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Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler
From the New York Times bestselling author and National Book Award finalist, a biography in verse and prose of science fiction visionary Octavia Butler.
Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler expereinced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.
Acclaimed novelist Ibi Zoboi illuminates the young life of the visionary storyteller Octavia E. Butler in poems and prose. Born into the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the dawning Civil Rights Movement, Butler expereinced an American childhood that shaped her into the groundbreaking science-fiction storyteller whose novels continue to challenge and delight readers fifteen years after her death.
118 pages, Hardcover
First published January 25, 2022
About the author
Ibi Zoboi
30 books2,418 followersIbi Zoboi's debut novel American Street was a National Book Award finalist. She is also the New York Times Bestselling author of Pride, My Life as an Ice Cream Sandwich, and Punching the Air with co-author and Exonerated Five member, Yusef Salaam. She is the editor of the anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. Born in Haiti and raised in New York City, she now lives in New Jersey with her husband and their three children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews
February 24, 2024
Octavia Butler is a writer to be celebrated not only in the realm of science fiction but literature at large. From growing up an only child in a de facto racially segregated Pasadena, California, being raised by a working-class, single mother after her father died when Octavia was 7, to a celebrated and highly decorated novelist, Ibi Zoboi chronicles the life and acheivements of this fantastic author in Star Child. Winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, Star Child is a hybrid biography composed with biographical vignettes and poetry to deliver a multifaceted portrait of the author, exploring her impressive and pioneering literary journey as a Black woman working in a field almost exclusively made up of white men. While the book is aimed at younger readers, it is just as engaging and informative for any age—a sure mark of excellence—and the use of photos from Butler’s archives such as old letters of encouragement to herself with Zoboi’s lovely poetry makes this an essential read for any Butler fan as well as an excellent introduction to an author that will certainly claim your heart.
‘A psychologist--
She excavated our minds
dug into out collective thoughts
to know what truly makes us all
human’
‘readers of all ages should know that Octavia Estelle Butler was once a little Black girl growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race
Her stories merge history, anthropology, sociology, biology, and technology. The biographical speculative poems in Star Child attempt to do the same.’
The hybrid form in Star Child is really exciting and interesting, making for a fun and dynamic way to engage with biography or nonfiction in general. It seems only fitting that an author who’s legacy has helped science fiction become more inclusive and inspired generations of writers from all sorts of backgrounds be addressed in an innovative way. I enjoy seeing that poetry has become common in YA or middle grade books, such as novels in verse becoming more common, and I’m glad to see it resonates with readers and help usher in a new generation of poets. While the poetry here is certainly aimed at younger readers, it is quite fun and allows a unique perspective at the ways Butler’s work touches readers as well as a perspective of the world going on around Butler and, as Zoboi writes:
The poetry incorporates history and science in creative ways, such as the poem Space Race which juxtaposes two columns, the first beginning ‘Bombs in the Sky’ under “Space” and the one under “Race” beginning ‘Bombs on the ground.’ It seems a perfect way to address how Butler’s work interrogated issues of race while also being speculative fiction about alien worlds or even time travel to the past as in Kindred. I especially like this juxtaposition, starting again with Space:
If only the torpedoes
Would change course
And aim for the stars
Or Mars,
And we would know for sure
That there’d be a hiding place
Or a new home
Beyond the clouds
And next to that is Race:
If only Jim Crow
Would have a change of heart
And march beside us
Braving horses and dogs,
And we would know for sure
That there’d be a
Safe place
In our own homes
In our on skins
I learned a lot from this book and while I’ve read many of her works and essays, the most biography I knew previously was from the essays in Bloodchild and Other Stories (reviewed here) that discussed her finding a space for herself in a white male dominated genre. There are excellent passages on how narratives of women as heroes, especially Black women, were hardly present and how she had to break from the mold of spacemen adventures to create her own. ‘Everything I read that was intended for women seemed boring as hell,’ Butler had said, and she set out to change that. I appreciate how many large chunks of quotes from Butler are incorporated at the start of each biographical vignette, letting Butler tell her own story as much as Zoboi does.
