Parable of the Talents

Octavia E. Butler

ISBN 10: 0446610380 / ISBN 13: 9780446610384

Published by Aspect, 2001

About this Item

Shelf and handling wear to cover and binding, with general signs of previous use. Stain on the covers and edges. Wear on the covers. Text is clear of markings and notations. Secure packaging for safe delivery.

Seller Inventory # 1778442907

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Parable of the Talents
• Publisher: Aspect
• Publication Date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0446610380
• ISBN 13: 9780446610384
• Binding: Unknown
• Condition: Good
• Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket
• Weight: 0.52 pounds

About this title

Synopsis

This Nebula Award-winning sequel to "Parable of the Sower" continues the story of Lauren Olamina in socially and economically depressed California in the 2030s. Convinced that her community should colonize the stars, Lauren and her followers make preparations. But the collapse of society and rise of fanatics result in Lauren's followers being enslaved, and her daughter stolen from her. Now, Lauren must fight back to save the new world order.

Review

Octavia Butler tackles the creation of a new religion, the making of a god, and the ultimate fate of humanity in her Earthseed series, which began with Parable of the Sower, and now continues with Parable of the Talents. The saga began with the near-future dystopian tale of Sower, in which young Lauren Olamina began to realize her destiny as a leader of people dispossessed and destroyed by the crumbling of society. The basic principles of Lauren's faith, Earthseed, were contained in a collection of deceptively simple proverbs that Lauren used to recruit followers. She teaches that "God is change" and that humanity's ultimate destiny is among the stars.

In Parable of the Talents, the seeds of change that Lauren planted begin to bear fruit, but in unpredictable and brutal ways. Her small community is destroyed, her child is kidnapped, and she is imprisoned by sadistic zealots. She must find a way to escape and begin again, without family or friends. Her single-mindedness in teaching Earthseed may be her only chance to survive, but paradoxically, may cause the ultimate estrangement of her beloved daughter. Parable of the Talents is told from both mother's and daughter's perspectives, but it is the narrative of Lauren's grown daughter, who has seen her mother made into a deity of sorts, that is the most compelling. Butler's writing is simple and elegant, and her storytelling skills are superb, as usual. Fans will be eagerly awaiting the next installment in what promises to be a moving and adventurous saga. --Therese Littleton