As previously mentioned, I am going back and doing a bit of rereading and re listening to some of my old books and music.

Today it’s a 1993 shocking and enthralling novel by Octavia Butler. Parable of the Sower.

Set in the mid 2020’s in what was considered “post-apocalyptic” setting when written. But today, it’s far closer to reality. Far closer. Most of the people and cities that are encountered have regressed into homelessness, violence, drug use and the world is basically in survival mode. 

The story revolves around Lauren Olamina. A young woman from Robledo California. A gated community. A town built to keep looters, slavers and drug lords out. 

Lauren is the daughter of a pastor. She is also a “Sharer”. An Empath so to speak. Feeling the pain and injuries of others.. sometimes even of animals. The condition resulted from her mother using drugs while pregnant with her. And as we later find out, not as uncommon as she thinks.

Her town at first is holding it own against the mobs trying to burn and steal everything, but being relentless, eventually they manage to take and destroy the town while Lauren and just a handful of others make it out alive.

Lauren had been planning for an escape so she was more prepared than the others, but not by much.

With a plan to move North to reported better conditions Lauren finds a few stragglers along the way. Adopting, or maybe creating, a new religious belief she and the others call call Earthseed.

Tough conditions along thier journey lead to losses, hardship and doubt, but the small group push on North.

I first heard of Parable of the Sower on NPR (National Public Radio) in 1994 when it was already making waves. It was labeled as SciFi then, but now I see its put in the Dystopian Fiction genre and that really fits better. 

Written in such a descriptive, vivid, slow burn, format, you can absolutely see and feel the powerful events playing out. But that said..

At the time of my first reading, the plots and topics felt a bit far off and away from what was going on around me then. It had a feeling of being over the top and not quite believable. But remember, that was 1994…

THIS reading, Ho-Lee-Chit, this feels like this entire plot, the feeling, the location,, it’s happening right now! 

I don’t know if Octavia Butler’s intent was to scare people back then, but now.. it’s downright frightening as realistic as it is being told.. that slower but intense pace really gets to you as we are nearly really at this point in the world.

My one knock though, being 30 years since my first read, I think my view of the how the “sharer” impact has changed. Sure within the story, it plays out just fine and works within the plot, but I now think that it didn’t really need to be a point at all. If the whole Empath side of things were never mentioned, the book would be just as tight, just as emotional, just as heavy, maybe even more so by taking out the one unrealistic aspect of it.

But even so,, Parable of the Sower on the first read all those years ago was in at least my top 10 books of all time,,, But this read in 2025 (where the book is set) has got to be moved up to be in top 5, maybe top 3. Just a great, gripping read.

Go get this book right now. solid 4.8/5