Octavia Butler and a new direction

Octavia Butler accomplished many near-impossibles. She succeeded as a woman in science fiction. She succeeded as an African American woman in science fiction. She also broke out of the genre’s restraints to earn attention in the American literary sphere. It isn’t easy to win a MacArthur grant, for that matter, and some would say publishing a book that people read and talk about is rare enough.

canavanThough we’re excited about every book we publish, we’re Excited 2.0 about Gerry Canavan‘s new entry in our Modern Masters of Science Fiction series. Octavia E. Butler melds critical analysis and Canavan’s fascinating finds from the Butler archives at The Huntington to produce a truly eye-opening consideration of the way Butler’s life influenced her ideas, molded her works, and spurred her choices. Octavia E. Butler is also a landmark for the series. As you can see, the UIP Art Department’s stunning redesign of the series not only draws the eye, it pays tribute to the fantastic cover art that has graced SF books since the 1930s.

The post below offers a group of quotes out of Octavia E. Butler. Typically we do that to give readers a sample of a book. But we’re also Butler fans. We want to spread the word–on her achievement, her works, and her worthiness as a subject for in-depth study. Inspired? Interested? We encourage you to borrow a passage from Canavan or a quote from Butler herself and put it out there. Our Twitter feed will post more of the same. Enjoy.