She would have been 65 today. It still saddens me that she's no longer on this plane, but her brilliant spirit lives on in her powerful, creative works. Wild Seed was the first book I read by her. I was so blown-away by her vision and it felt absolutely amazing to read a sci-fi story with a lead female character of color I could finally relate to. Just amazing. I hope there are legions of young women (and men) writers of color being inspired by her imagination. There is still such a need for more diverse voices in the genres of sci-fi and fantasy writing. Every time I think of works like the Lord of the Rings or the George R.R. Martin's books, and the birth of the popular Game of Thrones tv series it's based on, it just smacks me in the face and burns. We deserve to be major characters in epic sci-fi/fantasy stories -- And not just ones who are sexually-charged servants, buffoonish supporting characters or suddenly killed off in the first act.
**Click the link to watch the second part of her interview with Charlie Rose:
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| African Venus by Charles Cordier, 1851 |
(Whenever I see a picture of this sculpture and some of Cordier's other beautiful pieces, they often make me think of Octavia Butler's work. This one especially reminds me of the character Anyanwu from Wild Seed)
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