On this episode, we talk environmental catastrophe, economic collapse, and racism in the 2020s. If any of that sounds awfully familiar, stay tuned, because we are diving into Parable of the Sower, Octavia Butler’s 1993 novel about the long, slow end of the world. We get into class, the family, religion, the biblical parable (which we definitely all knew and did not have to google), race, and metaphor. We also chat about our cool, tall protagonist—a Black teenager who starts her own religion—and why blasting off into outer space with her sounds so much more appealing than the Elon Musk version. As you’re checking out more Octavia Butler, we recommend her 1980 essay “Lost Races of Science Fiction” on race, writing, and sci-fi. It was originally published in Transmission magazine, and you can find it reprinted in Vice’s Garage Magazine, Issue 15, as “In 1980: Octavia Butler Asked, Why Is Science Fiction So White?” Find us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook @betterreadpod, and email us nice things at [email protected]. Find Tristan on Twitter @tjschweiger, Katie @katiekrywo, and Megan @tuslersaurus.

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“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

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