Podcast appearances and mentions of octavia e butler

Award-winning science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler was born on June 22, 1947, in Pasadena, California. Through novels such as "Kindred" and "Parable of the Sower," Butler expanded the boundaries of science fiction and became one of the most influential Black writers in American literature. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed with the latest news from a leading Black-owned & controlled media company: https://aurn.com/newsletter Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This episode engages with both the thought and practice of interconnectivity and collective consciousness in Indigenous theory. Niu/Knew/Neo Tā-Vā is framed as a talanoa/tzijonïk/storying conversation between Tāvāism, critical and global Indigenous theory. Mayan philosophy of time space is introduced and demonstrated to have overlaps with ideas of reality and life in Tā-Vā, which is explored along with critical thought. Some themes include: apocalyptic thought and response to change; cross cultural connections of shared social values; temporality beyond linearity; and calibrating actions. The role of sacrifice in sharing time-space is also considered in this emerging project, which is one of shifting the hoa (pairing) of Tā-Vā from dominant to global Indigenous philosophical traditions.   References: Giovanni Batz. The Fourth Invasion. University of California Press, 2024. Floridalma Boj Lopez. Indigenous Archives. Duke University Press, 2026. Octavia E. Butler. Parable of the Sower. Four Walls Eight Windows, 1993. Octavia E. Butler. Parable of the Talents. New York: Warner Books, 1998. Lewis Gordon. A philosophical look at Black music. Quinnipiac University (26 Sep 2019). Epeli Hau‘ofa. We are the ocean: Selected works. University of Hawaii Press, 2008. Tēvita Kaʻili. “Ancestral Voices of the Sea: Hearing the Past to Lead the Future.” In Anne Perez Hattori and  Jane Samson (Eds.), The Cambridge History of The Pacific Ocean Volume II: The Pacific Ocean Since 1800. Cambridge University Press, 2023. Miguel León-Portilla. Time and Reality in the Thought of the Maya. University of Oklahoma Press, 1990. Alexus McLeod. Philosophy of the ancient Maya: Lords of time. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2017. Manulani Aluli Meyer. “Holographic epistemology: Native common sense.” China Media Research, 9(2), 2013. Victor Montejo. Mayalogue: An Interactionist Theory of Indigenous Cultures. State University of New York Press, 2021. Arcia Tecun, ‘Inoke Hafoka, Lavinia ‘Ulu ‘ave, and Moana ‘Ulu ‘ave-Hafoka. "Talanoa: Tongan epistemology and Indigenous research method." AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples 14, no. 2 (2018): 156-163. Teresia Teaiwa. “On analogies: Rethinking the Pacific in a global context.” The Contemporary Pacific 18 (1), 2006: 71-87. Victor Turner. The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure. Aldine Publishing, 1969. Sione Vaka. A Tongan approach of integrating mental health care. TedxNuku'alofa (2 Dec 2021).

John, Alison and Liz dissect this year's Hugo Awards finalists! An uncorrected transcript of this episode is available here. Please email your letters of comment to comment@octothorpecast.uk, join our Facebook group, and tag @OctothorpeCast (on Bluesky or on Mastodon) when you post about the show on social media. Content warnings this episode: None Hugo Awards Best Novel A Drop of Corruption by Robert Jackson Bennett Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky The Everlasting by Alix E Harrow The Incandescent by Emily Tesh The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson Best Novella Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz Cinder House by Freya Marske Murder by Memory by Olivia Waite The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar The Summer War by Naomi Novik What Stalks the Deep by T Kingfisher Best Novelette “Kaiju Agonistes” by Scott Lynch “Never Eaten Vegetables” by H H Pak “Rapport: Friendship, Solidarity, Communion, Empathy” by Martha Wells “The Girl That My Mother Is Leaving Me For” by Cameron Reed “The Millay Illusion” by Sarah Pinsker “When He Calls Your Name” by Catherynne M Valente Best Short Story “10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days” by Samantha Mills “In My Country” by Thomas Ha “Laser Eyes Ain't Everything” by Effie Seiberg “Missing Helen” by Tia Tashiro “Six People to Revise You” by J R Dawson “Wire Mother” by Isabel J Kim Best Series Emily Wilde by Heather Fawcett October Daye by Seanan McGuire Old Man's War by John Scalzi The Chronicles of Osreth by Katherine Addison The Craft Wars by Max Gladstone White Space by Elizabeth Bear Best Graphic Story or Comic Absolute Wonder Woman Vol. 1: The Last Amazon A Girl and Her Fed A Wizard of Earthsea: A Graphic Novel The Invisible Parade The Power Fantasy Volume 1: The Superpowers The Space Cat Best Related Work Colourfields: Writing About Writing About Science Fiction by Paul Kincaid Inventing the Renaissance: The Myth of a Golden Age by Ada Palmer Last War in Albion: “The Cuddled Little Vice (Sandman)” by Elizabeth Sandifer Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E Butler by Susana M Morris History of Westeros: “Ragnarök vs the Long Night” The Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, maintained by Renay Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form Andor (season 2) Frankenstein KPop Demon Hunters Mickey 17 Sinners Superman Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form Doctor Who: “The Story & the Engine” Murderbot: “All Systems Red” Murderbot: “The Perimeter” Pluribus: “We Is Us” Severance: “Cold Harbor” The Wheel of Time: “The Road to the Spear” Best Game or Interactive Work Blue Prince Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector “Tabletop roleplaying in the world of Citizen Sleeper 2!” on Quinns Quest Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 Dispatch Hades II Hollow Knight: Silksong Best Editor Short Form Scott H Andrews Jennifer Brozek Neil Clarke Lee Harris Michael Damian Thomas Sheila Williams Best Editor Long Form Carl Engle-Laird Jaymee Goh Lee Harris Jenni Hill Joe Monti Diana M Pho Best Professional Artist Lulu Chen Kelly Chong Dave Kellett Tran Nguyen John Picacio Tom Roberts Best Semiprozine Escape Pod khōréō magazine On Spec: The Canadian Magazine of the Fantastic Strange Horizons The Deadlands Uncanny Magazine Best Fanzine Ancillary Review of Books An Unofficial Hugo Book Club Blog Galactic Journey Intergalactic Mixtape Journey Planet nerds of a feather, flock together Best Fancast A Meal of Thorns Eating the Fantastic Hugo, Girl! Octothorpe The Coode Street Podcast Worldbuilding for Masochists Best Fan Writer Jay Brantner for “Tar Vol” Alex Brown James Davis Nicoll Roseanna Pendlebury Jason Sanford Örjan Westin Best Fan Artist Terri Ash Geneva Bowers Sara Felix Richard Man España Sheriff Yuumei Best Poem “Care for Lightning” by Mari Ness “Hex Supply Customer Support Log” by Elis Montgomery “How to Become a Sea Witch” by Theodora Goss “Landing: Seattle” by Brandon O'Brien “The Mourning Robot” by Angela Liu “The World to Come” by Jennifer Hudak Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book Among Ghosts by Rachel Hartman Coffeeshop in an Alternate Universe by C B Lee Holy Terrors by Margaret Owen Oathbound by Tracy Deonn Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran Astounding Award for Best New Writer Sophie Burnham Kamilah Cole Antonia Hodgson Molly O'Neill H H Pak Jared Pechaček Credits Cover art: “Vibrant Award Culture” by Alison Scott Alt text: A cartoon. John, Alison and Liz are wearing Octothorpe T-shirts and matching purple baseball caps while standing behind a market stall clad in a very slightly different purple and with various delicacies upon it. The sign above the stall reads “Octothorpe 158 Hugo HOT takes”, with “HOT” in a little tiny fire. The sign below the stall reads “Always half-baked! Fresh off the griddle! Three-pack special!” Theme music: “Fanfare for Space” by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY 4.0)

