Justin Price
This collection of stories is my first foray into the work of Octavia Butler and I can safely say that it will not be my last from what I have read. Her writing style is captivating, in part due to its sheer frankness and sincerity. Her characters are dynamic: from their thoughts that conflict with one another to their actions that are often morally ambiguous, they feel like actual people. Not just characters being controlled by a story, but people that actually play a role in the outcome, having control over their own destiny. Furthermore, I like how she intertwines background information with the situation at hand, allowing one to digest the important aspect without drowning them in an info dump. If the rest of her body of work is at all similar to these two stories, then I can see why she was such a powerful author. There are two stories in the collection: Necessary Beings and Childfinder. Now while these two stories differ in widely in terms of theme and subject matter, they are similar in the terms of the theme of the perils of leadership. The main character of Necessary Beings find herself wanting to ensure the future of her tribe. But for her to do so, she must kidnap another being like her, a Hao, just like what happened to her father. In Childfinder, a psychic searching for others like her is discovered by a secret organization. An organization she escaped from. And they want her back into the fold. Both of these tales, are masterful and I would have liked to see their worlds explored more in a novel.
1 person found this review helpful
Dale Kelley
I've never met Ms. Butler person, but I can't help but feel that she was a close friend. Her writing helped me to understand who I am, how to understand others and it let me know that I wasn't alone in the world. Her writing is very detailed, intimate and focused. Even in her early work you feel her passions and thoughts being broadcast as clear as day. She is also a talented storyteller. I didn't expect much to come from "A Necessary Being" but it surprised me. This book is an unexpected treat.
2 people found this review helpful
Angalifu Smith
This brought out aspects of Ms Butler's writing that immediately sent me back to "Wild Seed!" It certainly lays a foundation for a later writings, giving me a better appreciation of where Ms Butler was coming from.
1 person found this review helpful