Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower is a science fiction novel written by award-winning author Octavia E. Butler. Parable of the Sower is narrated by the text’s main character, Lauren Oya Olamina, a coming-of-age teenager of Color surviving in a post-apocalyptic society ravaged by climate change. Beyond her community’s walls, threats of theft, arson, extreme violence, murder, and rape are everyday occurrences. The book opens with a focus on her small, mostly self-sufficient community that narrowly shields everyone from the horrors unfolding near Los Angeles in 2024. She lives with her father—a well-respected minister—her stepmother, and her three brothers.