Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler was the 139th official Sword and Laser Book Club selection.

Reading Period: December 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020

How/Why was this book chosen: This month's pick is from our first "Veronica maternity leave" guest host, Brea Grant. She is a filmmaker, author, director and co-host of the Reading Glasses podcast.

Sword and Laser Goodreads Group Discussion of Parable of the Sower

Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
In 2025, with the world descending into madness and anarchy, one woman begins a fateful journey toward a better future.

Lauren Olamina and her family live in one of the only safe neighborhoods remaining on the outskirts of Los Angeles. Behind the walls of their defended enclave, Lauren’s father, a preacher, and a handful of other citizens try to salvage what remains of a culture that has been destroyed by drugs, disease, war, and chronic water shortages. While her father tries to lead people on the righteous path, Lauren struggles with hyperempathy, a condition that makes her extraordinarily sensitive to the pain of others.

When fire destroys their compound, Lauren’s family is killed and she is forced out into a world that is fraught with danger. With a handful of other refugees, Lauren must make her way north to safety, along the way conceiving a revolutionary idea that may mean salvation for all mankind.