‘She leaps into other bodies and minds
To feel, to know, to empathize
With us all—like a kindred soul.’
The sections on how Butler came to enjoy sci-fi and later write afrouturistic stories are great. ‘I made my own society in the books and in the stories I told myself,’ Butler said. I enjoyed her discussion on how watching the news and not knowing what words meant inspired the imagination, such as hearing of someone being “liquidated” calling to mind them being dissolved in a mixing bowl. ‘Everything was theater for the mind,’ she said. Butler, growing up a Baptist, also found biblical tales as a great source of inspiration. I also loved the mention of Baba, the cocker spaniel that belonged to the employers of Butler’s mother and how Butler credited her interactions with Baba ‘for writing about empathy in her novels, where human being would feel what others are feeling.’ This seems most prominent in Parable of the Sower (reviewed here).
I was happy to learn that Ibi Zoboi got to meet her hero, Octavia Butler, before she tragically passed in 2006 at the age of 58, meeting her before the ceremony where she would win a Nebula Award for Parable of the Talents. Butler inspired countless writers, helped ensure there was a space for Black authors and women in science fiction and left us with a large catalog of incredible books to remember her by and heed her warnings to help shape a brighter future. Star Child is a lovely, innovative biography that celebrates this icon and introduces young children to her life and works. I hope you will be as moved by it as I was.
‘I have written books about making the world a better place and how to make humidity more survivable…You can call it save-the-world fiction, but it clearly doesn’t save anything. It just calls people’s attention to the fact that so much needs to be done.’
--Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006)
‘A psychologist--
She excavated our minds
dug into out collective thoughts
to know what truly makes us all
human’
‘readers of all ages should know that Octavia Estelle Butler was once a little Black girl growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race
Her stories merge history, anthropology, sociology, biology, and technology. The biographical speculative poems in Star Child attempt to do the same.’
The hybrid form in Star Child is really exciting and interesting, making for a fun and dynamic way to engage with biography or nonfiction in general. It seems only fitting that an author who’s legacy has helped science fiction become more inclusive and inspired generations of writers from all sorts of backgrounds be addressed in an innovative way. I enjoy seeing that poetry has become common in YA or middle grade books, such as novels in verse becoming more common, and I’m glad to see it resonates with readers and help usher in a new generation of poets. While the poetry here is certainly aimed at younger readers, it is quite fun and allows a unique perspective at the ways Butler’s work touches readers as well as a perspective of the world going on around Butler and, as Zoboi writes:
‘readers of all ages should know that Octavia Estelle Butler was once a little Black girl growing up during the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race…Her stories merge history, anthropology, sociology, biology, and technology. The biographical speculative poems in Star Child attempt to do the same.’
The poetry incorporates history and science in creative ways, such as the poem Space Race which juxtaposes two columns, the first beginning ‘Bombs in the Sky’ under “Space” and the one under “Race” beginning ‘Bombs on the ground.’ It seems a perfect way to address how Butler’s work interrogated issues of race while also being speculative fiction about alien worlds or even time travel to the past as in Kindred. I especially like this juxtaposition, starting again with Space:
If only the torpedoes
Would change course
And aim for the stars
Or Mars,
And we would know for sure
That there’d be a hiding place
Or a new home
Beyond the clouds
And next to that is Race:
If only Jim Crow
Would have a change of heart
And march beside us
Braving horses and dogs,
And we would know for sure
That there’d be a
Safe place
In our own homes
In our on skins
I learned a lot from this book and while I’ve read many of her works and essays, the most biography I knew previously was from the essays in Bloodchild and Other Stories (reviewed here) that discussed her finding a space for herself in a white male dominated genre. There are excellent passages on how narratives of women as heroes, especially Black women, were hardly present and how she had to break from the mold of spacemen adventures to create her own. ‘Everything I read that was intended for women seemed boring as hell,’ Butler had said, and she set out to change that. I appreciate how many large chunks of quotes from Butler are incorporated at the start of each biographical vignette, letting Butler tell her own story as much as Zoboi does.
