"Did she struggle for life only out of habit, or because some part of her still hoped that there was something worth living for?”

Parable of the Sower illuminated our reality in all of its bleakness. I found that Parable of the Talents expanded on the "what next?" line of thinking, especially as we get a new viewpoint introduced (the adult voice of Lauren's daughter) alongside several others.

Butler is in incredibly skilled writer and offers an honest, unflinching perspective on how those in power harm those they perceive to be beneath them. It's prophetic - well, I suppose it looks both backwards and forwards as these things tend to be cyclical. There's a lot of tough-to-witness violence in this story. 

This is a book that grapples with religion, and so it does make sense that our main POV is combating the religious extremism of her time with teachings of her own. But ... my continual struggle with this series is the development of Earthseed. The theory is compelling (embracing change & understanding that we must support each other through change), but I gritted my teeth throughout every chapter opening - the verse just felt so simplistic. The goal of interstellar journeying was also off-putting (Why is it that humanity must continue to grow among the stars? Why is it the goal to colonize other planets? Lauren makes astute observations about the cyclical nature of war and violence humans inflict upon each other; why would that change if we expand humanity to space?). 

It's like ... so close yet so far. Every other element of the communal society of Acorn was interesting & perhaps healing. Lauren again and again comes to the conclusion that people need each other to survive. It's so close to anti-capitalist learnings. But then it gets muddied up in weak verse and an obsession over spreading her preachy teachings and generating technology to spread amongst the stars. 

Butler introduces several new viewpoints in this book who accurately criticize Earthseed, but Lauren is still meant to be a sympathetic character. And she is sympathetic! More than that - she's strong and fiercely hopeful and smart. It's why I have so much trouble with the Earthseed "teachings" that I have to face at the start of every single chapter.

(I also can't stand the hyperempathy stuff, but that was way less of a highlight in this novel.)

I scrolled through some reviews of this book, and nearly all of them throughout the years talked about how uncomfortable it was to read "now". I read this book the day Roe v. Wade was overturned. I think it would feel prescient at any time, which just speaks to Butler's skill. 

CW: slavery, rape, violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, murder, death, torture, religious bigotry, trafficking, child abuse, kidnapping, grief, confinement, racism, sexism, hate crime, homophobia, war, pregnancy