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Description:
Lauren Olamina is an empath, crippled by the pain of others. Cloistered inside a neighborhood enclave in a U.S. where the distance between the haves and the have-nots has widened to a gaping chasm, she lives a protected life. But one night, violence explodes, and the walls of her neighborhood are smashed, annihilating Lauren's family and friends -- all she loves and knows. More... (© Time Warner Bookmark)

Websites about this book:

• Parable of the Sower
  Summary, critical praise, reading group guide, one chapter of the book
  http://www.twbookmark.com/books/37/0446675504/ (Time Warner Bookmark; )

Curriculum Resources:

• Group Work on Octavia Butler's Parable of the Sower, Chs. 1- 6 by Michael Kagan
  http://web.lemoyne.edu/~kagan/butler1.htm (Le Moyne College; )
  
  
• Octavia Butler Teacher Resource File
  Biography, Lesson Plans, Bibliography, E-texts, Criticism
  http://falcon.jmu.edu/~ramseyil/butler.htm (Internet School Library Media Center; )

Author Biography:

Born Octavia Estelle Butler on June 22, 1947, in Pasadena, California. She earned an Associates degree at Pasadena City College (A.A., 1968), and attended California State University, and the University of California at Los Angeles, the Open Door Program of the Screen Writers' Guild of America and the Clarion SF Writers' Workshop. Encouraged by master science fiction author Harlan Ellison, she began her writing career in 1970 and made her genre debut with Crossover (1971), the first of many works in which she weaves together African-American history, future soceties and a highly intellectual exploration of the alien perspective. More... (© Scott W. Williams; )

Websites about Octavia Butler:

• Octavia Butler by Jennifer Becker
  Biography/criticism, selected bibliography, works about the author, related links
  http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/OctaviaButler.html (Voices From the Gaps; )
  
  
• Octavia Butler
  Biogaphy, books, awards
  http://www.paccd.cc.ca.us/75th/alumni/butler/butler.html (Pasadena City College; )
  
  
• Octavia Estelle Butler: An Unofficial Web Page by Sela Young
  Links, resources, an essay abut Octavia Butler, list of works, pictures of book covers, books that include one of her short stories
  http://www.geocities.com/sela_towanda/index.html (Sela Young; )

Other works by this author at Urban Dreams:

• Wild Seed
• Clay's Ark