Octavia Butler the Slayer of Stereotypes…
How many times have artists been dismissed or discouraged because of someone else interpreting their audacity as egotism? Octavia Butler started writing science fiction because of the film Devil Girl From Mars. Don’t misunderstand–she wasn’t inspired by the movie, she knew that she could write a better story.
Growing up in Pasadena, California, Butler was shy and introverted. She preferred writing stories over socializing. When she was twelve years old she saw Devil Girl From Mars, and began writing science fiction in an effort to do the genre some justice.
In the end she succeeded by leaps and bounds. Butler’s work is recognized as groundbreaking, not least of all because she became one of the first science–fiction writers to tackle issues of race and prejudice in her work. Butler reframed notions of racial identity and otherness in her Xenogenesis series—including the novel Lilith’s Brood–which chronicled humanity’s struggle to maintain its independence as a species when forced to breed with an alien race for survival.
Butler started winning awards for her work in 1980 and continues to receive them posthumously.
Among these accolades, Butler was inducted into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame in 2010 — the same year as I Am Legend author Richard Mattheson–and joined the ranks of sci–fi legends Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, George Lucas, and Jules Verne. She also became the first science–fiction writer to win the Macarthur Foundation’s “Genius” Grant in 1995.
Though she passed away in 2006, Butler’s legacy lives on both through her work as well as through the Octavia E. Butler Memorial Scholarship Fund. The scholarship is for black writers who want to attend the Clarion West writer’s workshop, which Butler attended very early in her career, and through which she met Samuel R. Delany. The scholarship emphasizes the importance of workshops and artistic communities more generally; the workshops Butler attended early in her career helped shape her writing and also put her into contact with the ideas of other like–minded authors. The value of those interactions is impossible to estimate, but they are a mainstay in almost every artist’s career.
Butler’s work demonstrates what you can accomplish when you believe in your own abilities. Of course, years and countless pages went by between that serendipitous viewing of Devil Girl From Mars and Butler consummating her career, but even still, let her serve as an example of self–determination and the benefit of discerning taste.
About Artists on Writers
Writers will always find inspiration in the visions of artists, always feeling compelled to tell the stories behind the moments captured in artists’ unforgettable images,
Just as,
Artists will always find inspiration in the words of writers, always feeling compelled to lend visual reality and habitat to the characters described in the scribe’s haunting words.
A Quote From Octavia Butler
“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.”
— Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler Inspired Artwork
That's What Friends Are ForDisclaimer: This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to anyone, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The author owns exclusive rights to this story.
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Esther stared at Rebecca's back as she lay on the bed, sobs racking her body. Tears soaked the material of the pillowcase on which Rebecca lay as her wails echoed through the apartment. Esther swallowed a sigh, restraining herself to rubbing Rebecca's back and trying to soothe her friend. Focusing on the blonde hair splayed across the sheets, she managed to keep herself silent, not even allowing an exasperated huff to escape.
A Pansexual WorldOn the night of October fifteenth, twenty-year-old Tracy glared at herself in the mirror. She wore a light purple dress that almost reached her knees, to show off her freshly shaved legs, with a low neckline to emphasize her average breasts and make them look larger than they were. Her blonde hair was braided down her back and reached the faux leather belt that was wrapped loosely around her waist. Tracy hated the way she looked.
She picked up a long, thin chain that sat on the counter next to the sink and slipped it over her head. A small cross hung from it which she positioned just above her cleavage. Her cell phone vibrated as she was putting in earrings. It was a text message from her friend, Jaden.
"I'm at the park. On your way?"
The Elements of True GeniusOne with knowledge alone is just smart,
One who understands the neoteric easily merely possesses intelligence,
One with experience alone only understands one's past,
One with motivation is bothered not by the unknown, does not require experience, and progresses regardless of intellect.
One who possesses knowledge, intelligence, experience, and motivation in turn possesses true genius.
EndingI stepped into the bathtub, well if you could call it that, took out my knife and slit my wrists. When I woke up, I noticed that my wrists were bandaged and were throbbing badly. “How could you do that?” Kevin asked when he walked into the room. I was back home. “It was the only way I could get back.” I calmly stated, trying to sit up, but falling back down from the pressure on my wrists. I looked at Kevin and it seemed as if he never got any sleep. How long had I been gone this time?Kevin merely looked and walked back into the kitchen. I thought back to what happened and thought of what could have happened if I didn’t go back. “Dana? DANA?!” Kevin yelled, snapping me out of my thoughts. “No need to yell. I was just thinking of what could have happened if I didn’t come back.” I did another attempted of sitting up, but the room started to spin and I panicked. “No.” I whispered. “Kevin get my bag!” Kevin didn’t move, but tried to help me up.
Quotes from Octavia Butler
“In order to rise from its own ashes, a Phoenix first must burn.”
“I was attracted to science fiction because it was so wide open. I was able to do anything and there were no walls to hem you in and there was no human condition that you were stopped from examining.”
“First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you’re inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won’t. Habit is persistence in practice.”
“Writing is one of the few professions in which you can psychoanalyse yourself, get rid of hostilities and frustrations in public, and get paid for it.”
Questions For the Reader
- Does knowing that Octavia was not only female but an African American make you more or less inclined to want to read her science fiction stories? Do stereotypes in writing genres as to “who should be writing what” still hold any sway?
- From watching a cheesy sci–fi flick to becoming one of the most respected and award-winning writers in the sci–fi genre. Does Octavia’s story inspire you in whatever your artistic dreams to believe you can achieve your personal vision?
- What was the book or the artwork that inspired you to first pick up a pencil or pen and decide, “I can do better”?
