Until her death in 2006 Octavia Butler, the African American science fiction writer, had published twelve novels, a collection of short stories and two online e-stories. Initially marginalised due to her production of science fiction texts that were considered unorthodox by the mainstream and African American academe, Butler’s work now commands extensive critical interest and acclaim and can be seen as an example of Afrofuturism. Her fiction has consistently explored issues of oppression and subjugation, particularly as they relate to the dual and intersecting aspects of race and gender; indeed, her work consciously foregrounds the concerns of black women, frequently featuring black women as active protagonists rather than the passive female prizes of golden-age science fiction.…
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Citation: Wood, Sarah Helen. "Octavia Butler". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 26 August 2008 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=672, accessed 24 November 2024.]