‘She leaps into other bodies and minds
To feel, to know, to empathize
With us all—like a kindred soul.’
The sections on how Butler came to enjoy sci-fi and later write afrouturistic stories are great. ‘I made my own society in the books and in the stories I told myself,’ Butler said. I enjoyed her discussion on how watching the news and not knowing what words meant inspired the imagination, such as hearing of someone being “liquidated” calling to mind them being dissolved in a mixing bowl. ‘Everything was theater for the mind,’ she said. Butler, growing up a Baptist, also found biblical tales as a great source of inspiration. I also loved the mention of Baba, the cocker spaniel that belonged to the employers of Butler’s mother and how Butler credited her interactions with Baba ‘for writing about empathy in her novels, where human being would feel what others are feeling.’ This seems most prominent in Parable of the Sower (reviewed here).
I was happy to learn that Ibi Zoboi got to meet her hero, Octavia Butler, before she tragically passed in 2006 at the age of 58, meeting her before the ceremony where she would win a Nebula Award for Parable of the Talents. Butler inspired countless writers, helped ensure there was a space for Black authors and women in science fiction and left us with a large catalog of incredible books to remember her by and heed her warnings to help shape a brighter future. Star Child is a lovely, innovative biography that celebrates this icon and introduces young children to her life and works. I hope you will be as moved by it as I was.
‘I have written books about making the world a better place and how to make humidity more survivable…You can call it save-the-world fiction, but it clearly doesn’t save anything. It just calls people’s attention to the fact that so much needs to be done.’
--Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006)
April 29, 2022
This is one that should definitely be checked out by those that consider themselves to be fans of Octavia Butler. While I'm not necessarily sure that super fans will learn anything knew from this title, Zoboi created an interesting text that will draw readers into appreciating the work of Butler.
What was surprising about my choice to pick up this non-fiction memoir is that I still have not had the opportunity to pick up anything by Octavia Butler. If there is any genre that I have a difficult time picking up, it's definitely science fiction and fantasy (don't worry I'm working on that!). However, I've always been intrigued by the things that I've heard about Butler's works. People always seem to love and take away so much from their reading experiences. On the contrary, I've read quite a bit from Ibi Zoboi so I became excited to learn that she was writing a biography about Butler considering that Butler is one of her biggest literary influences.
Zoboi beautifully crafts prose and poetry to tell the story of Butler's life. I loved that she would write a poem and use prose to explain how it related back to Butler. It was a unique and interesting format. There were some interesting things that I learned about Butler especially the way that specific historical events influenced her writing from the space race to the Red Scare to the plight of Black people in America. There was a perseverance that Zoboi that was able to capture in detailing Butler's growth as a writer that intrigued me as reader. I'm actually happy that I took the time to read this even without having read anything by Butler. It's a great way to introduce her to new and younger readers especially since she didn't write for children. I feel more excited to read her this year. If you're interested in biographies about Octavia Butler, I would definitely recommend checking this one out. I would recommend this for both a middle grade and young adult audience.
What was surprising about my choice to pick up this non-fiction memoir is that I still have not had the opportunity to pick up anything by Octavia Butler. If there is any genre that I have a difficult time picking up, it's definitely science fiction and fantasy (don't worry I'm working on that!). However, I've always been intrigued by the things that I've heard about Butler's works. People always seem to love and take away so much from their reading experiences. On the contrary, I've read quite a bit from Ibi Zoboi so I became excited to learn that she was writing a biography about Butler considering that Butler is one of her biggest literary influences.
