Parable of the Talents: A Graphic Novel Adaptation

by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy (Adapter), John Jennings (Illustrator)

This gripping graphic novel adaptation of Octavia E. Butler’s groundbreaking dystopian novel stands beside the acclaimed previous graphic novel adaptations, Kindred, a #1 New York Times bestseller, and Parable of the Sower, winner of the Hugo Award

Set against a background of a war-torn continent under the control of a Christian fundamentalist fascist state, Parable of the Talents is a modern masterpiece that resonates powerfully.

This graphic novel adaptation is brought to life thrillingly by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, the creative team behind the #1 New York Times bestselling adaptation of Kindred.

Parable of the Talents is told in the voice of Lauren Olamina’s daughter, Asha Vere—from whom she has been separated for most of the girl’s life—interspersed with sections in the form of Lauren’s own journals.

Asha searches for answers about her past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy—caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.

Octavia E. Butler's bestselling literary science-fiction masterpieces are essential works in feminist, Afrofuturist, and fantasy genres, and this compelling graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Talents is a major event.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Fiction, Science Fiction, Dystopia, Comics, Graphic Novels Comics

Kindle Edition

Published April 22, 2025

About the author

Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant.

After her father died, Butler was raised by her widowed mother. Extremely shy as a child, Octavia found an outlet at the library reading fantasy, and in writing. She began writing science fiction as a teenager. She attended community college during the Black Power movement, and while participating in a local writer's workshop was encouraged to attend the Clarion Workshop, which focused on science fiction.

She soon sold her first stories and by the late 1970s had become sufficiently successful as an author that she was able to pursue writing full-time. Her books and short stories drew the favorable attention of the public and awards judges. She also taught writer's workshops, and eventually relocated to Washington state. Butler died of a stroke at the age of 58. Her papers are held in the research collection of the Huntington Library.

Reviews

[Panda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Graphic Novel 304 pages
Original novel author: Octavia E. Butler
Adaptation author: Damian Duffy
Illustrators: John Jennings, and David Brame

This is an adaptation of Parable of the Talents, the second book of the Earthseed duology.

The illustrations are fantastic.

As a graphic novel, the adaptation contains the ideas put forth in the original novel, however, Butler has a unique voice that doesn't come through in the graphic novel.

While I feel that it is an excellent idea, and I like that more people will see her work, I do hope that the graphic novels bring a curiosity to Butler's original works.

The thing about digging into a novel written by her is that she has a way of creating these beautifully intricate worlds with complex beings, who then proceed to almost scientifically test the parameters of the world and their lives. The push/pull dynamic is something that I love every time I pick up a book by her, be it the first time or a re-read, although I think I have read everything by her at least once at this point... but there is so much there that I feel like I have an observational viewpoint into this wondrous creation, that I just didn't feel in the graphic novel.

I may try another one that has a different type of story, as I see that Damian Duffy has done several of these. Perhaps Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation, which I think might translate better due to the content of the novel itself, and see what that looks like.

If graphic novels are your thing, definitely check it out, but also consider checking out the source material and see what you think.

[D.T. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrative is as enthralling as ever, but I deeply wish the artwork weren’t so sketchy and unfinished at times. In the few scenes where things are acutely polished, it shines.

One of the most complex relationships is Lauren's daughter, Asha Vere, who holds deep resentment against her. She breaks the fourth wall as both a narrator and a viewer of her mother's past, speaking to the futuristic qualities of the world. I understand why she resented her, but it still hurt and kind of frustrated me how she could see no fault in her father or Uncle Marc.

Before you say this is timely. These are things that have happened before and continue to happen. Doesn’t make any of it feel any less bleak, though. Butler was able to convey human suffering in such a visceral way.

I have only read this story in the graphic novel version, but I'm going to read the actual novels as well when I get through more of my to-be-read list.

[Vinayak Hegde · Rating 4 out of 5]

This powerful graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Talents, part of Octavia E. Butler’s Earthseed duology, brings a haunting and timely vision of the future to life. Set in 2032, the story resonates deeply with present-day anxieties—exploring themes of authoritarianism, religious extremism, slavery, and social collapse (especially due to climate change). Remarkably, although originally published in 1998, the narrative feels eerily prescient, underscoring Butler’s visionary storytelling in almost immediate future "Black Mirror" style.

The graphic adaptation by Damian Duffy, John Jennings, and Thomas Brune captures the emotional weight and gravitas of the source material. The illustrations work well, amplifying the dystopian landscape and emotional turmoil of its characters. The story unfolds through the perspective of the protagonist’s daughter, using excerpts from her mother’s diaries as the narrative thread. While this layered flashback structure can feel a bit disorienting at the beginning, it ultimately adds depth and intimacy to the unfolding drama.

