Unexpected Stories
by Octavia E. Butler
2020-12-29 08:49:35
An NPR Books Great Read: Two never-before-published stories from the archives of one of science fictionâs all-time masters. The novella âA Necessary Beingâ showcases Octavia E. Butlerâs ability to create alien yet fully believable...
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An NPR Books Great Read: Two never-before-published stories from the archives of one of science fictionâs all-time masters. The novella âA Necessary Beingâ showcases Octavia E. Butlerâs ability to create alien yet fully believable âothers.â Tahnehâs father was a Hao, one of a dwindling race whose leadership abilities render them so valuable that their members are captured and forced to govern. When her father dies, Tahneh steps into his place, both chief and prisoner, and for twenty years has ruled without ever meeting another of her kind. She bears her loneliness privately until the day that a Hao youth is spotted wandering into her territory. As her warriors sharpen their weapons, Tahneh must choose between imprisoning the newcomerâand living the rest of her life alone. The second story in this volume, âChildfinder,â was commissioned by Harlan Ellison for his legendary (and never-published) anthology The Last Dangerous Visionsâ¢. A disaffected telepath connects with a young girl in a desperate attempt to help her harness her growing powers. But in the richly evocative fiction of Octavia E. Butler, mentorship is a rocky path, and every lesson comes at a price. The award-winning author of science fiction classics Parable of the Sower and Kindred bestows these compelling, long lost gems âlike the miraculous discovery that the beloved book youâve read a dozen times has an extra chapterâ (Los Angeles Review of Books). Harlan Ellison and Dangerous Visions are registered trademarks of the Kilimanjaro Corporation. All rights reserved.
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