Zoboi beautifully crafts prose and poetry to tell the story of Butler's life. I loved that she would write a poem and use prose to explain how it related back to Butler. It was a unique and interesting format. There were some interesting things that I learned about Butler especially the way that specific historical events influenced her writing from the space race to the Red Scare to the plight of Black people in America. There was a perseverance that Zoboi that was able to capture in detailing Butler's growth as a writer that intrigued me as reader. I'm actually happy that I took the time to read this even without having read anything by Butler. It's a great way to introduce her to new and younger readers especially since she didn't write for children. I feel more excited to read her this year. If you're interested in biographies about Octavia Butler, I would definitely recommend checking this one out. I would recommend this for both a middle grade and young adult audience.
January 12, 2022
Star Child is an interesting blend of poetry, quotes from Octavia Butler, and biographical prose, tracing her life from childhood to genius writer. It's a beautiful tribute to her life and work, and offers some interesting insight into her background, the social milieu she grew up in, and some events that clearly inspired some of her work. It's not very long, but certainly worth reading for fans of Butler, or something to read with a kid in your life. The audio narration is lovely as well. I received an audio review copy of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
February 8, 2022
Ibi Zoboi's love of Octavia Butler's work, and for the author herself (whom Zoboi got a chance to talk to years ago), comes through well in this heartfelt and interesting biographical collage of text, images, poems, and quotes from Octavia herself. Zoboi conveys Octavia's lifelong passion for storytelling, while giving us some background on her mother, and the backdrop of racism and politics that were part of life in the US.
I found that this reads a little older than middle grade, but is still accessible to that age group. I particularly liked the quotes by Butler, as well as the images from her notebook.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.
I found that this reads a little older than middle grade, but is still accessible to that age group. I particularly liked the quotes by Butler, as well as the images from her notebook.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.
August 10, 2022
I am the target audience for this book: an Octavia Butler fan who is in the market for kids' lit. And I was kind of underwhelmed.
The book consists mainly of a rotation of poem followed by text explanation followed by quotes from Butler, all on the same topic. The Butler quotes were great, and I would have loved a whole book of them. The poems were just okay, and they felt redundant by the time I got through the text and the quote. The text sections were kind of a drag and the early ones contained a lot of historical background that felt crammed in. So I liked about 1/3 of this book.
The production of this book was excellent. I loved the cover, the interior elements, and especially the photos of Butler and the pages from her journal.
The book consists mainly of a rotation of poem followed by text explanation followed by quotes from Butler, all on the same topic. The Butler quotes were great, and I would have loved a whole book of them. The poems were just okay, and they felt redundant by the time I got through the text and the quote. The text sections were kind of a drag and the early ones contained a lot of historical background that felt crammed in. So I liked about 1/3 of this book.
The production of this book was excellent. I loved the cover, the interior elements, and especially the photos of Butler and the pages from her journal.
November 19, 2022
Inventive, exquisite, ingenious!!
(Also, the personal connection Zoboi had with Butler and their shared birthday! It's as though this book was written in the stars!)
"Octavia became the first Black woman science fiction author whose writing continues to inspire readers of all backgrounds." p.102
"And like the many complex worlds and themes of Octavia E. Butler's science fiction novels—an alien planet, a destroyed Earth, time travel, and mind control—poems can serve as different planets and galaxies and gateways with their many structures and rhythms and wordplay." p.109
(Also, the personal connection Zoboi had with Butler and their shared birthday! It's as though this book was written in the stars!)
"Octavia became the first Black woman science fiction author whose writing continues to inspire readers of all backgrounds." p.102
"And like the many complex worlds and themes of Octavia E. Butler's science fiction novels—an alien planet, a destroyed Earth, time travel, and mind control—poems can serve as different planets and galaxies and gateways with their many structures and rhythms and wordplay." p.109
March 19, 2023
This is a biography but artsy.
I really loved it.
I learned many facts about my favorite author and enjoyed the connecting poetry.