Münchner Phantasten Stammtisch" Science Fiction und Horror"Online Treffen Hördauer 29 MinutenUnser Stammtisch findet einmal im Monat, meist online per Videokonferenz statt. Alle Interessierten sind herzlich willkommen.Einfach melden bei Udo per Mail: Udo.Klotz 'at' web.deEs diskutierten: Udo Klotz (Moderator)Marcus WeibleDie !TIME MACHINE versteht sich als ein Magazin von Science-Fiction-Fans für Science-­Fiction-Fans und erscheint seit 2018 immer zu Jahresbeginn, meist als eine Mischung aus Übersichtsartikeln zu SF-Subgenres, themenbezogenen Streifzügen durch die SF-Literatur und Einzelrezensionen zu bemerkenswerten SF-Büchern, bislang zweimal auch als Themenheft (zur Marsliteratur und zu Künstlicher Intelligenz).Die neunte Ausgabe untersucht die Verbindungen von Science Fiction und Horror, stellt das Gesamtwerk von Octavia E. Butler vor und wirft einen zweiten, ganz anderen Blick auf ihre Xenogenesis-Trilogie. Eine wissenschaftliche Untersuchung beleuchtet die Figuren in den deutschen SF-Storys von 2023, ein Essay vergleicht zehn aktuelle internationale Romane der Climate Fiction, und ein Rückblick betrachtet die Phantastik vor 25, 50, 75 und 100 Jahren. Wie in jeder Ausgabe ergänzen kürzere Einzelrezensionen, die »SF-Perlen«, die längeren Beiträge, die gerne mit Kompetenz punkten und Staubtrockenheit tunlichst vermeiden.Wenn Ihnen diese Sendung gefallen hat, hören Sie doch hier mal hinein. Mit freundlicher Genehmigung der Münchner Phantasten.Vorbereitung und Cut Marcus Weible, Realisation: Uwe Kullnick

Artist Eva Dixon talks about the sophistication of not understanding while making, the potency of found imagery, how our culture is shaping the difference between being seen and being looked at, and more.Eva Dixon (b. 2000) is an Australian artist living in London. Dixon's practice, spanning assemblage, sculpture and painting, explores homo-eroticism in sport and porn, the space race, lesbianism and industry. Horny reimaginings of goal celebrations and tackles play against seductive or kinky materials; aluminium sheets, walnut frames, darkroom filters, buckles, clips and leather straps. Rockets built from stolen street signs and gifted electrical spools. As a collector of things; disused industrial materials, old football and boy-mags, pins and play cards, the material is a key-research point to Dixon. Manipulating each component to spin wild and sometimes racy narratives. Advertisements seeking discreet and specific kinds of sex inform the next stages of Dixon's practice and speak to the loss of historical artefacts in the wider LGBTQ+ community, where fictioning is a prevalent tool passed down through generations.Dixon is a graduate of Central Saint Martins, completing a BA in Fine Art (Hons) in 2023. Recent significant exhibitions include solo presentations SCORE! at Split Rivera (2025), Mercury 13 at WIP Space (2025), and Lesbian Trucker Paintings at The Fores Project (2023). Notable duo exhibitions include Lands End (2024) and the 2026 duo exhibition Top Dog at Parlour Gallery, alongside presentations at Saatchi Gallery, Christie's and Rose Easton. In 2023, they were a recipient of the Maison/0 This Earth award with LVMH and recently was awarded 'Best UK solo presentation' at Minor Attractions. Eva's Instagram: @evadixon.pngReference links:Merlin JamesIan KiaerJesse DarlingGray WielebinskiSigmar PolkeW.P. Wakefield (hardware store)Phyllida BarlowSusan Sontag, Notes on “Camp” (1964)Richard Serra, Verb List (1967)Ada LovelaceAnaïs Nin, Delta of Venus (1977)Toni Morrison, Beloved (1987)Octavia E. Butler, Kindred (1979)Ursula K. Le Guin, The Dispossessed (1974)Samuel R. Delany, Babel-17 (1966)Episode cover art: “Throttle”, 2025, Polycarbonate Panelling, Screws, Stickers, Cards, Brackets, Metallic Insulation Tape, Fabric Tape and Engraving on Stretcher, 140 x 100cmSupport People Painting

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This week on the KPL podcast we are speaking with author Michelle Maryk about her debut novel, The Found Object Society.  Imagine a secret society that holds thousands of objects from all over the world and from different time periods.  Each object can take you on a voyage to relive the last moments of the person who died holding it. Listen to learn more.Author ReadsPinky Swear by Danielle GirardThe Dream Hotel by Laila LalamiKindred by Octavia E. Butler

This week, I talk with Susana M. Morris about her Octavia E. Butler cultural biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler. Listen to hear about: Octavia Butler's journey from a shy, self-diagnosed dyslexic student to a groundbreaking sci-fi author, and how her relentless “positive obsession” with writing shaped her career.   How Butler's work reflects deep research, historical pattern recognition, and sharp social insight—explaining why her stories feel prophetic even though she chaffed at that comparison.   The personal costs and creative rewards of dedicating your life to meaningful work, and how Butler's example encourages artists and writers to pursue their own Positive Obsessions.   Check Out Author Social Media PackagesCheck out the Bookwild Community on PatreonCheck Out My Stories Are My Religion SubstackGet Bookwild MerchFollow @imbookwild on InstagramOther Co-hosts On Instagram:Gare Billings @gareindeedreadsSteph Lauer @books.in.badgerlandHalley Sutton @halleysutton25Brian Watson @readingwithbrianMacKenzie Green @missusa2mba

