Parable of the Talents

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Octavia E. Butler OG: Parable of the Talents (2012, Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.)

English language

Published 2012 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc..

ISBN:
978-1-4532-6534-5
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(1 review)

Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of depravity. Taking advantage of the situation, a zealous bigot wins his way into the White House. Lauren Olamina leads a new faith group directly opposed to the new government. This is the story of the group's struggle to preserve its vision.

As the government turns a blind eye to the violent bigots who consider a black female leader a threat, Lauren Olamina must either sacrifice her child and her followers or forsake her religion. The plot contains profanity, sexual situations and violence,

13 editions

Sometimes you have to bury your gifts to ensure survival

This book definitely felt like a bridge to what could have been the next in a whole series. In fact I wonder if what was put in the epilogue traces the overarching plot of what could have been. I really would have liked to see a conversation between Olamina's space colonization desires with her daughter's view of "let's make sure we've figured out how to live on Earth in peace before we head to the stars."

This book does seem to put a cap on the 'Pox that treats it as just a stumbling block in the world's progress, but I would like to have heard Butler's answer to the question of "now that we've overcome our greatest trials, how do we move forward?" I guess what I'm asking for is more spiritual and philosophical introspection, but the narrative stays pretty focused on events.

Subjects

  • Fiction, science fiction, general