Octavia Butler

Author, Novelist

Octavia Butler was a groundbreaking science fiction author known for her exploration of race, gender, and identity in works like 'Kindred' and 'Parable of the Sower'.

Born
June 22, 1947
Quotes
110
Rank
#529

About Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler — Life and Legacy

Octavia Butler was a pioneering science fiction writer whose work delved into complex themes of race, gender, and identity. Her notable novel 'Kindred' intricately weaves time travel with the harsh realities of slavery, forcing readers to confront the past's impact on the present. Butler's philosophy often centered on the idea that change is inevitable and must be embraced, as reflected in her quote, 'The only way to deal with change is to plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance.' This perspective not only highlights her resilience but also challenges readers to adapt and grow amidst adversity. Butler's narratives frequently explore the struggles of marginalized individuals, presenting characters who navigate oppressive systems while seeking empowerment. Her assertion, 'All that you touch, you change,' encapsulates her belief in the profound interconnectedness of human experiences and the responsibility that comes with it. By crafting rich, multifaceted worlds, Butler invited readers to question societal norms and consider the implications of their actions. Today, Butler's quotes and ideas resonate deeply, inspiring new generations to engage with issues of identity and power. Her work remains a vital part of discussions on social justice and the human condition, illustrating the enduring relevance of her insights in a rapidly changing world.

Quote collection

Octavia Butler quotes (page 1 of 6)

110 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.

Octavia Butler Author, Novelist
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"Choose your leaders with wisdom and forethought. To be led by a coward is to be controlled by all that the coward fears. To be led by a fool is to be led by the opportunists who control the fool. To be led by a thief is to offer up your most precious treasures to be stolen. To be led by a liar is to ask to be told lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell yourself and those you love into slavery."

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Octavia Butler Author, Novelist
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"I was raised Baptist, and I like the fact that I got my conscience installed early."

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"Beware: Ignorance Protects itself. Ignorance Promotes suspicion. Suspicion Engenders fear. Fear quails, Irrational and blind, Or fear looms, Defiant and closed. Blind, closed, Suspicious, afraid, Ignorance Protects itself, And protected, Ignorance grows."

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"All that you touch You Change. All that you Change Changes you. The only lasting truth is Change. God is Change."

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"Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go and allow people to hurl themselves into their own destiny. And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over."

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"First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice."

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"All struggles are essentially power struggles. Who will rule? Who will lead? Who will define, refine, confine, design? Who will dominate? All struggles are essentially power struggles,and most are no more intellectual than two rams knocking their heads together."

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Octavia Butler Author, Novelist
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"People have the right to call themselves whatever they like. That doesn't bother me. It's other people doing the calling that bothers me."

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"In order to rise From its own ashes A phoenix First Must Burn."

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"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."

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"We need the stars... We need purpose! We need the image the Destiny to take root among the stars gives us of ourselves as a purposeful, growing species. We need to become the adult species that the Destiny can help us become! If we're to be anything other than smooth dinosaurs who evolve, specialize and die, we need the stars.... When we have no difficult, long-term purpose to strive toward, we fight each other. We destroy ourselves. We have these chaotic, apocalyptic periods of murderous craziness."

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"People who want to write either do it or they don't. At last I began to say that my most important talent - or habit - was persistence. Without it, I would have given up writing long before I finished my first novel. It's amazing what we can do if we simply refuse to give up."

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"The child in each of us Knows paradise. Paradise is home. Home as it was Or home as it should have been. Paradise is one's own place, One's own people, One's own world, Knowing and known, Perhaps even Loving and loved. Yet every child Is cast from paradise- Into growth and new community, Into vast, ongoing Change."

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"Kindness eases change Love quiets fear"

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"Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself. Every story I write adds to me a little, changes me a little, forces me to reexamine an attitude or belief, causes me to research and learn, helps me to understand people and grow."

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"When your rage is choking you, it is best to say nothing."

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Octavia Butler Author, Novelist
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"There is no end To what a living world Will demand of you."

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