This week's books are: Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler chosen by Maria Balshaw. The Overcoat by Nikolai Gogol (translated by Isabel Hapgood) chosen by Léa Ypi. Small Bomb at Dimperley by Lissa Evans chosen by Harriett Gilbert.The producer is Eliza Lomas for BBC Audio Bristol. Join us over on Instagram @agoodreadbbcPhoto credit: Erdem Moralioglu

Hosts Michael Tamblyn and Nathan Maharaj caught up on the latest private equity-fueled mergers & acquisitions, what we're not talking about when we're talking about the money made from books, plus a whole lot more. This episode covers: Rosetta Books acquired by Open Road Media Why private equity is (still) interested in the book business, most recently in German companies Bookwire and Zebralution Independent Publishing Group's move to add more direct-to-consumer services for their publisher clients (and why becoming a bookseller is harder than it looks) The "dark matter"* that's not being reported when we talk about the health of the book business Publishers and librarians duking it out over digital book pricing Sidebar on Heated Rivalry and the NYPL And a remembrance of Porter Anderson Beloved backlist books cited in this episode include Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis, The Rise and Fall fo the Third Reich by William L. Shirer, the works of Octavia E. Butler and William Styron. More author interviews at kobo.com/conversation Find past Booktalking episodes here    *Nathan said "grey matter" in the episode because his was failing him at the time.

Odcinek kaloryczny, wymagający spokojnego przyswojenia. Udajemy się z wizytą do trójki filozofów, żeby zapytać o co, do diaska chodzi z tą wolnością? Z jakiego powodu problemy z nią wracają do nas z uporem - zarówno w naszym życiu osobistym, jak i społecznym. Może istnieć wrażenie, że jest to problem teoretyczny lub slogan polityczny, ale okazuje się że jest bardzo realnym problemem. Nie tylko w kontekście dopaminy czy uzależnień, ale także tego jak podejmujemy decyzje i czym się w życiu kierujemy. Książki:- Erich From, Ucieczka od wolności, wyd. Vis-a-Vis Etiuda.- Hannah Arendt, O rewolucji, Wydawnictwo X.- Timothy Snyder, O wolności. Przewodnik po świecie, który można ocalić, Znak Horyzont.- Octavia E. Butler, Przypowieść o siewcy, WAB.

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/music

Breaking the World: Black Insecurity and the Horizons of Speculation (Duke UP, 2026) takes Black speculative fiction as a central archive for understanding global security culture from the Reagan administration to the present. Drawing on black feminist, critical race, and queer of color theoretical traditions, Justin L. Mann posits that world-breaking is an ethical and aesthetic orientation to the dangerous, worldmaking process of securitization--the process by which state and parastate agents augment and build up the tools, techniques, and infrastructures intended to make people safer. World-breaking appears in the fiction of Octavia E. Butler, Colson Whitehead, N.K. Jemisin, in the music and video work of Janelle Monae, as well as unexpected places such as the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. Breaking the World charts the difference between securitization and "Black insecurity." Linking securitization to mass incarceration and the militarization of policing, Mann contributes to Black feminist and abolitionist conversations that seek an end to institutional and structural violence. Breaking the World emphasizes that world-breaking is an important aspect of the Black radical imagination, showing that speculation is an essential response to the dangerous worlds of securitization"-- Provided by publisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

La humanidad se ha destruido a sí misma. Una especie alienígena la rescata… pero exige modificar nuestra biología, nuestra sexualidad y nuestra autonomía. En Amanecer, Octavia E. Butler plantea una pregunta incómoda: ¿vale la pena sobrevivir si ya no somos nosotros? Este episodio analiza el cuerpo, el racismo, el poder y el posthumanismo.Más info de Bibliotequeando Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

La humanidad se ha destruido a sí misma. Una especie alienígena la rescata… pero exige modificar nuestra biología, nuestra sexualidad y nuestra autonomía. En Amanecer, Octavia E. Butler plantea una pregunta incómoda: ¿vale la pena sobrevivir si ya no somos nosotros? Este episodio analiza el cuerpo, el racismo, el poder y el posthumanismo. Más info de Bibliotequeando Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Northern Gaza Water Fundhttps://chuffed.org/project/143318-north-gaza-water-fundsources used:About the trilogy https://electricliterature.com/now-more-than-ever-we-wish-we-had-these-lost-octavia-butler-novels/About the name of the bookhttps://www.akwaeke.com/butler#:~:text=People%20are%20still%20fighting%20for,the%20power%20to%20shape%20God.Goodreadshttps://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60932.Parable_of_the_Talents?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=uxQ9xh9CHg&rank=1Anarchists case for the bookhttps://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/earthseed-for-anarchistssign up for our fable book club to read along with us before future episodes:https://fable.co/club/lit-lib-pod-book-club-with-literary-liberation-264087449611Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitLibPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/literaryliberation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@literaryliberation?lang=enKristenTwitter: https://twitter.com/krxxtxnInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/krxxtxn/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@krxxtxn?lang=enMariahTwitter: https://twitter.com/hungryryeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hungryrye/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungryrye?lang=en

