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Octavia E. Butler: 214 quotes29 likes

“No one thought about what kind of society we were building with such stupid decisions. People who could afford to educate their children in private schools were glad to see the government finally stop wasting their tax money, educating other people’s children. They seemed to think they lived on Mars. They imagined that a country filled with poor, uneducated, unemployable people somehow wouldn’t hurt them!”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Talents

Source: Parable of the Talents (1998), Chapter 20 (p. 404)

““I’ll tell you,” she said softly. “But you won’t like it.”
He looked away from her. “I asked for the truth. Whether I like it or not, I have to know.””

Octavia E. Butler book Patternmaster

Source: Patternmaster (1976), Chapter 6 (p. 717)

“Beware:
Ignorance
Protects itself
Ignorance
Promotes suspicion.
Suspicion
Engenders fear.
Fear quails,
Irrational and blind,
Or fear looms,
Defiant and closed.
Blind, closed,
Suspicious, afraid,
Ignorance
Protects itself,
And protected,
Ignorance grows.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Talents

Source: Parable of the Talents (1998), Chapter 12 (p. 225)

“So he had locked her in the closet. Some of his people, ignorant and fearful, could not quite believe her illness was not contagious. Badger locked her away from them for her own safety. She had seen for herself how eager they were to get her out of their sight.”

Octavia E. Butler book Clay's Ark

Source: Clay's Ark (1984), Chapter 28 (p. 609)

“All struggles
Are essentially
Power struggles.
Who will rule,
Who will lead,
Who will define,
refine,
confine,
design,
Who will dominate.
All struggles
Are essentially
Power struggles,
And most
are no more intellectual
than two rams
knocking their heads together.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Sower

Source: Parable of the Sower (1993), Chapter 8 (p. 94)

“All that you touch
You Change.

All that you Change
Changes you.

The only lasting truth
Is Change.

God
Is Change.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Sower

Source: Parable of the Sower (1993), Chapter 1 (p. 3)

“When vision fails
Direction is lost.

When direction is lost
Purpose may be forgotten.

When purpose if forgotten
Emotion rules alone.

When emotion rules alone,
Destruction…destruction.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Talents

Source: Parable of the Talents (1998), Chapter 13 (p. 239)

“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.”

Octavia E. Butler book Bloodchild and Other Stories

Source: Bloodchild and Other Stories

“People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn't bother me. It's other people doing the calling that bothers me.”

Octavia E. Butler

“You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it.
That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”

Octavia E. Butler

“I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell.”

Octavia E. Butler

“Drowning people
Sometimes die
Fighting their rescuers.”

Octavia E. Butler

“I'm a pessimist if I'm not careful, a feminist, a Black,… an oil-and-water combination of ambition, laziness, insecurity, certainty, and drive.”

Octavia E. Butler

“Better to stay alive," I said. "At least while there's a chance to get free." I thought of the sleeping pills in my bag and wondered just how great a hypocrite I was. It was so easy to advise other people to live with their pain.”

Octavia E. Butler book Kindred

Source: Kindred

“I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.”

Octavia E. Butler

“Kindness eases change
Love quiets fear”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Talents

Source: Parable of the Talents