I listened to this on audio and would suggest it.
This is short and worth the effort to consume.
I really loved it.
I learned many facts about my favorite author and enjoyed the connecting poetry.
I listened to this on audio and would suggest it.
This is short and worth the effort to consume.
February 8, 2023
Absolutely gorgeous!
April 23, 2022
To honor Poetry Month, I took the time to read Ibi Zoboi's book that celebrates the life and work of Octavia Butler. I appreciated Zoboi's fearlessness with the structure of the poems on the page; it felt as if they mimicked constellations.
Although I enjoyed reading the passages of biographical information about Butler's life presented between the poems, perhaps this information would have been better suited in the beginning of the text in a "preface". Sometimes the paragraphs of information disturbed the flow of reading the actual poems.
The particular poems that I enjoyed the most included "Zeitgeist", "Star Child", "Moon Child" & "Science Fiction".
Overall, I would recommend this book to lovers of poetry & scifi/fantasy writers. 🤗📚
Although I enjoyed reading the passages of biographical information about Butler's life presented between the poems, perhaps this information would have been better suited in the beginning of the text in a "preface". Sometimes the paragraphs of information disturbed the flow of reading the actual poems.
The particular poems that I enjoyed the most included "Zeitgeist", "Star Child", "Moon Child" & "Science Fiction".
Overall, I would recommend this book to lovers of poetry & scifi/fantasy writers. 🤗📚
December 7, 2022
at first I was like, why is there a biography of Octavia Butler aimed at kids who are too young to read any Octavia Butler books? And then I was like, oh okay she's an icon she's an inspiration she's the moment. I think it really does work as a micro-history of Black American life even if you haven't read any of Butler's books, and reading about how Octavia used to write stories about magic horses in her pink notebooks and grew up to be this very acclaimed author is very cool for kids (esp Black kids) to read. And the shape poems (and other poems) are beautiful and engaging. CHOICE.
February 16, 2022
SO GOOD.
I'm absolutely blown away by this amazing biography. It's part poetry, part prose, with tons of quotes sprinkled in and some truly amazing notes, drawings, and photos. There's a definite galactic vibe, and I really wish there was a version of this in color! I get why it's black and white, because there's a big price difference both on the production end and the sales end, but I would so love to see all her notes and drawings reproduced in color. Even so, it's an incredibly engrossing work!! The poetry is so lovely, and Zoboi draws some extremely clever parallels between earthly things and space things. One of the early prose sections ("Spirit of the times") was just a tiny bit too scattered/oblique, but all the other sections beautifully balanced the details of her life with historical context. The book really focuses on Butler as an incredibly complex, interesting, lonely, brilliant young person—a truly special combination of traits that made her and her work so truly genius. Putting the emphasis on her as she was growing, developing, changing—when she started writing but before she started publishing—really makes this feel accessible and vital to a younger reading audience.
I really, really loved this. I love Octavia E. Butler, and you can really tell that Ibi Zoboi does too. Highly recommended!!
I'm absolutely blown away by this amazing biography. It's part poetry, part prose, with tons of quotes sprinkled in and some truly amazing notes, drawings, and photos. There's a definite galactic vibe, and I really wish there was a version of this in color! I get why it's black and white, because there's a big price difference both on the production end and the sales end, but I would so love to see all her notes and drawings reproduced in color. Even so, it's an incredibly engrossing work!! The poetry is so lovely, and Zoboi draws some extremely clever parallels between earthly things and space things. One of the early prose sections ("Spirit of the times") was just a tiny bit too scattered/oblique, but all the other sections beautifully balanced the details of her life with historical context. The book really focuses on Butler as an incredibly complex, interesting, lonely, brilliant young person—a truly special combination of traits that made her and her work so truly genius. Putting the emphasis on her as she was growing, developing, changing—when she started writing but before she started publishing—really makes this feel accessible and vital to a younger reading audience.
