Parable of the Talents Author:Octavia E. Butler Octavia E. Butler continues the compelling story of Lauren Olamina and her struggle for survival in a socially and economically depressed California in the 2030s. Convinced that her quiet community, Acorn, should chart humankind's destiny by leaving Earth and peacefully colonizing the stars, Lauren and her faithful followers make preparations.... more » But the sudden collapse of society and the reckless rise of fanatics threaten Acorn's very existence. Now, with her followers brutally enslaved and her own daughter stolen from her, Lauren must fight back to save the new world order...or die trying.« less