Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler, born 1947 in California, is often hailed as being one of the top two African American writers in science fiction (the other is Samuel Delany).

To date, she is the only black woman to make a living writing science fiction full time.

Butler decided at age 10 that she wanted to be a writer. She began writing about horses, moved on to romances at age 11 and then finally settled on science fiction at age 12. In 1970, encouraged by contemporary Harlan Ellison, she began writing science fiction.

Butler blends history, future societies, and telepathy throughout her series. She is the winner of the James Triptree award, Hugos, and Nebulas. She's been recognized with a lifetime achievement award by Pen Center and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship-the first MacArthur Fellowship to ever go to a science fiction writer.

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