I really, really loved this. I love Octavia E. Butler, and you can really tell that Ibi Zoboi does too. Highly recommended!!
October 31, 2022
I learned much about Octavia E Butler from this biography that I didn't know, and this work presents her life exceptionally well through poems and quotes from Octavia herself. This is an engaging read and thoroughly recommended.
March 2, 2022
5 ⭐ CW: miscarriage mention
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi is one part poetry, one part biography. Zoboi uses stunning poetry to convey the life of Butler through shapes and movement of stanzas.
As most of you know, Octavia E. Butler is my favorite author. My college advisor handed me her copy of Lilith's Brood one day and the rest is history. Butler is such an icon in science fiction, especially since she was the first Black woman science fiction writer to gain recognition and continues to inspire people of all backgrounds today.
This was a short book, but it holds so much. Zoboi has written succinctly, but no less fantastical than Butler herself would do. You can feel the love and admiration Zoboi had for her and poured it into this book. She's written an homage to all the Black weirdos and nerds who are writing their speculative and fantastical stories.
This is also an examination of how the current events of Butler's time shaped who she was as a person and as a writer. She was heavily influenced by the civil rights movement and the space race. She didn't even see any black women in science fiction until she was 19 and saw Lt. Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Origin Series for the first time in 1966.
I didn't even bother tabbing this book, because I would have just tabbed every single page. I'm so glad I pre-ordered this book. If you are a fan of Octavia E. Butler, I highly recommend reading this.
Star Child: A Biographical Constellation of Octavia Estelle Butler by Ibi Zoboi is one part poetry, one part biography. Zoboi uses stunning poetry to convey the life of Butler through shapes and movement of stanzas.
As most of you know, Octavia E. Butler is my favorite author. My college advisor handed me her copy of Lilith's Brood one day and the rest is history. Butler is such an icon in science fiction, especially since she was the first Black woman science fiction writer to gain recognition and continues to inspire people of all backgrounds today.
This was a short book, but it holds so much. Zoboi has written succinctly, but no less fantastical than Butler herself would do. You can feel the love and admiration Zoboi had for her and poured it into this book. She's written an homage to all the Black weirdos and nerds who are writing their speculative and fantastical stories.
This is also an examination of how the current events of Butler's time shaped who she was as a person and as a writer. She was heavily influenced by the civil rights movement and the space race. She didn't even see any black women in science fiction until she was 19 and saw Lt. Nyota Uhura on Star Trek: The Origin Series for the first time in 1966.
I didn't even bother tabbing this book, because I would have just tabbed every single page. I'm so glad I pre-ordered this book. If you are a fan of Octavia E. Butler, I highly recommend reading this.
May 14, 2023
This is a masterpiece that I will return to as I create new, visual and literary worlds. Butler’s voice as a child, as a student, as an accomplished novelist is that voice of clarity and feeling and radicalness and Blackness. Zoboi does a beautiful job illuminating Butler’s voice for young folks.
November 17, 2022
I love the blurring of poetry and biography in the book. I’d love to see this co-taught across social studies and English (and probably even science) in a middle school!
January 13, 2022
I will add any book by Ibi Zoboi and I want to learn as much as possible about Octavia Butler. Win win.
September 23, 2024
Ibi Zoboi explores the early life of groundbreaking sci-fi author Octavia E. Butler through poems and prose. Growing up during the Space Race, the Red Scare, and the Civil Rights Movement, Butler’s experiences shaped her into a storyteller whose work still captivates readers today.
Y’all, my friend always gives me the absolute coolest books to read. This one was no different. I was enamored with the poetry and prose. Several of these poems I read multiple times. It is so easily digestible for middle grade readers, and as an adult, I was immediately bought in to Octavia Butler. The fact that some of her real writings, drawings, and photographs are included in this book is incredible. Love the personal connection between the authors. Truly an amazing work of art and I’ll be buying a copy for my shelf.
