thanks for re-sharing this.
Her books are very prophetic!
What an inciteful , brilliant mind - I'm definitely going to read her books - I feel like i've been blind and now I can see
Thank you so much! This was moving and inspiring and that excerpt about the fascist leader gave me the chills. What a powerful soul! Keep the wonderful work up, I love the fact, that Democracy Now exists in my life.
Surprised i wasn't subbed yet despite knowing this channel from Majorityreport & tyt.
Octavia Butler needs to be taught about more
I didn’t know her, I’m inspired. I’m committed to writing ✍️. Thank you Beloved Octavia Butler 🙏🏾
Sound more like she was killed but it could jus be the conspiracy in me
Exactly!
Lmaooo the way i was thinking i hope she wasnt killed
Was thinking the same thing
Now, of all the people in the world, please tell me who would want to kill this lady and why?
She is so wise and inspiring! I wish I had the chance to meet her. I’ve read her book Kindred and just a couple days ago I checked out a book that goes into detail about her creative process. I will be reading more of her works!! :-)
I stumbled upon her work about a week ago, this was perfect timing. "Parable of the Sower" and "Lilith's Brood" should be in my mailbox any day now. "Parable" in particular, caught my attention because it was essentially prophetic. It's a true shame I've only just encountered Ms. Butler's work. Can't say I'm surprised though smh oh the subtext of it all.
I cannot believe I just found out about her last week while walking around Barnes and Noble. What a treasure. 💗
Thanks so much for this video. Octavia Butler speaks to my mind so clearly. I've been treated badly for being an outsider, a sensitive, an artist. It's so painful to have seen this coming. Ms. Butler puts the words of the reality together so beautifully. Should be required school reading. I had a 3rd grade teacher when I lived in Bolivia that had her kind of vision back in the 60s. Now this broken place breaks people like me and all ordinary humans wanting basic needs and decent leaders.
wow I’ve never heard her speak and I’m obsessed with her voice. I dunno why but it really comforts me
Splendid!! Thanks, Amy & Juan! 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
What a Visionary! Thank you! Mic'21 ADOS South
This was a treat! Her Parable series could not be more relevant today! I had no clue there was a 3rd installment 😔 Odd that Wild Seed wasn't mentioned 🤔 But that's not for everyone.
I just checked out Wild Seed from the library...
Why isnt it for everyone
Oh wow I discovered her books recently must have entered another dimension. 😄
Me too! And I thought how did I go my whole life without reading her?!
This interview and her work are very relevant today. RIP Ms. Butler.
Thank you for this. I learned so much including who Octavia Butler is.
Uau, I so thankfully to you for making me to know this wonderful writer and person. I will read as much as her books as I can. I will introduce her to my daughter as a role model. My daughter wants to be a writer. 😊
what a treasure of an interview.
Reading. “Seed To Harvest” series now. Just finished “Wild Seed”.
Wild Seed... the best!!
Wow, how provocative and evocative.