ENG 440 (face-to-face)
OCTAVIA BUTLER
Fulfills Single Author and 1898 to the present Historical Breadth requirements
Aliens. Future dystopias. Historical fantasy.
Octavia Butler, one of the most important US writers of the last half century, depicted all of these and more in her novels and short stories. A Black writer of Science Fiction and, more broadly, Speculative Fiction, she was a pioneering figure in literary spaces formerly dominated by white and male writers. Her influence is wide and varied. Films, graphic novels, and TV shows have been made of her work. Young writers of all backgrounds cite her as an example.
This class is dedicated to an in-depth engagement with Butler’s work. We will engage her exciting Speculative Fiction through a selection of her novels and short stories, as well as adaptations of her work. We will read biographical and critical work on her. And we will engage her legacy through Octavia’s Brood, an anthology of short fiction by younger writers inspired by her work. Students in literary/cultural studies as well as creative writing students will find interest in this class.
Readings (tentative list), by Butler unless indicated otherwise:
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- Kindred (novel)
- Parable of the Sower (novel)
- Patternmaster (novel)
- Dawn (novel)
- Octavia’s Brood (collection of stories inspired by Butler, edited by Walidah Imarisha and adrienne marie brown)
- Octavia Butler by Glen Canva (criticism)
- Supplementary Readings & Films on Laulima
Class Assignments and Procedures:
Students’ work will include two short analytical papers, an oral presentation, a reading log, and a ten-page research essay.