Parable of the Sower is a dystopian novel by Octavia E. Butler, set in California in the near future, where climate change has wreaked havoc with society. Crime is out of control, poverty widespread, and the government practically useless. People who can afford to, live in walled communities and take their lives in their hands when they venture out. When disaster strikes her community, teenage Lauren has no choice but to set out on foot, trying to find someplace better. Accompanied by two acquaintances from the community, she meets others along the way, but the question is always: Who can she trust?
Lauren is not your usual young woman. She is a “sharer,” a person who possesses hyperempathy, and can feel pain and other sensations that she sees in others. That makes her trip even more dangerous because the government will capture and enslave people with that trait. But her way of coping makes her even more special. She is developing a new belief system known as Earthseed, the culmination of which is to leave the planet and start over again elsewhere.
Parable of the Sower has somewhat of a cult status for its take on climate change, the responsibilities we, as humans, have for the planet, and its relationship to certain Bible passages. It is definitely a book with a message; it is also a well-written science fiction novel, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Come for the story and stay for the message. You won’t be sorry.