Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
The Parable of the Sower is a harrowing story of an adolescent girl trying to make a life at the end of civilization. As civilization begins to break down, there are many trials of life that people must face, the loss of law and order, the loss of resources such as running water, the rise of more pathogenic drugs that cause people to do incredibly destructive things, and tragic loss of life. Our young heroine Lauren Olimina has a plan to escape and build a life and possibly save humanity, but she is only 15 years old.
We meet Lauren as she is being baptized by her father, whose religious preaching has brought his small neighborhood together in hopes of keeping civilization a part of his small community. But Lauren explains that her father’s god is not her god, and she recognizes the small, walled in neighborhood cannot last and that she must do something to save herself and, hopefully, others. As the outer world encroaches and finally overwhelms the neighborhood, Lauren must flee, and even though she has considered the problem and tried to make preparations, she is caught off guard. Now she must pick up whatever she can and head towards something more lasting. As she starts her journey away from the ruins of her neighborhood, she collects others caught in the same tragic events.
This is a story of hope and possibilities, with a terrifying look at the end of civilization and human behavior. The book was shocking, terrifying and completely engaging as Lauren faces each new challenge and how she ultimately succeeds.
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If you like science fiction, consider joining our Science Fiction Discussion group. We read short stories and books like, Parable of the Sower, and then meet to discuss the humanist themes in the stories. We also get-together to watch science fiction movies. We meet on the 4th Thursday of each month by Zoom. Check our Meetup site for details about upcoming meetings: https://www.meetup.com/JeffcoHumanists/