This episode is our last combined episode of the year, and we're closing it out by sharing the books that shaped our thinking, challenged our perspectives, and kept us turning pages late into the night. From nonfiction that gave us language for the work we do to fiction that transported us to other worlds, these are the reads that resonated most with us in 2025.La'Kita's Top ReadsOn Tyranny by Timothy Snyder20 lessons from the 20th century on resisting authoritarianism. The lesson that stuck most: "Do not obey in advance"—don't comply or shift norms before you're required to. A call to action that feels urgent and applicable beyond politics.Living in Wisdom by Devi BrownA guide to embodying your authentic self, embracing grief, and developing self-mastery. All the work is internal—journaling, meditation, being in nature—pulled together in a comprehensive way that challenges you to make these practices a way of being, not just productivity tools.Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler by Susana M. MorrisA biography that explores how Octavia Butler lived her life—her commitment to her calling despite doubt and rejection, her practice of manifestation ("so be it, see to it"), and how she created her own circumstances. Essential reading for anyone interested in creativity and creative leadership.Authentic by Jodi-Ann BureyA powerful exploration of how workplaces use "authenticity" disingenuously and what it actually means to be authentic. Filled with stories from women of color, Black women, and disabled women. Key line: "Authenticity invites us to declare I am not a worker, I am a person at work."The Source by Dr. Tara SwartCombines neuroscience with manifestation and intention-setting. A former psychiatrist turned coach who makes clear these are ancient ideas that neuroscience is just now catching up to. Step-by-step guidance on visualization, intention setting, and rewiring your brain.Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Fiction)A woman stands up on a flight and predicts exactly when passengers will die—and the predictions start coming true. Weaves together fate, science, coincidence, and anxiety in a page-turner that explores how much we make our own luck.Chloe's Top ReadsCareless People by Sarah Wynn-WilliamsAn eye-opening indictment of Facebook and tech culture that shifted perspectives on Meta products. A reminder that what we see isn't the whole story and it's worth digging deeper.Be Ready When Luck Happens by Ina GartenA memoir that beautifully acknowledges the role of both hard work and luck in success. Ina's honest about being in the right place at the right time with the right opportunities—and the privilege that created those circumstances.The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel WilkersonThe story of the Great Migration of African Americans from the 1940s-70s. A transformational read that raised the question: why wasn't this taught in school? Essential reading, especially for white folks in the US, to understand systemic racism and how recent this history is.Uncompete by Ruchika MalhotraChallenges everything we've been told about the benefits of competition. From being placed in "gifted and talented" programs as kids to operating in capitalist systems as adults, we're set up to compete—but this book offers a different path through abundance and collaboration.The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson (Fiction)Science fiction exploring different timelines and realities. Character-driven with themes of identity, privilege, and colonialism. The kind of fiction that makes you pause and think—and talk about what you're reading.Thanks for being with us this year. As always, thank you for your leadership.Resources:Navigating a big transition? Check out our Pivot Plan: 8 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Your Next Big Move.Think coaching might be right for you? Schedule a free consultation to explore how we can help you step into your next level of leadership.Interested in going deeper in your own leadership and building your network? Join the waitlist for The CoCreate Work Leadership Book Club to explore the themes from this episode in community—through powerful reads, reflection prompts, and live conversations.Our last session of the Culture Crash Course just ended, but if you're interested in a Culture Crash Course for your organization or team, please contact us at support@cocreatework.com.Interested in leadership development for your team? Our Workshops are a great wait to develop your team's skills and connection.At CoCreate Work, we believe in asking great questions. Click here to receive our guide to 40 Powerful Questions to accelerate your growth.We would love to connect with you!CoCreate Work on LinkedInCoCreate Work on InstagramLa'Kita on InstagramChloe on InstagramVisit our Podcast PageQuestions you would like us to answer on the podcast? Email us at podcast@cocreatework.com

Philip welcomes Susana M. Morris, author of Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler to the show. In their conversation, they discuss the generational impact and influence of Octavia E. Butler and her singular place in the pantheon of writers. The Drop – The segment of the show where Philip and his guest share tasty morsels of intellectual goodness and creative musings. Philip's Drop: Maigret (PBS/Masterpiece) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt33359676/) Susana's Drop: Abbott Elementary (Hulu/Disney+) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14218830/)

Writer's Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform. In this episode of Writer's Voice, Francesca Rheannon speaks with Susana M. Morris, acclaimed scholar of Black feminist thought, about her new biography Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler. Drawing on interviews, archival materials, and Butler's own journals, Morris shows … Continue reading Positive Obsession: Susana M. Morris on the Life, Vision & Influence of Octavia Butler →

You will be told you are "not enough"—but grounding yourself, reclaiming your balance, and trusting who you are is essential to survival and growth. In a very powerful conversation and being the very first interview episode on this show we get to hear from award-winning journalist and author Lynell George, known for her celebrated book A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler. Together, with Lori A. Harris explores the enduring wisdom of Octavia Butler—her discipline, her deep attention to the world, and the way she constructed the life she needed in order to become the writer she was destined to be. Lynell reflects on what Octavia would offer Black women leaders today, especially in a moment marked by layoffs, uncertainty, reinvention, and possibility. Ultimately, this episode is a powerful reminder of the urgency to pursue our passions and the significance of leaving a legacy that speaks to future generations. Octavia E. Butler's life and work continue to inspire us to embrace change, confront our fears, and take bold steps toward our aspirations. If you would like some help with figuring out how to transform your life! I can help you create a vision for a life that you absolutely love living. Click here to arrange a session with me. If you're enjoying the podcast, please share the show with a friend or, even better, leave a review to ensure others can benefit from it too! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THE EPISODE It is important to come together as communities and support particularly for Black women navigating their paths in a world that can often feel isolating. We are not alone in our world and there is no reason to try and do life alone. Affirmation and self-talk serves as a motivational tool and a means of self-empowerment. A FEW THINGS MENTIONED A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia E. Butler. FEATURED ON THE SHOW: If you're enjoying the podcast, I'd love to hear from you! Please share the show with a friend or even better, leave a review to ensure others can benefit from the podcast.

La parábola del sembrador (The Parable of the Sower, 1993) de Octavia E. Butler es una novela de ficción especulativa. En ella conocemos a Lauran, una adolescente que tiene hiperempatía, lo hace que sienta todo lo que lo ve que sienten los demás. Ella y su familia tratan de sobrevivir en una pequeña comunidad que trata de protegerse de un mundo que está sumergido en el caos, donde el clima ha cambiado y la sociedad se cae a pedazos.   Acompáñanos en este episodio para descubrir de qué trata este libro y qué tiene de bueno y de malo.   Música de entrada y salida: The Consouls - Arashi no Saxophone 2 (The King of Fighters '96) Funk Cover. Encuentra toda la música de The Counsouls en https://theconsouls.com/    Contesta la encuesta: https://alaaventura.net/encuesta/    ¡Obtén hasta dos meses de servicios gratis en Libsyn al iniciar tu podcast! Usa el código AVENTURA en al registrarte en http://libsyn.com    Contacto www.alaaventura.net/contacto  www.facebook.com/alaaventurapodcast  Twitter: @alaaventura  jboscomendoza@gmail.com   Ayuda a hacer posible este podcast a través de Patreon http://wwww.patreon.com/alaaventura  O compra el libro del que hablamos este episodio http://www.alaaventura.net/libros   

Erline joins us to discuss Octavia Butler -- not her works of fiction, but her life as told in the new biography written by Susana M. Morris, Positive Obsession. 

