The grave of Octavia Butler, whose novel Parable Of The Sower imagined fires engulfing Los Angeles, still stands at a local cemetery in Altadena.
Butler’s work has gained new traction after seemingly prophesying the tragedy that still threatens metro Los Angeles. In a coincidence, despite her grave site’s location in one of the main communities impacted by the fires, the cemetery’s website confirmed minimal damage to the grounds.
While a spokesperson for Mountain View cemetery confirmed to The Associated Press that the property still stands, so do the harrowing words of Butler. Written in 1993, Parable of the Sower depicts a future Los Angeles. Eerily set in 2025, the city is ravaged by fires prompted by climate change and other environmental concerns. Moreover, these issues become worsened by racism and economic disparities.
The first fire in the novel only foreshadowed the flames to come, with some calling Butler’s reading a warning. The book’s 1998 sequel, Parable of the Talents, also depicts an authoritative politician who sought to “Make America Great Again.” While currently associated with President-elect Donald Trump, Butler originally heard the phrase used by Ronald Reagan. However, the similarities between her decades-old literature and real life remain uncanny.
Butler also grew up in Altadena’s neighboring community of Pasadena, hence her nearby burial. Prior to her 2005 death, a student asked her about her own belief about whether the world was heading toward destruction.
“I didn’t make up the problems,” remarked Butler. “All I did was look around at the problems we’re neglecting now and give them about 30 years to grow into full-fledged disasters.”
The Kindred novelist remains heralded as an esteemed writer for science fiction and Afrofuturism. Her legacy continues to live on in her hometown as well. A bookstore named in her honor currently serves as a donation center for fire victims.
Butler did share a glimpse into a future that has seemingly come to life. However, she encouraged hope to change the narrative through her 2000 essay “A Few Rules for Predicting the Future.” With lessons such as learning from the past and to anticipate the surprises, she didn’t want her work to scare readers. Instead, she aimed to make them aware and continue the fight for a better fate.
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