Both as a standalone work and a companion to Butler’s novel, this adaptation succeeds in conveying the raw power and relevance of Parable of the Talents. It is a striking blend of speculative fiction, social commentary, and visual storytelling.

[Peacegal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought-provoking, affecting, and surprisingly prescient, this is a dystopian story set in the not-too-far future, about tough choices and the struggle to survive and stay true to one's self.

[Estibaliz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

While I had read 'Parable of the Sower' before reading its graphic novel adaptation, that is not the case with this 'Parable of the Talents'; and, probably because of that, while I was really interested in this graphic novel, I also felt that it wasn't a great second act to the series.

And I think that has to do with the fact that Octavia Butler has a very unique voice that makes her stories immersive and very attractive to the reader, while this adaptation just felt a bit flat and quite repetitive in its happenings.

As I already mentioned in previous reviews of these Butler's adaptations by Duffy and Jennings, I don't really love the art, and the script normally does a good job in translating the main themes of the story, but not necessarily all its nuances. And it seems that still applies here...

So it was a great effort and an interesting enough read, but I can't say I loved it. Though it really terrified me at times in its portrait of Christian America, and that President Jarred... some things just felt a bit too close to home for comfort, somehow...

[McKenna Deem · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️

While I said Parable of the Sower was prophetic, Parable of the Talent proves that Butler was a prophet. Not one for the Christian Americans, but one who could see them coming and call them on the atrocities that perpetrate and plan.

Though the Christian America political party does not currently exist in name, it exists in belief and action:
• a dismantling of the public education system
• a belief that those who are not (or don’t look or sound like) natural born citizens are heathens
• the policing of women’s bodies
• the belief that 2 abusive Christian parents are better than any number of loving, educated, non religious parents
• an unwillingness to acknowledge or address climate change, poverty, racism, sexism, etc etc.

What Butler gives us through Olamina is hope. Hope in a future that is for everyone. A world that acknowledges that religion does not make you a better person. A hope that we will get there, even if the Christo-fascist society gets us down.

[Gift · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still don’t understand how is it possible that Octavia E. Butler isn’t as well known as George Orwell or Ray Bradbury in Europe. Her incredible talent and the way she gets under the reader´s skin are mesmerizing. That being said, I was glad that this book was “just” a graphic novel. I appreciate her theological/philosophical discourse and the urge to warn people against fundamental right politics but I was just not ready to read hundreds of pages of her deeply disturbing universe.
I cannot judge how well this graphic novel did the original book its justice but it was impressive.


Storytelling: 5*
Illustration: 4*

[TJ Price-O'Neil · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just wow. Octavia Butler is a genius and her books are masterful. This book turned graphic novel is so timely and beautifully done. She predicted so much about our current political situation. The President in the book’s slogan is Make America Great Again. I can’t get over it. How’d she know?!

[Leo Kirkbride · Rating 4 out of 5]

very good i liked the ending of the first book and thought there didn’t have to be another one but i really enjoyed this one

[GONZA · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I have not read “The parable of the sower,” this The parable of the talent” can be understood without difficulty. The drawings are appropriate for a story of strenuous struggle against practically everything and everyone and the many sacrifices to which our protagonist is forced. It is neither an easy nor a light plot, but the graphic novel probably makes it more accessible even if its proximity to current reality makes it frightening.

Pur non avendo letto "The parable of the sower", questo The parable of the talent" si capisce senza problemi. I disegni sono adeguati ad una storia di strenua lotta contro praticamente tutto e tutti ed alle molteplici rinunce a cui la nostro protagonista é obbligata. Non é una trama né facile né leggera, ma probabilmente la graphic novel la rende piú accessibile anche se la sua vicinanza con la realtá attuale la fa diventare spaventosa.

I received from the Publisher a complimentary digital advanced review copy of the book in exchange for a honest review.

[寿理 宮本 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if it's that I haven't read the original or if it's the art style or what, but I'm not retaining a single thing I'm reading of this. Actually, a lot of it might be that Jarret is portrayed as a very thinly veiled Worst President Ever, and I feel particularly repulsed by the idea of reading this kind of thing for "entertainment."

It could also be that it's depicted as a very lot of telling, not showing, that the narrator is technically from the "future" and not only is narrating what's still the future relative to our time but tells the backstory for every character over other things going on—the narration isn't directly related to what's being shown like it is with, say, Washington's Gay General. So I can't really follow what's happening when the text and graphics don't line up, probably.

Rating for the benefit of the doubt that this is PROBABLY a good story, but I don't have the correct mindset at the moment to be able to follow it. Probably easier to follow after reading the original.

