Octavia E. Butler: The Last Interview: And Other Conversations (The Last Interview)

MELVILLE HOUSE (Editor) and Samuel R. Delany (Introduction)

“I write about people who do extraordinary things. It just turned out that it was called science fiction.” - Octavia E. Butler

Octavia E. Butler's work broke innumerable barriers and helped open the field of science fiction to writers and readers it had never had before. As the first Black writer to win the coveted Nebula and Hugo Awards, her courage and vision left a peerless legacy for fans not just of science fiction, but of American literature. In this collection of 10 interviews, 3 of them never published, Butler speaks with candor and openness about her work, her imaginative mission, and the barriers she faced as a Black woman working in a genre dominated by white men. The book features an original introduction by science fiction legend Samuel R. Delany, in which he discusses his personal relation with Butler, providing unparalleled insight into her work and life.

• ISBN10: 1685891055
• ISBN13: 9781685891053
• Publish Date: 19 September 2023
• Publish Status: Forthcoming
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Melville House Publishing
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 144
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781685891053

Reviews

[annieb123]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

Octavia E. Butler: The Last Interview: and Other Conversations is a very well curated collection of recollections, interviews, and vignettes by/about/and featuring Octavia Butler. Released 19th Sept 2023 by Melville House, it's 192 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. 

Octavia Butler was a powerhouse author and a brilliant human being. Her practicality and intelligence shine in these articles and interviews which span decades from her early career (1979 Thrust interview with Jeffrey Elliott) through a 2006 podcast shortly before her death. She is always articulate and well spoken and offers astute insights into human nature, speculative fiction, authors and the craft of creative writing, being a minority voice in an overwhelmingly white (at the time) field, and her lived experiences.

This book is part of a series of Last Interviews with authors, cultural icons, writers, and musicians. The interviews included in this volume are arranged in roughly chronological order and give an interesting overview and some insights into ways her interactions changed over her career, or at least her interactions with interviewers. The introduction by Samuel R. Delany is warmly and respectfully written and adds a lot to the overall book.

This is a short but vitally interesting collection for fans of the author, and would be a good choice for public or school library acquisition (along with the rest of the series), as well as for fans of the author's work and potentially for more formal classroom instruction. 

Five stars. 

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.