 I'm so excited to say that today's guest on the Great Women Artist Podcast is the esteemed curator, writer, broadcaster and cultural trailblazer, Ekow Eshun. Born in North-west London in 1968, Eshun has been at the forefront of creative culture for decades. Writing across subjects and presenting documentaries, Eshun has curated groundbreaking exhibitions. From the 2022 In the Black Fantastic, at the Hayward in London – to The Time Is Always Now, a study of the Black figure and its representation in contemporary art, that began at London's National Portrait Gallery, and has since travelled across the US. The author of multiple books: in 2006, he published his memoir: “Black Gold of the Sun: Searching for Home in England and Africa” an exploration of identity and race, that sees Eshun travelling through Ghana in search of his roots. And in 2024, The Strangers, a stunning work of creative nonfiction that tells the story of five pioneering Black men set against a vivid backdrop of art, culture, and resistance. So for this special episode we are going to deep dive into the women writers and artists who have influenced his life and career, including Morrison, the pioneering science fiction writer, Octavia E. Butler, Kenyan-American artist Wangechi Mutu, the Rotterdam based artist Ellen Gallagher, and photographer Liz Johnson Artur. Because, as Eshun himself says, “The great thing about working with artists is they don't walk a straight line or think along linear paths; they think in patterns, allowing us to approach long-established conversations from a novel perspective.” Octavia E. Butler (1947–2006) Hilary Mantel (1952–2022) Wangechi Mutu (b.1972) Ellen Gallagher (b.1965) Liz Johnson Artur (1964) Toni Morrison (1931–2019) Exhibitions mentioned: In the Black Fantastic, 2022, Hayward Gallery, London: https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/venues/hayward-gallery/past-exhibitions/in-the-black-fantastic/ The Time Is Always Now, 2024-present, touring: https://www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhibitions/2024/the-time-is-always-now The Clearing, space Un gallery, Tokyo, November 2025; https://www.artweektokyo.com/en/institution-gallery/space-un/ Books mentioned: Octavia Butler - Parable of the Sower (1993) https://www.waterstones.com/book/parable-of-the-sower/octavia-e-butler/9781472263667 Octavia Butler - XenoGenesis trilogy; Dawn (1987), Adulthood Rites (1988), and Imago (1989) https://www.octaviabutler.com/xenogenesis-series Hilary Mantel - The Wolf Hall trilogy; Wolf Hall (2009), Bring Up the Bodies (2012), and The Mirror & the Light (2020) https://www.waterstones.com/book/wolf-hall/hilary-mantel/9780008381691 Ekow Eshun - Black Gold of the Sun: Searching for Home in England and Africa (2006): https://www.waterstones.com/book/9780141010960?sv1=affiliate&sv_campaign_id=117976&awc=3787_1761656125_d069bd054bf50de1a9bfc45991a52d17&utm_source=117976&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=Penguin+Books Ekow Eshun - The Strangers (2024): https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-strangers/ekow-eshun/9780241990698 Herman Melville - Moby Dick (1851) https://www.waterstones.com/book/moby-dick/herman-melville/andrew-delbanco/9780142437247 Toni Morrison - Beloved (1987) https://www.waterstones.com/book/beloved/toni-morrison/9780099760115

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818) vs Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler (1993)

It's episode 219 and time for us to talk about the genre(?) of Vampires! We discuss the difference between thralls and familiars, why vampires love math, whether it's possible to not read vampire stories, how much blood is too much blood, vegetarian vampires, books that mysteriously show up on our holds lists, and more! You can download the podcast directly, find it on Libsyn, or get it through Apple Podcasts or your favourite podcast delivery system. In this episode Anna Ferri | Meghan Whyte | Matthew Murray

Welcome back to the Create Podcast. Just in time for the fall season, I am joined by Pam Grossman, a writer, curator, teacher, and practicing witch whose work beautifully bridges creativity, culture, and magic. Pam is the host of The Witch Wave podcast (called “the Terry Gross of witches” by Vulture), the author of Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power, and co-editor of Taschen's Witchcraft volume in the Library of Esoterica series. Her essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, TIME, and more. She has also organized exhibitions such as Language of the Birds: Occult and Art at NYU and spoken at institutions including MoMA and Columbia University. Her brand-new book, Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity (Penguin Life & Hay House UK, October 14, 2025), is a guide to connecting with the creative force through ritual, history, and practice. It explores how artists and visionaries such as Hilma af Klint, David Bowie, Octavia E. Butler, and Leonora Carrington have used magic as part of their creative process, and how you can do the same in your own life. In This Episode, We Discuss Pam's creative roots and how she began merging her artistic and magical practices Misconceptions about witchcraft and how the archetype of the witch has evolved How Magic Maker links art and magic, showing that creativity itself can be a spiritual practice Practical rituals to protect your studio time and invite inspiration, from lighting candles to leaving offerings or simply asking for guidance The idea of “low frequency” and “high frequency” desires in art and business, and how to balance material needs with higher intentions Pam's experiences speaking at institutions like MoMA and casting a love spell on stage at Carnegie Hall with Jinkx Monsoon The role of research, fascination, and intuition when writing a book Artists who inspire her including Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Hilma af Klint, Max Ernst, and Kurt Seligmann Resources and Mentions Books by Pam Grossman Magic Maker: The Enchanted Path to Creativity (Penguin Life & Hay House UK, 2025) → Pre-order here Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power (Simon & Schuster, 2019) What Is a Witch (Tin Can Forest Press, 2016) Witchcraft (Taschen's Library of Esoterica series, co-edited with Jessica Hundley, 2020) Podcast The Witch Wave – Pam's long-running podcast on art, culture, and magic Exhibitions and Projects Language of the Birds: Occult and Art (NYU, 2016) → languageofthebirds.org Art of the Occult by S. Elizabeth (recommended resource) The Spiritual in Art: Abstract Painting 1890–1985 (Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1986) Artists Mentioned Hilma af Klint David Bowie Octavia E. Butler Leonora Carrington Remedios Varo Max Ernst Kurt Seligmann Create! Magazine Open Call We are now accepting submissions for our fall curated exhibition and catalog: The Spirit World. This virtual show explores the mystical, eerie, and uncanny, making it the perfect theme for the season. Deadline: October 31, 2025 What selected artists receive: inclusion in the curated online exhibition, a feature in the professionally designed print and digital catalog, a blog post on Create! Magazine, and a spotlight across our international platforms.