[Zaidee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have not yet read Parable of the Sower or Talents, but have been curious about them for a while after reading Octavia Butler's Patternist books. I figured a graphic novel adaptation would be a good way to become more familiar with the story, particularly as it's very relevant to current events and a topic of discussion among plenty of readers in my own life. I borrowed the Sower graphic novel from the library before reading Talents. Both books feature an intense art style that really amps up the darker elements of the story. There is a lot of visual noise, texture, and variety on top of an already grim plot. At times I found this combination to be quite a lot. Effective, but a lot. I also found the style misleading in terms of characters ages; children seemed to be portrayed as much older sometimes. Narrative wise, they managed to fit a lot of story into these graphic novels. There are some time jumps, but as I haven't read the original books yet I can't really compare. I'm glad these stories were adapted. I think Butler is an important author with many insights and lessons on our world, so I hope this format means it will reach other audiences. The art style combined with the story may be off putting to some, while others will find it unique from a lot of other styles being published today.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for the ARC!

[Jacqueline Nyathi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Graphic novel adaptations are great for helping readers access different facets of a well-known story to novels, in engaging alternative parts of the brain. They’re also a great way to retell a story to emphasise particular plotlines. Additionally, because they’re so accessible, they’re a very cool way to get younger people reading. This adaptation of the great Octavia E. Butler’s *Parable of the Talents* will do all three. It’s useful to have read the previous graphic adaptation of *Parable of the Sower* (2020), also by Duffy and John Jennings (the illustrator), but this is not essential.

*Talents* tells the story of Olamina from her daughter, Larkin’s perspective as she goes through her mother’s old diary. It covers the period after Olamina has gotten married to Bankole, mainly their time at their Earthseed “commune” at Acorn, the trials they face there from raids and more, and the birth of Olamina's child. We learn about where and how Larkin grew up. *Talents* ends with the leaving for space of Olamina's followers. It feels just as timely as *Sower*—a central theme here is American Christian nationalists in power—but is marginally less bleak (noting that there are still very difficult themes, like rape and enslavement).

I’m not a fan of Earthseed personally, and am never sure if Butler intended for the religion to be taken seriously (as some people do), or just to offer it as an alternative, and a possible critique of religions in general. It always strikes me that Olamina comes across as something of a fundamentalist. It’s intriguing that *Talents* is from the POV of Olamina’s daughter, who is essentially a stranger to her and not at all a fan of Olamina and her followers or teachings. Interestingly, most of Larkin’s issues are with Olamina herself, rather than Earthseed.

John Jennings's artwork n this graphic adaptation is fantastic, and vividly brings the story to life. It's, in fact, what makes this version of *Parable of the Talents* worth reading.

Thanks to Abrams ComicArts for early DRC access.

[Allen Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This perfectly captured the original text, maintaining the story, tone, author's voice, etc. The graphics added more to the story, bringing to life the Octavia Butler's world. I particularly enjoyed the graphics dealing with the religion our main character was writing/creating. The graphic novel is quite long and expansive and doesn't try to condense the story (which I appreciate).

I would recommend reading Butler's duology first if you haven't already, then pick up the graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Sower, then pick up this final adaptation. You could read just the graphic novel adaptions, but I personally think they're best looked at as an addition to and way of re-experiencing the duology and not as a replacement for it.

Recommended for fans of dystopian literature, climate change, apocalyptic-esque stories, sci-fi-ish stories. This is a heavy read that deals with some serious and uncomfortable topics, so check out trigger warnings if needed.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy for review

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Abrams ComicArts for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

Book Summary: Parable of the Talents is told in the voice of Lauren Olamina’s daughter, Asha Vere—from whom she has been separated for most of the girl’s life—interspersed with sections in the form of Lauren’s own journals. Asha searches for answers about her past while struggling to reconcile with her mother’s legacy—caught between her duty to her chosen family and her calling to lead humankind into a better future among the stars.

What I Thought:

I had enjoyed the Parable of the Sower: Graphic Novel Adaptation, so this was an instant click for me as I wanted to continue reading about this dystopian world. However, I don't believe it is a prerequisite to read the first book because the narrative helps situate the reader in the correct time and place of the story. I liked the illustrations, and I took my time reading a bit at a time. As a user of the platform, I read my graphic novel in NetGalley Reader, which was the perfect format to experience the book.




Expected Publication 22/04/25
Goodreads Review 08/04/25
#ParableoftheTalents #NetGalley.

[Nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a digital review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Parable of the Talents is the sequel to Parable of the Sower. You will definitely need to read Sower before Talents, as it relies heavily on the reader being familiar with Earthseed and overall state of the United States when the story occurs. I read Sower years ago and have been meaning to read Talents since then.

