Octavia Butler is one of the giants in SF, but I'm a little ashamed to admit it, and a little confused as to why, but I've never read any of her novels, even though I've really enjoyed the few short stories of hers that I've read.

Well, I've finally rectified that situation. I just finished The Parable of the Sower. Wow. Very, very good. I can see why Butler is one of the SF giants. It's a coming of age story of a girl finding hope and community in an America that's turned into a third world nightmare. That description sounds simplistic, but it is a very moving and engaging story, and well worth a read.

The dystopic view of America that she presents here is disturbing, mainly because it seems so very plausible to me. Dystopias are a staple in SF, but the ones that really hit home are the ones that seem plausible. I think that one of the things that makes SF relevant is that good SF writers take what they see around them and fast forward everything to see where that leads them. Readers can then take those extrapolations and see what they say about society and themselves. Butler's vision in this novel are kind of depressing on a wide scale, but hopeful on at least a small, personal scale.

If you haven't read any of her work, I'd highly recommend it. I know I'll be picking up more of her novels.

If you're looking for a new SF author to pick up, you should do yourself a favor and check out Tobias Buckell. I'm wrapping up his second novel, Ragamuffin right now, and it's a good read. You can even read sample chapters of it and his first one, Crystal Rain at his site. So you don't have to take my word for it. You can head over there and check out his work before buying it.

ArmadilloCon is coming up next month, August 15 - 17. John Scalzi, who I'm a fan of, is going to be the guest of honor. Anyone got any interest in going with me?

Warren Ellis found this quote from Frederik Pohl, and I think Warren's interpretation of it is dead on.