Parable of the Sower
Octavia Butler · 1947–2006 · United States
Why it matters
A young woman with hyperempathy leads survivors north through a collapsing, climate-ravaged California. Butler's prophetic dystopia reads more urgently with each passing year.
At a glance
dystopianspeculative fiction
Difficulty 4/10fast pace329 pagesDirect diary-form narration despite a bleak, complex world.
Where to go next
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