This graphic novel adaptation of Parable of the Talents is very well done. The illustrations enhance the story and provide the gut-punch and rawness that is characteristic of Octavia Butler's words/descriptions. The story itself is good and I'm glad to finally know what happened with Earthseed. There is more optimism and hope in the story than I was expecting. It does feel a little rushed, but that is probably a result of edits that had to be made going from a full length novel to a graphic novel format/length.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I. . . don’t know how to review this book. I’m not going to lie: this was difficult to read. Not cause it was badly written or drawn or anything though. No, it was difficult cause too much in this story is reflective of the current state of the United States, and the state of the world as certain ideologies amp up others with similar views around the world, that I could only read it in spurts. That doesn’t mean I regret reading it though. This is something that should be read by more people specifically cause it is difficult. We often think of dystopian as future related, but it often reflects things in the present and there were things that happened during, and before, these novels were originally written that has unfortunately come back around. Things we should be aware of. . . There’s a reason the books these were adapted from gained popularity in 2020.

I can’t myself speak to whether or not the creators of the graphic novel did well adapting Butler’s work, but I’ve seen others speak well of them. I’m hoping to read the novels next year if I don’t get to before the year is over. I’m glad I decided to read the graphic novels first though as it’s a good to be prepared and I do like them. The writing is really well done and the art style makes the story even more powerful. It tore me up emotionally as we followed these characters especially the ones we met in the first book and had seen survive so much already.

I will say though that I have never hated a character more than I hated two characters in this story including our PoV character Asha/Larkin. I do not like her at all. That didn’t ruin my opinion of this being a 5 star read, of course, and I still recommend people check it out.

Note: Please check the CWs on my SG review beforehand. I tried to make sure I covered everything, but there was a lot.

[Tania Rook · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this without having read the original novel. It was so dark and disjointed I have very little interest in reading the novel, which is sad because I think maybe the novel is full of really interesting ideas. My issue with this is mostly to do with how that was translated to a graphic novel, using diary entries to explain what is going on. But the diary entries are short and the pictures vague. Plus huge events get narrated with no intervening space, so nothing makes sense. This is a graphic novel for people who already know the story.

[Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this more than the first graphic novel adaptation. The art work was more polished, the dialogue flow wasn’t as confusing. Additionally, I think I enjoyed it more from a POV that wasn’t the main character’s more so. The Parable duology is essential reading at this point, & still one of my favorite dystopian novels. These are perfectly acceptable adaptations for new & old readers.

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading a GN adaptation of a book I've already read in print form; I thought they did a fabulous job with the adaptation, especially considering how much of the book is philosophical and focused on internal thoughts. The artwork was gorgeous and I think they stayed true to both the story and the spirit of the original.

[Jennice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I enjoyed this book better than the last one because it was in a graphic novel style. I liked Sower but this one really got me once the desperation of a mother was added. I was hooked. I've had issues with my mothers and I always enjoy watching how complex relationships change and are resolved.

[Kate McCartney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a beautiful adaptation. I always forget how angry this book makes me. I love Parable of the Sower and Lauren/Olamina. I get so mad that her daughter hates her so much sees as a fraud. While I think I understand why Larkin/Asha feels this way it still makes me hurt for Lauren and feel she is treated unfairly.

[Mike Thomas]

Inexplicable reference to Almost Famous in this adaptation. For a split second, I thought Octavia Butler was a truth witch for talking about a 70s rock guitarist jumping off a roof and shouting he is a golden god before reason took hold, and I realized it was the adapter adding that lol

[Kirsten D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved it and I liked the illustrations. It felt rushed through. I’m sure it was a hard choice to decide what from the original book to include, but the last few pages felt especially rushed as they encompassed decades. Still, this is a great companion book to the original.

[Elisabeth Lovelace · Rating 3 out of 5]

The art was so incredible. I think it was a wonderful retelling of the Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler. I believe this story is particularly relevant in today's context, given the rise of fundamentalism.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great translation. I’m still angry with Larkin (I forget the name she ended up with). Marc is a piece of shit, but Larkin has no excuse.

The Earthseed stuff is cool but my emotions get stuck on Lauren’s horrible family.

[Bethany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant adaptation. go read the original and then read this.

[Tessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this novel by Octavia Butler, and it was special to see it come to life in a graphic novel medium.

[Fletcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great adaptation. It brings the Acorn crowd to life and makes Olamina’s Earthseed vision clearer. This threads in Asha as both narrator and reader in smart and interesting ways.

[Sophia]

Loved the art style being so loose and sketchy! Also was really great to read as a review to refresh myself on the story! They should lowkey give all books comic versions so i can reread easier