Y’all, my friend always gives me the absolute coolest books to read. This one was no different. I was enamored with the poetry and prose. Several of these poems I read multiple times. It is so easily digestible for middle grade readers, and as an adult, I was immediately bought in to Octavia Butler. The fact that some of her real writings, drawings, and photographs are included in this book is incredible. Love the personal connection between the authors. Truly an amazing work of art and I’ll be buying a copy for my shelf.
August 4, 2024
Such a unique read. This look at Octavia Butler's life combines traditional historical text and context, quotes from the writer, poetry and essays by the author that discuss Octavia Butler's writing and influences. It connects specific life events with their impact on her future writing, and follow her journey from a young girl raised in a strict religious community to an adult who wrote science fiction.
It is a quick read but so worth it!
It is a quick read but so worth it!
June 12, 2023
what a pleasant freaking surprise! as if all the little Brown girls who daydream, past and present, were linking hands and flying to the moon. chills.
also incredible format: a mixture of archival documents, quotates, photos, poems, and prose.
also incredible format: a mixture of archival documents, quotates, photos, poems, and prose.
August 15, 2022
beautiful and inspiring, not just for kids who dream but for readers who haven't read enough of Butler's books and who now want to very much (I have only read Kindred)
September 19, 2022
Phenomenal quick read!!
August 10, 2023
Told through a mix of prose, poetry and quotations from the woman herself, this is a brief and beautiful biographical account of Octavia Butler’s life, with insight into the history that shaped her and her writing, including the Space Race, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement. Fans of Butler will appreciate the lovely way that her life and her work is treated.
May 15, 2022
I learned so much about Octavia Butler that I didn’t know even though I have been a fan of her work for so many years. Hearing her backstory helped me to understand why she chose science fiction and her theological beliefs, which are interwoven in her writing. My only critique is that my appetite was whetted and I wanted to know so much more. I listened to the audiobook, and it was only 1.5 hours long. I wished it was longer.
May 19, 2022
Ibi Zoboi writes a beautiful biographical story about Octavia Estelle Butler. The intended audience is middle grade readers however I found the story to be enriching for myself as well. Through a combination of poems and historical writings, readers are taken on a journey which led to the creativity and storytelling of Octavia Estelle Butler. The timeline of the story follows the timeline of her life and encompasses a number of historical events. I look forward to looking at her works with this new found knowledge.
January 2, 2023
This was a nice quick read that taught me a bit about Octavia E. Butler and made me a bit more interested in checking out her books. I liked how it was written in verse and artistically so it has an almost fantasy/sci-fi feeling despite being a biography.
March 8, 2023
I think that audiobook is not a great format for this book. There were some interesting bits of information and some beautiful poetry, but I think I needed to see words on the page to get a feel for the different mediums to really be effective for me.
Read
March 19, 2022
Trigger & Content Warnings
Racism
Sexism
Miscarriage mentioned
Poverty
Racism
Sexism
Miscarriage mentioned
Poverty
January 22, 2024
Outside of Kindred, I'd never heard of Octavia Butler. I love hearing about a dreamer, who became an author when her teachers said her head was too much in the clouds. Star Child is an apt description for her, as her writing takes you outside of your bubble to look at reality from another lens.
February 29, 2024
Awww this book was so heartwarming! I’ve never read any of Butlers works and picked this book on a whim. I loved how Octavia literally manifested her life. Love that for her
January 8, 2024
I am in awe of the concept of this book. Detailing Octavia Butler’s life using poetry and prose while pointing to space and science fiction is just *chef’s kiss*. I listened to the audiobook on a long drive and was captivated. I love that the book is narrated in part by the author. My favorite part of this book was hearing all the ways that Octavia Butler and her work were influenced by themes in her life. From her parents' lives to the space race to being a Black woman writing stories that no one really heard of before. This will resonate with those who often feel more at home in other worlds among others.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 359 reviews