Donate to the Northern Gaza Waterfundhttps://chuffed.org/project/143318-north-gaza-water-fundCheck out our socials!Twitter: https://twitter.com/LitLibPodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/literaryliberation/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@literaryliberation?lang=enKristen Twitter: https://twitter.com/krxxtxnInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenstbr/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tenstbr?lang=enMariah Twitter: https://twitter.com/hungryryeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hungryrye/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hungryrye?lang=en

Fresh off the release of her book Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of Color, Joy Sanchez-Taylor joins the podcast to discuss Jemisin’s The Fifth Season, a landmark book in SFF. Lots to talk about here: in terms of how the entire trilogy is tackling ideas about race and oppression, Jemisin’s approach to structure and genre categories, and The Fifth Season’s significance and ongoing legacy. Podcasts, reviews, interviews, essays, and more at the Ancillary Review of Books. Please consider supporting ARB’s Patreon! Guest: Joy Sanchez-Taylor Title: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin Host: Jake Casella Brookins Music by Giselle Gabrielle Garcia Artwork by Rob Patterson Opening poem by Bhartṛhari, translated by John Brough Transcribers: Kate Dollarhyde and John WM Thompson References: Diverse Futures: Science Fiction and Author of Color Routledge Handbook of Co-Futurisms Dispelling Fantasies: Author of Color Re-Imagine a Genre Ibi Zoboi's Skin Examples of YA novels in verse from the Boston Public Library Liliana Colanzi You Glow in the Dark, translated by Chris Andrews Center for Fiction Brooklyn Puppygate Jemisin’s 2018 Hugo Acceptance Speech Sylvia Moreno Garcia, Nnedi Okorafor, Nghi Vo Jemisin's Inheritance Trilogy, The City We Became Tomi Adeyemi’s Children of Blood and Bone Moses Ose Utomi’s The Lies of the Ajungo Ursula K. Le Guin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas” Octavia E. Butler’s Parable series The Elder Scrolls games Morrowind & Skyrim Jemisin on race in Skyrim Marlon James’ Black Leopard, Red Wolf Latinx Visions Conference, Nov 3-7 Marianna Enriquez Ananda Lima's Craft Colson Whitehead, Amal El-Mohtar Nghi Vo's Singing Hills & The City In Glass Joy’s Bluesky Suzan Palumbo, Zig Zag Claybourne VICFA World Fantasy Convention  

A magnificent cultural biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Amistad, 2025) charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation's transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler's story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler's personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler's stories. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God's sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn't stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you're afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It's about not being able to stop at all.” Susana M. Morris is the Associate Professor of Literature, Media & Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can find Susana at her website, at Instagram; on Threads; and on Substack. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack, where she and Susana went after the show to explore the question What Would Octavia Do? in our present moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/african-american-studies

A magnificent cultural biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Amistad, 2025) charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation's transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler's story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler's personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler's stories. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God's sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn't stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you're afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It's about not being able to stop at all.” Susana M. Morris is the Associate Professor of Literature, Media & Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can find Susana at her website, at Instagram; on Threads; and on Substack. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack, where she and Susana went after the show to explore the question What Would Octavia Do? in our present moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

A magnificent cultural biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Amistad, 2025) charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation's transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler's story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler's personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler's stories. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God's sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn't stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you're afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It's about not being able to stop at all.” Susana M. Morris is the Associate Professor of Literature, Media & Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can find Susana at her website, at Instagram; on Threads; and on Substack. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack, where she and Susana went after the show to explore the question What Would Octavia Do? in our present moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/science-fiction

A magnificent cultural biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Amistad, 2025) charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation's transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler's story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler's personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler's stories. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God's sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn't stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you're afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It's about not being able to stop at all.” Susana M. Morris is the Associate Professor of Literature, Media & Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can find Susana at her website, at Instagram; on Threads; and on Substack. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack, where she and Susana went after the show to explore the question What Would Octavia Do? in our present moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

A magnificent cultural biography, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler (Amistad, 2025) charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work. As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation's transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion. In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler's story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her life: the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women's liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler's personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs, they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler's stories. Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God's sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn't stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you're afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It's about not being able to stop at all.” Susana M. Morris is the Associate Professor of Literature, Media & Communication at the Georgia Institute of Technology. You can find Susana at her website, at Instagram; on Threads; and on Substack. Find host Sullivan Summer at her website, on Instagram, and on Substack, where she and Susana went after the show to explore the question What Would Octavia Do? in our present moment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

Abu⁠⁠⁠ and Obssa complete their read-through of ⁠⁠⁠Parable of the Sower⁠ by Octavia Butler. They explore how Lauren Olamina embodies an ideal leader, the evolution of religion in the face of scientific understanding, and the importance of community and connection in survival. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: ⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod⁠⁠ Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: ⁠⁠https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4⁠⁠ Watch the video version of this episode: ⁠⁠www.youtube.com/@loreparty⁠⁠ Keep up with this season's reading schedule: ⁠⁠https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3⁠ (00:00) Intro (02:37) Chapter Summaries (11:17) Our Impressions (21:17) Lauren's Leadership Style (32:54) How Science Reshapes Religion (35:53) Does Religion Need Mysticism? (42:39) Survival Through Community (53:32) This Is More Important Than Survival (01:00:36) Final Ratings (01:03:37) What We're Reading Next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writing barriers, intense habits, and Octavia's life, oh my! Shaun Duke is joined by scholar and biographer Susan M. Morris to talk about her new book, Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler! In this riveting conversation, they discuss some of the fascinating aspects of Butler's life, Morris' approach to writing a biography of such a celebrated writer, and much more! Thanks for listening. We hope you enjoy the episode! Show Notes: Don't forget to catch our live format every Friday at 7 PM Central on Twitch at AlphabetStreams! If you have a question you'd like us to answer, feel free to shoot us a message on our contact page. Our new intro and outro music comes from Holy Mole. You can support his work at patreon.com/holymole. See you later, navigator!

