Parable of the Sower

by Octavia E. Butler · 1993

Parable of the Sower is a haunting, modern classic set in a climate‑ravaged, post‑apocalyptic United States. Fifteen‑year‑old Lauren Olamina lives in a gated community outside Los Angeles, protected from the chaos caused by climate change and economic collapse. She suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her feel the pain of others, which forces her to confront the brutal world when her neighborhood is destroyed. As she journeys north, Lauren creates a new belief system called Earthseed, centered on the idea that "God is Change," and gathers a diverse group of survivors. The novel explores survival, environmental disaster, religious belief, and the formation of a new community amid societal breakdown.