Octavia E. Butler: Likeness

Octavia E. Butler was American science fiction writer. Explore interesting quotes on likeness.
Octavia E. Butler: 214   quotes 29   likes

“When it comes to strangers with guns,” I told her, “I think suspicion is more likely to keep you alive than trust.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Sower

Source: Parable of the Sower (1993), Chapter 11 (p. 122)

Thinking

““What were they saying?” Daly asked.
“They disapprove of your profession,” Doro told him.
“Heathen savages,” Daly muttered. “They’re like animals. They’re all cannibals.”
“These aren’t,” Doro said, “though some of the their neighbors are.”
“All of them,” Daly insisted. “Just give them the chance.”
Doro smiled. “Well, no doubt the missionaries will reach them eventually and teach them to practice only symbolic cannibalism.”
Daly jumped. He considered himself a pious man in spite of his work. “You shouldn’t say such things,” he whispered. “Not even you are beyond the reach of God.”
“Spare me your mythology,” Doro said, “and your righteous indignation.” Daly had been Doro’s man too long to be pampered in such matters. “At least we cannibals are honest about what we do,” Doro continued. “We don’t pretend as your slavers do to be acting for the benefit of our victims’ souls. We don’t tell ourselves we’ve caught them to teach them civilized religion.””

Octavia E. Butler Wild Seed

Source: Wild Seed (1980), Chapter 3 (p. 42)

God , Religion , Smile , Soul

““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)

Truth

“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
People

“If you hear nonsense like that often enough for long enough, you begin to believe it.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Talents

Source: Parable of the Talents (1998), Chapter 15 (p. 291)

“He showed me his fantastic library first, and that helped me warm to him a little. A guy with a room like that in his house couldn’t be all bad.”

Octavia E. Butler book Mind of My Mind

Source: Mind of My Mind (1977), Chapter 2 (p. 288)

Guy , Help , Housing

“There’s no narcotic like exhaustion.”

Octavia E. Butler book Parable of the Sower

Source: Parable of the Sower (1993), Chapter 17 (p. 200)

““It was an old passion,” he said. “I haven’t touched a violin for months. I didn’t know what that would be like.”
“What is it like?” she asked.
He began to walk so that she almost missed his answer. “An amputation,” he whispered.”

Octavia E. Butler book Clay's Ark

Source: Clay's Ark (1984), Chapter 14 (p. 533)

Passion

“We can see that our Councils aren’t games like the tribunals humans have. The work of a Council of Judgment is to learn the truth and then decide what to do about it within our law. It isn’t about following laws so strictly that the guilty go unpunished or the innocent are made to suffer. It isn’t about protecting everyone’s rights. It’s about finding the truth, period, and then deciding what to do about it.”

Octavia E. Butler Fledgling

Source: Fledgling (2005), Chapter 21 (p. 220)

Law , Game , Suffering , Learning