Honoring Octavia Butler
Prophet of Change
Today, February 24, marks the anniversary of Octavia Butler’s passing—falling, fittingly, during Black History Month.
One of the greatest science fiction writers of all time, Butler was deeply rooted in the Black history and culture of Pasadena and Altadena, the area where she was born, lived, and is now buried.
We recently shared her famous words from the opening of the Parable of the Sower in one of our Notes:
“All that you touch, You Change.
All that you Change, Changes you.
The only lasting truth is Change.
God is Change.”
That quote isn’t just one of her many bangers—it’s the one carved into her gravestone.
And last month, the Eaton Fire nearly consumed the cemetery where she rests. Her grave survived. Her words survived. And if that isn’t a little piece of prophecy in action, we don’t know what is.
Butler didn’t just predict the future—she studied it. She observed, researched, and meticulously charted where we were headed. And, well… she nailed it. Climate catastrophe, economic collapse, racial injustice—it’s all in her books, written decades ago.
But here’s the thing: Butler didn’t just dwell in doom. She believed in possibility. She knew we could shape a better future—if we had the courage to face the present.
Octavia was passionate about the possibilities and purpose she found in writing her speculative fiction: "At its best,” she wrote “science fiction stimulates imagination and creativity" and that it was "a wonderful way to think about possibilities" and that it “removes barriers and constraints on what we allow ourselves to envision" and a means by which she could write about “egalitarian societies that don't exist anywhere on earth today."
In the Book of Proverbs in the Old Testament it’s written “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Conversely, Octavia Butler showed us that where there is vision, there’s the possibility for a new life and a better world.
To honor her legacy, Big Bowl of Ideas is offering free buttons inspired by Butler’s wisdom.
Want one? Fill out this form by February 28, and they’ll send one your way. And if you rock it on social media, tag @bigbowlofideas so they know you’re carrying the spirit of Octavia into the future.
Octavia Butler changed everything she touched. And she still does.
It is wonderful, Soul Bloom, to see Ms. Butler honored. Bravo! Especially with us facing the new sets of activity from Mother Nature---Homo sapiens now being engaged in the 6th Extinction. We have let the uber-rich break the simple stewardship that Mother Nature expects from Homo sapiens for getting to live on this gorgeous little blue planet and the Ubers have adorned everything with boastful bravado and massive stupidity which still frothing at the bit. The wonderful little water bears have kept a low profile and do not play the Bottom-Line or the Perpetual Warfare Game and they have survived all 5 extinctions.
This a wonderful tribute!