In this final episode of the Whiteness as Shape-Shifter series, Maureen turns the finger inward. From the loudness of fascism to the subtle betrayals of liberalism, this series has traced how whiteness hides and adapts. Here, the focus is on the most difficult terrain: the reflexes that live inside the body, the mind, and the spirit.Drawing wisdom from Audre Lorde, bell hooks, Paulo Freire,  Richard Brody's reading of Sinners, and Octavia E. Butler's Wild Seed, Maureen asks: what has to die inside me for me to evolve, to transform, to transmute?The episode is inspired by Annie's devastating choice in Sinners as a metaphor for radical boundaries, while weaving in ancestral and feminist lineages where shapeshifting is not sinister, but sacred. Diedra Barber reminds us that patriarchy and white supremacy stole this gift of the goddess—and that reclaiming it is a return to power-with, not power-over.This conversation is not about shame, but about practicing transparency, vulnerability, and love as acts of liberation.This week's reflection:What does my body do when I'm protecting whiteness?What part of me feels like it will die if I don't?And what might be born in me if I let that part go?When discomfort rises—in parenting, teaching, art-making, activism, or healing—how do my somatic cues shape my choices?This episode is a closing invitation to pause, notice, and reclaim the sacred power to shapeshift—not to disappear, but to appear more fully in alignment with love, accountability, and collective liberation.Support the showThis episode was created with deep love, and deep thanks to the frameworks and tools within Cultivating Intersectional Leadership, a course I co-created with Diedra Barber. CIL isn't just a training. It's a transformative journey—one that supports individuals and organizations in making the systemic, strategic, and spiritual shifts needed to build something different. Something rooted in justice. Something aligned with who we say we want to be. You're invited to learn more or inquire about participation at:

Abu⁠⁠ and Obssa begin their read-through of ⁠⁠Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler. They reflect on the relevance of Butler's work in today's society, highlighting the prophetic nature of her writing and the urgent themes that resonate with contemporary issues. In their takeaways, they analyze the character of Lauren as an unreliable narrator, and the dangers of denial in the face of change. Get bonus content and helpful reading materials: ⁠https://www.patreon.com/scifibookclubpod⁠ Keep the conversation going in our free Discord: ⁠https://discord.gg/bVrhwWm7j4⁠ Watch the video version of this episode: ⁠www.youtube.com/@loreparty⁠ Keep up with this season's reading schedule: ⁠https://tinyurl.com/sfbc-season3 (00:00) Intro (03:17) Chapter Summaries (16:11) First Impressions (26:43) Octavia Butler's Career (33:52) The Danger of Denial (43:53) Lauren is an Unreliable Narrator (01:00:30) Up Next and Goodbye Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this week's episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Octavia E. Butler's 1979 novel Kindred. Topics include Torrey Pines and Tawny Port, nuts, Nazi Germany vs. American slavery, why white people have such a hard time acknowledging history,  Rufus the Doofus and Tom Weylin who have 1 ¼ moral between them, (we need to talk about) Kevin, and Dana's Conundrum. Plus, we get tipsy and talk about Keanu Reeves. And, George the Cat makes an appearance and brings some much-needed levity.This week's drink: the Octavia E. Butler via BuzzworthyINGREDIENTS:2 shots bourbon1 shot tawny port3 dashes Angostura bittersGarnish: lemon peelINSTRUCTIONS:Pour bourbon and port into a mixing glass, and add bittersAdd ice and stir with a bar spoon for about 20 secondsStrain into a coup glass and garnish with a thick-cut piece of lemon peelCurrent/recommended reads, links, etc.:Trust by Hernan DiazThe Safekeep by Yael van der WoudenThe Paris Apartment by Lucy FoleyFun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison BechdelO Caledonia by Elspeth BarkerEleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail HoneymanThe Language of Trees: A Rewilding of Literature and Landscape (Katie Holten, ed.)Follow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we read House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday

In this week's episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Thomas Olde Heuvelt's 2024 novel Bore-acle Snore-acle Oracle. Topics include Dr. Pepper, a horrible translation that pretty much ruined the book for us, incoherent plotting, algae, Austin Powers, and the utter laziness of having the male characters call every woman a bitch multiple times. Plus, we do a deep dive into the origins of the “c”-word (and introduce a new segment of the pod: C*nt Corner).This week's drink: Flying Dutchman via liquor.comINGREDIENTS:1 1/2 ounces Bols genever3/4 ounce Benedictine3/4 ounce yellow Chartreuse3/4 ounce lemon juice, freshly squeezedINSTRUCTIONS:Add the genever, Benedictine, yellow Chartreuse and lemon juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.(Or you can be like Kayla and have Dr. Pepper and rum)Current/recommended reads, links, etc.:Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt (we just can't quit you!)The New Yorker magazineFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we read Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

The Age of Aquarius is associated with themes of technological innovation, freedom, humanitarianism, and a shift from individual identity to a more collective focus. President Obama was the response and the beginning, but Donnie and the Obstructionists, because they are super villains and the conservative response to this age. The reaction is the leftward swing Zohran Mamdani, who is more African American than I...the drama coming out of NYC is refreshing! Stack your money and not FOMO. Crypto and NFTs are your way to financial freedom, and the topic of the upcoming bonus episode is available via NFT. (Yeah, pay to play baby!)   Parable of the Talents A writer who darkly imagined the future we have destined for ourselves in book after book, and also one who has shown us the way toward improving on that dismal fate, OCTAVIA E. BUTLER (1947–2006) is recognized as among the bravest and smartest of contemporary fiction writers. A 1995 MacArthur Award winner, Butler transcended the science fiction category even as she was awarded that community's top prizes, the Nebula and Hugo Awards. She reached readers of all ages, all races, and all religious and sexual persuasions. For years the only African-American woman writing science fiction, Butler has encouraged many others to follow in her path. Reviews "This work stands out as a testament to the author's enormous talent, and to the human spirit." —Publishers Weekly "Butler sets the imagination free, blending the real and the possible." —United Press International    Beyoncé brought fun and artistry to ATL. #RHOC, #RHOM, The Valley...Injected underfed pretending to eat reality stars...I am so tired of ya'll, do better. A lot of side-eye and shade at the #RHOA reunion... not holding the episode to watch # ShameAmorton side-eye # PorshaWilliams and not correct her. And listen to fake fairy Phae Phae lie about the jump off and how she moves. But the Lerwks stunning for the most part. Support ourselves with shelter, safe food,  and money all legally. Giving thanks always keeps concern and arrogance away Blessings will flow easier Contact Us on: https://linktr.ee/tnfroisreading Blue Sky: @tvfoodwinegirl.bsky.social Threads: www.threads.net/@tnfroisreading Instagram: @tnfroisreading Facebook: TNFroIsReading Bookclub   You know your girl is on her hustle, support the show by navigating to: Yes, I can...Create my coin...Our rituals involve burning zeroes. Read about the financial revolution #AfroDruids $ROOTS    #CryptoTrading #CryptoAirdrop #CryptoAlert  @akrapheal   

