Octavia Butler was one of the most prolific 20th-century American writers, known for her works that crossed genre boundaries of science fiction, African-American literature, and feminist and historical works. Her heroines tend to be independent and intelligent African-American women.
Butler was born in Pasadena, California on June 22, 1947. She was raised by her mother and grandmother in a strict Baptist environment and demonstrated a love for reading and writing at an early age. She was shy and very tall for her age, and had dyslexia; she spent much time on her own. Although Pasadena was an integrated and diverse city, she witnessed racial discrimination firsthand when she accompanied...
