Search - Parable of the Sower

Octavia Butler doesn't flinch. This novel is her response to a future she found all too likely, where the rich live behind walls, where companies may virtually enslave their workers, and everyone else must fend for themselves. In the midst of chaos and anarchy, one brave and determined young woman puts forward her message of hope and self-reliance, gathering followers as she searches for a future for them all.

An amazing book - a frightening but (to me, alas!) believable vision of a bleak future, with a courageous heroine who sets out to save a little part of her world. Inspirational. I couldn't put it down. If you like Neil Gaiman, if you like sci/fi, if you're interested in religions, if you enjoy Heinlein . . . if you savor beautiful writing, this book is for you.

This near-future dystopian novel tells of a teenager named Lauren living in one of the few walled-in, middle class neighborhoods left as American descends further and further into chaos with an ever-increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor. Lauren is an empath. She feels the pain others feel, often incapacitating her, and her experiences lead her to develop a new religion she calls Earthseed. When her neighborhood is destroyed, she and other survivors head north, and she begins teaching them about Earthseed.

This dystopian novel suffers from a lack of a well drawn-out dystopia in which the characters are living. Although it is only 30 years after the early 1990s, no one seems to know why or when things started to fall apart so drastically in the community. The characterizations are strong, but they are unfortunately in a setting that makes these totally believable characters a bit unbelievable. Additionally, the Earthseed religion is basically The Secret with a touch of Buddhism and some heavy God belief tossed in. The passages about the religion aren't painful to read, but they aren't thought-provoking either.

While I didn't find this unpleasant to read, it also wasn't particularly memorable or enjoyable. If you really enjoy character studies and don't mind a dystopian setting, you'll probably enjoy this book. All others should steer clear.

Check out my full review.