Episode 984- Jason Interviews Damien Duffy Parable of the TalentsThis gripping graphic novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler's groundbreaking dystopian novel stands beside the acclaimed previous graphic novel adaptations, Kindred, a #1 New York Times bestseller, and Parable of the Sower, winner of the Hugo AwardSet against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of a Christian fundamentalist fascist state, Parable of the Talents is a modern masterpiece that resonates powerfully.This graphic novel adaptation is brought to life thrillingly by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, the creative team behind the #1 New York Times bestselling adaptation of Kindred.Parable of the Talents is told in the voice of Lauren Olamina's daughter, Asha Vere—from whom she has been separated for most of the girl's life—interspersed with sections in the form of Lauren's own journals.Asha searches for answers about her past while struggling to reconcile with her mother's legacy—caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.Octavia E. Butler's bestselling literary science-fiction masterpieces are essential works in feminist, Afrofuturist, and fantasy genres, and this compelling graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Talents is a major event.Buy It: https://www.amazon.com/Parable-Talents-Graphic-Novel-Adaptation/dp/141974948XTheme Songs by Drew: Seeds in the Ashes & Starlit PathLike & Subscribe on Youtube www.youtube.com/@comicsforfunandprofit5331Patreon https://www.patreon.com/comicsfunprofit Merch https://comicsfunprofit.threadless.comYour Support Keeps Our Show Going On Our Way to a Thousand EpisodesDonate Here https://bit.ly/36s7YeLAll the C4FaP links you could ever need  https://beacons.ai/comicsfunprofit Listen To the Episode Here: https://comcsforfunandprofit.podomatic.com/

In Episode 694 this week, Damien Duffy from Parable of the Talents talks about his recently released sequel to Octavia E. Butler's Parable of the Sower! Damien was chosen to continue his successful work of translating Butler's prose into the comics format, once again working with artist John Jennings. It's described this way: “This series follows Lauren Olamina, a preacher's daughter who develops a new religion, Earthseed, while traveling the dangerous and dystopian country. Duffy and Jennings bring the sci-fi classic to life with a beautifully drawn graphic novel adaptation. Parable of the Talents continues Butler's masterful story set against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of Christian fundamentalist fascist state.” We discuss how this book came to be, who the various characters are, and what else we can expect from this high-power writer/artist team in the months ahead! Published by Abrams ComicsArt, this graphic novel can be found in local comics shops, in your local bookstore, or here on Amazon.com. Don't miss it! Subscribe to the Major Spoilers Podcast Network Master Feed! Major Spoilers Podcast Network Master Feed RSS Feed Show your thanks to Major Spoilers for this episode by becoming a Major Spoilers Patreon member. It will help ensure Wayne's Comics Podcast continues far into the future!  

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

As wildfires continue to burn in Los Angeles, some wealthy residents are shelling out thousands each day to hire private firefighters to protect their homes and businesses. But some argue that the market for these private crews diminishes public firefighting resources. We’ll get into it. And, renowned science fiction author Octavia Butler predicted many of our modern problems, including catastrophic wildfires. We’ll explain how looking to the past helped her write about the future. Plus, Kimberly gives us some advice for throwing better parties in 2025. Here’s everything we talked about today: “‘Will Pay Any Amount': Private Firefighters Are in Demand in L.A.” from The New York Times “I Will Pay Any Amount to Not Pay My Taxes” from McSweeney’s Internet Tendency “N.K. Jemisin on the prescience and brilliance of Parable of the Sower” from New Scientist “A Few Rules For Predicting The Future by Octavia E. Butler” from Common Good Collective “The LA Fires Aren’t a Surprise If You Study History and Climate Change. So Now What?” from Teen Vogue “Americans Need to Party More” from The Atlantic “Here’s how single women are successfully navigating an otherwise brutal market for first-time homebuyers” from Business Insider We love to hear from you. Email us at makemesmart@marketplace.org or leave us a voicemail at 508-U-B-SMART.

Do you ever feel the need to “gather” someone online? Or maybe someone in your life? It's perfectly human! But maybe we should think twice about how we go about making that correction - and how we can make it in the most loving way possible. To help you and us do that, we've got adrienne maree brown back on the pod! Following her 2020 visit to Getting Curious, adrienne is here to talk all about the ideas in her new book, Loving Corrections, and help all of us give and receive feedback better! adrienne maree brown grows healing ideas in public. Through her writing, which includes short- and long-form fiction, nonfiction, spells, tarot decks and poetry; her music, which includes songwriting, singing and immersive musical rituals; and her podcasts, including How to Survive the End of the World, Octavia's Parables and The Emergent Strategy Podcast, adrienne has nurtured Emergent Strategy, Pleasure Activism, Radical Imagination and Transformative Justice as ideas, frameworks, networks and practices for transformation. Her work is informed by 25 years of social and environmental justice facilitation primarily supporting Black liberation, her path of teaching somatics, her love of Octavia E Butler and visionary fiction, and her work as a doula. She is the author/editor of several published texts including “Emergent Strategy: Shaping Change,” “Changing Worlds” (2017), “Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good” (2019), and “Grievers” (2021) and “Maroons” (2023), the first two novellas of her speculative fiction trilogy. Her newest book, “Loving Corrections,” will be published in August 2024. After a multinational childhood, adrienne lived in New York, Oakland and Detroit before landing in her current home of Durham, NC. She has been featured in all types of media, from “We Can Do Hard Things” with Glennon Doyle and “On Being with Krista Tippett,” to New York Magazine's The Cut, atmos, Vulture, Shondaland, Lifekit, BBC, Bon Apétit, and many others -- including of course on our show back in 2020. Her new book: Loving Corrections, is out now. Related materials:  "The Four Parts of Accountability & How To Give A Genuine Apology" by Mia Mingus You can follow adrienne on Instagram @adriennemareebrown and on adrienne's website adriennemareebrown.net. Follow us on Instagram @CuriousWithJVN to join the conversation. Jonathan is on Instagram @JVN. Transcripts for each episode are available at JonathanVanNess.com. Find books from Getting Curious guests at bookshop.org/shop/curiouswithjvn. Our senior producer is Chris McClure. Our editor & engineer is Nathanael McClure. Production support from Julie Carillo, Anne Currie, and Chad Hall. Our theme music is “Freak” by QUIÑ; for more, head to TheQuinCat.com& Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices