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Octavia E. Butler: H is for Horse
An homage to the childhood genius of Black science fiction writer Octavia E. Butler. Bringing to view a selection of Butler's unpublished writings and drawings, this book traces her fascination with human-alien symbiosis to her early empathy with horses and other marginalized creatures.
The figure of the horse, at once earthly and transcendent, represented the contradictions of freedom and captivity that enabled young Octavia to develop her nuanced sense of voice and place. Drawing on previously unknown archival research, this volume illustrates how Butler's development as a writer was tied to her extraordinary resourcefulness and self-awareness growing up as an awkward, bookish Black girl in segregated, Cold War Pasadena. She persistently re-visited and revised her early writings on teenage angst, Martians, Westerns, and racial politics. In one way or another her supernatural characters defied the constraints of gender, race, and class with equine-inflected resilience.
In the spirit of Butler's passion for library research, this book is comprised of twenty-six short A-Z chapters, on vocabulary, images, and themes central to her authorial formation. It is part childhood biography, art and literary analysis, and memoir. It interweaves the author's personal recollections with scholarly musings on poetry, film, and literature inspired by Butler's encyclopedic reading habits and experiments with genre. Just as cross-species kinships are at the heart of her Afro-futurist, eco-feminist storytelling, Butler demonstrates that coming-of-age is an ongoing process and key to healing our damaged planet.
The figure of the horse, at once earthly and transcendent, represented the contradictions of freedom and captivity that enabled young Octavia to develop her nuanced sense of voice and place. Drawing on previously unknown archival research, this volume illustrates how Butler's development as a writer was tied to her extraordinary resourcefulness and self-awareness growing up as an awkward, bookish Black girl in segregated, Cold War Pasadena. She persistently re-visited and revised her early writings on teenage angst, Martians, Westerns, and racial politics. In one way or another her supernatural characters defied the constraints of gender, race, and class with equine-inflected resilience.
In the spirit of Butler's passion for library research, this book is comprised of twenty-six short A-Z chapters, on vocabulary, images, and themes central to her authorial formation. It is part childhood biography, art and literary analysis, and memoir. It interweaves the author's personal recollections with scholarly musings on poetry, film, and literature inspired by Butler's encyclopedic reading habits and experiments with genre. Just as cross-species kinships are at the heart of her Afro-futurist, eco-feminist storytelling, Butler demonstrates that coming-of-age is an ongoing process and key to healing our damaged planet.
300 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 4, 2024
6 people are currently reading
2371 people want to read
About the author
Chi-ming Yang
7 books16 followersChi-ming Yang is an Associate Professor in the Department of English of the School of Arts and Sciences and the University of Pennsylvania.
She received her Ph.D. in English from Cornell University and her B.A. in Comparative Literature from Stanford University. She has taught at Fordham University and held a Mellon Post-doctoral Fellowship at Barnard College, Columbia University. She specializes in 18th-century British literature and culture, with interests in travel writing, empire, colonialism, and East-West relations.
Publications related to the theme of early modern orientalism have appeared in Comparative Literature Studies, Eighteenth-Century Studies, and Humans and Other Animals in Eighteenth-Century Britain: Representation, Hybridity, Ethics. Her new work concerns race, chinoiserie, transatlantic slavery, and the cultural impact of global flows of silver between Latin America and East Asia.
She received her Ph.D. in English from Cornell University and her B.A. in Comparative Literature from Stanford University. She has taught at Fordham University and held a Mellon Post-doctoral Fellowship at Barnard College, Columbia University. She specializes in 18th-century British literature and culture, with interests in travel writing, empire, colonialism, and East-West relations.
Publications related to the theme of early modern orientalism have appeared in Comparative Literature Studies, Eighteenth-Century Studies, and Humans and Other Animals in Eighteenth-Century Britain: Representation, Hybridity, Ethics. Her new work concerns race, chinoiserie, transatlantic slavery, and the cultural impact of global flows of silver between Latin America and East Asia.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
March 8, 2025
If you're a fan of Octavia Butler's work, this nonfiction piece might be worth reading. Drawing on collections of her juvenalia (writing and notes from her childhood and adolescence) this collection of essays offers fresh insight into who Butler was, what inspired her, and some of what she lived through. It's organized like an alphabet, with a different topic corresponding to each letter of the alphabet. It's non-linear but really rich with information about where Butler grew up, the kinds of stories she wrote as a young person, what she was like, the kinds of media she consumed and more. Links to her published work are made as well since some of the stories she wrote when she was young influenced her later books.
For this next part of the review, content warning for discussions of child sexual abuse.
One thing I'm still processing, is there are indications that Butler might have been the victim of sexual abuse as a child. This isn't said explicitly because we don't know for sure, but there's definitely good reason to think this might be the case. We also know that as a young person she wrote a story about a very young child who is sexually abused by an adult and feels positively about it. The author of this book frames that as stories that could be read as rape being turned into empowering narratives. I can't help thinking it could also be a way of processing unresolved trauma when we knew a lot less about how abuse of children functions.
I will say it kind of puts Fledgling in a different light for me. That has always been one of my favorites of her ouvre, but I'm not sure how I feel knowing all of this. If you haven't read it, Fledgling is her take on a vampire story and the main character is a vampire woman whose body looks like that of a child even though she is an adult of her species. She engages in a sexual relationship with an adult human man and those intimate scenes are definitely uncomfortable to read. When I initially read the book, my take was that this was a way to examine sexual mores and pose philosophical questions about them, which is something she does in many of her books.
She may still be doing this, but also this adds a layer and makes me wonder if there's an element of self-insertion where perhaps she felt like an adult in a childs body at one point? And if so, does that change how I read or feel about the novel? Maybe. Of course, this is all speculation and she isn't here to say one way or another. But there's a lot of material in this book that hasn't previously been written about. I found it really interesting and I think it offers a clearer picture of who she was a full person who wrote so many brilliant and progressive books. The audio narrator isn't great though and reads in kind of a bland way. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
For this next part of the review, content warning for discussions of child sexual abuse.
One thing I'm still processing, is there are indications that Butler might have been the victim of sexual abuse as a child. This isn't said explicitly because we don't know for sure, but there's definitely good reason to think this might be the case. We also know that as a young person she wrote a story about a very young child who is sexually abused by an adult and feels positively about it. The author of this book frames that as stories that could be read as rape being turned into empowering narratives. I can't help thinking it could also be a way of processing unresolved trauma when we knew a lot less about how abuse of children functions.
I will say it kind of puts Fledgling in a different light for me. That has always been one of my favorites of her ouvre, but I'm not sure how I feel knowing all of this. If you haven't read it, Fledgling is her take on a vampire story and the main character is a vampire woman whose body looks like that of a child even though she is an adult of her species. She engages in a sexual relationship with an adult human man and those intimate scenes are definitely uncomfortable to read. When I initially read the book, my take was that this was a way to examine sexual mores and pose philosophical questions about them, which is something she does in many of her books.
She may still be doing this, but also this adds a layer and makes me wonder if there's an element of self-insertion where perhaps she felt like an adult in a childs body at one point? And if so, does that change how I read or feel about the novel? Maybe. Of course, this is all speculation and she isn't here to say one way or another. But there's a lot of material in this book that hasn't previously been written about. I found it really interesting and I think it offers a clearer picture of who she was a full person who wrote so many brilliant and progressive books. The audio narrator isn't great though and reads in kind of a bland way. I received an audio review copy via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
March 10, 2025
This is a slightly academic biography, not only the author, but also of her early writings as well. Yang dove deep into Butler's archives held at the Huntington Library and have presented here an insight into how Butler's writing grew into the published books. Yang provides summaries on many of Butler’s juvenile writings, as she was writing stories since grade school.
The book is short and presented in 26 chapters, one for each letter of the alphabet, such as the subtitle. It’s a different way of organizing a biography, as it goes forward or backward in time as it fits into the chapter letter.
Any fan of Butler can find something here to appreciate and help to understand the author, and the origin stories of her books.
I listened to the audiobook which was well narrated. My only complaint is that there were references to images I could not see. I may have to seek out a copy just to peek at the images I missed while listening.
Book rating: 4.25
Thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for an advance review audiobook.
The book is short and presented in 26 chapters, one for each letter of the alphabet, such as the subtitle. It’s a different way of organizing a biography, as it goes forward or backward in time as it fits into the chapter letter.
Any fan of Butler can find something here to appreciate and help to understand the author, and the origin stories of her books.
I listened to the audiobook which was well narrated. My only complaint is that there were references to images I could not see. I may have to seek out a copy just to peek at the images I missed while listening.
Book rating: 4.25
Thanks to HighBridge Audio and NetGalley for an advance review audiobook.
March 28, 2025
This audiobook is narrated by Janina Edwards. Janina is one of my favorite narrators. I truly appreciate the author and publisher for choosing such a skilled nsrrator for this unusual biography. I highly recommend consuming this as an audiobook if possible. It's a whole experience.
This is truly a unique biography of Octavia E. Butler. The author had access to her notes stored at the Huntington Library and she makes fantastic use of all that was left behind.
I've been a fan of OEB since I was a high school student and sobbed when I heard she had passed. Much like this author, the first novel I read by her was Dawn. I still have the old cover with a white woman on the cover representing Lilith Iyapo. Imagine my surprise upon discovering the main character was a Black woman leader. She's been my favorite author since. Her work has informed the adult I grew up to become.
This author takes all of her writings, not just related to her published work, but her childhood stories, her affirmations, her notes on places she visited and creates the fullest picture of Octavia I've ever encountered. I feel like I know so much more about Octavia. I'll never get permission to access her archive myself, but this is an excellent synopsis of what it contains.
This is structured, kind of like a children's ABC book with chapters that can be read in any order and are extremely eclectic. Still, each chapter speaks not just about her writing but also includes interviews from those that knew her, descriptions of images she drew and photographs she took, what reference books she studied, and her childhood obsessions. This is a side of Octavia Butler I have never had the chance to experience before. She was such a fascinating woman.
I've read and enjoyed every biography published on OEB, but this is by far my favorite. Octavia E Butler is my favorite author of all time. Though Toni Morrison is a close second. If you are a casual fan of the work of OEB or have been intrigued by her thought processes and how her mind worked, I can not recommend this highly enough.
I, of course, purchased this in audiobook format. This also includes interesting information about the author and how OEB's work impacted and fascinated her.
Thank you to Chi-Ming Yang, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
This is truly a unique biography of Octavia E. Butler. The author had access to her notes stored at the Huntington Library and she makes fantastic use of all that was left behind.
I've been a fan of OEB since I was a high school student and sobbed when I heard she had passed. Much like this author, the first novel I read by her was Dawn. I still have the old cover with a white woman on the cover representing Lilith Iyapo. Imagine my surprise upon discovering the main character was a Black woman leader. She's been my favorite author since. Her work has informed the adult I grew up to become.
This author takes all of her writings, not just related to her published work, but her childhood stories, her affirmations, her notes on places she visited and creates the fullest picture of Octavia I've ever encountered. I feel like I know so much more about Octavia. I'll never get permission to access her archive myself, but this is an excellent synopsis of what it contains.
This is structured, kind of like a children's ABC book with chapters that can be read in any order and are extremely eclectic. Still, each chapter speaks not just about her writing but also includes interviews from those that knew her, descriptions of images she drew and photographs she took, what reference books she studied, and her childhood obsessions. This is a side of Octavia Butler I have never had the chance to experience before. She was such a fascinating woman.
I've read and enjoyed every biography published on OEB, but this is by far my favorite. Octavia E Butler is my favorite author of all time. Though Toni Morrison is a close second. If you are a casual fan of the work of OEB or have been intrigued by her thought processes and how her mind worked, I can not recommend this highly enough.
I, of course, purchased this in audiobook format. This also includes interesting information about the author and how OEB's work impacted and fascinated her.
Thank you to Chi-Ming Yang, HighBridge Audio, and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. All opinions and viewpoints expressed in this review are my own.
April 28, 2025
This book would be of interest only to readers of Octavia Butler, and possibly to academicians who study the origins of authors' inspirations and themes.
Familiar with Octavia Butler's work, the author went through many boxes of her copious archives at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. Due to Butler's unexpected and sudden death, her archives is, quite frankly, a mess. She saved almost every piece of paper she ever wrote on. The author focuses on her juvenalia to ferret out the sources of her inspiration.
The blurbs on the back cover refer to the book as a 'playful' look at Butler's inspirations, probably due to the alphabetical set of chapters (“A is for Alias”, “H is for Horse”). That's another way of saying it's scattershot, constantly referring either forward or backward to other chapters.
It's clear that Butler was a brilliant child, nevertheless cursed with dyslexia. The themes of her books were developed early. This is shown repeatedly in many ways. This may be true for other authors but we don't have the avalanche of juvenile records on them that we have on Butler.
I would like to rate this book higher, but the author was able to examine only a small portion of her archives, so there may be more to tell. Nevertheless, her main thesis is made over and over as she discovered more records.
The book shows how relentless she was in her pursuit of a writing life, and how her impoverished mother supported her to the best of her ability. It took some perseverance to get into print: Her first book was published when she was 29 and her 'breakout' book Kindred appeared when she was 32. She was not a fast writer and books appeared with less frequency later in her life. Her best known book, Parable of the Sower, appeared when she was 46. She died at 58, with her heritage consisting of 13 books.
A relatively small output for a lifetime of work, but a stunningly consistent one and unmatched by any author before or since.
Familiar with Octavia Butler's work, the author went through many boxes of her copious archives at the Huntington Library in Pasadena. Due to Butler's unexpected and sudden death, her archives is, quite frankly, a mess. She saved almost every piece of paper she ever wrote on. The author focuses on her juvenalia to ferret out the sources of her inspiration.
The blurbs on the back cover refer to the book as a 'playful' look at Butler's inspirations, probably due to the alphabetical set of chapters (“A is for Alias”, “H is for Horse”). That's another way of saying it's scattershot, constantly referring either forward or backward to other chapters.
It's clear that Butler was a brilliant child, nevertheless cursed with dyslexia. The themes of her books were developed early. This is shown repeatedly in many ways. This may be true for other authors but we don't have the avalanche of juvenile records on them that we have on Butler.
I would like to rate this book higher, but the author was able to examine only a small portion of her archives, so there may be more to tell. Nevertheless, her main thesis is made over and over as she discovered more records.
The book shows how relentless she was in her pursuit of a writing life, and how her impoverished mother supported her to the best of her ability. It took some perseverance to get into print: Her first book was published when she was 29 and her 'breakout' book Kindred appeared when she was 32. She was not a fast writer and books appeared with less frequency later in her life. Her best known book, Parable of the Sower, appeared when she was 46. She died at 58, with her heritage consisting of 13 books.
A relatively small output for a lifetime of work, but a stunningly consistent one and unmatched by any author before or since.
April 8, 2025
Octavia E. Butler is such an incredibly talented writer who has revolutionized literature, specifically in science fiction. I have read and loved many of her books, but knew very little about her and her personal life. This is such an interesting read about her life, interests, and inspirations. I learned many new facts about her and I now have even more respect for her than I already did. It is inspiring that how overcame so much adversity as a young black girl in order to become such a creative, groundbreaking author. I love that the author explains their personal connection to her and their research into her life but also keeps the main focus on Octavia, counting through the alphabet to do so. It is a quick, informative read that I would definitely recommend this one, especially if you love Butler’s works. I had the chance to listen to the audiobook version - the narrator does a great job and I was engaged throughout. Thank you to NetGalley, Chi-Ming Yang, and HighBridge Audio for the gifted ALC in an exchange for an honest review.
March 6, 2025
I was able to listen to the audiobook version of this book thanks to NetGalley and I absolutely loved it. I have read Butler's Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents but I am unfamiliar with the rest of her work and the only thing I know about her personal life is that she lived in Pasadena, California. Yang explores Octavia E. Butler's life in such an honest, kind, and admirable way. It is easy for us to understand that Yang herself reveres Butler. This book made me want to read more of Octavia E. Butler's work because Yang describes Butler's way of viewing life as immensely beautiful despite the terrors that might have plagued her at any point in her life.
H is for Horse takes the reader along on a journey not just through Octavia E. Butler's life but through the authors she loved, the animals she was fond of, the films she watched (as well as the ones she yearned to but wasn't allowed to), and many more specifics that we might otherwise never find out on our own with a simple Google search. The book itself follows an A-Z order, each letter pertaining to a specific topic (hence the title — H is for Horse) that Octavia E. Butler was fond of. There are not enough words for me to explain how perfectly this book flows and how it makes our titular character, Octavia, feel more like a close friend. A friend who, like many of us, lived her life admiring the work of others in order to make herself feel less alone. I hope she lived her life knowing the impact her work had and will continue to have on many of us.
My favorite part overall is Yang's way of tying together specific events in Butler's life or specific passions Butler had with what she wrote in her books. Butler had been writing from a rather young age and there is much of her work to go through. I've heard some of her other books be called "too science fiction" and at one point that deterred me from getting into them. Not anymore! I am going to make a conscious effort this year to pick up more of her books.
H is for Horse takes the reader along on a journey not just through Octavia E. Butler's life but through the authors she loved, the animals she was fond of, the films she watched (as well as the ones she yearned to but wasn't allowed to), and many more specifics that we might otherwise never find out on our own with a simple Google search. The book itself follows an A-Z order, each letter pertaining to a specific topic (hence the title — H is for Horse) that Octavia E. Butler was fond of. There are not enough words for me to explain how perfectly this book flows and how it makes our titular character, Octavia, feel more like a close friend. A friend who, like many of us, lived her life admiring the work of others in order to make herself feel less alone. I hope she lived her life knowing the impact her work had and will continue to have on many of us.
My favorite part overall is Yang's way of tying together specific events in Butler's life or specific passions Butler had with what she wrote in her books. Butler had been writing from a rather young age and there is much of her work to go through. I've heard some of her other books be called "too science fiction" and at one point that deterred me from getting into them. Not anymore! I am going to make a conscious effort this year to pick up more of her books.
March 4, 2025
Thank you to NetGalley & HighBridge audio for providing me with an advanced ARC. This is a must read for fans of Octavia E. Butler! As a audiobook, this is convenient and well narrated, but the optimal reading experience would be to have a physical or digital copy so you can see the pictures!!
The author uses each letter of the alphabet to talk about aspects of Butler’s childhood, her literary works, and her relationship with her Mother. Horses are a theme that some may not have picked up on in Butler’s work, but Yang use the explanation of Octavia’s favorite animal as symbolism; horses represent freedom, being captured and tamed, and marking the realities between socioeconomic groups.
One of my favorite tidbits of info: Octavia Butler being dyslexic & spelling Martian as “martain” may have been subversive in a world that so heavily critiques writers & ppl with learning disabilities.
Quotes I enjoyed
“When she was in 7th grade and fixated on Flash, Octavia defined “Love” as a four letter word meaning a feeling of closeness between two or more individuals, complete trust in the other.
“People tended to expected me to act my size rather than my age”
The author uses each letter of the alphabet to talk about aspects of Butler’s childhood, her literary works, and her relationship with her Mother. Horses are a theme that some may not have picked up on in Butler’s work, but Yang use the explanation of Octavia’s favorite animal as symbolism; horses represent freedom, being captured and tamed, and marking the realities between socioeconomic groups.
One of my favorite tidbits of info: Octavia Butler being dyslexic & spelling Martian as “martain” may have been subversive in a world that so heavily critiques writers & ppl with learning disabilities.
Quotes I enjoyed
“When she was in 7th grade and fixated on Flash, Octavia defined “Love” as a four letter word meaning a feeling of closeness between two or more individuals, complete trust in the other.
“People tended to expected me to act my size rather than my age”
March 1, 2025
This is a heartfelt but somewhat oddly academic love letter to Octavia E. Butler, with an even stranger subtitle.
Butler was, no question, one of the greatest writers and thinkers of our time. We'll be returning to her work for generations to come, I suspect. She was a trailblazer and she viewed the world differently. This is laid bare by Yang, who gained intimate access to the work produced by Butler in her childhood.
Still, I was puzzled, even by the end of the text, about why Yang settled on horses. Butler did imagine herself as a horse character (or several) and created worlds with horse-like entities, but this was just one of the many frames that fed her worldview and inspired her later work. Butler was simply obsessed with recombination, the others, and more-than-human mindsets. Aliens, creatures, protagonists from other worlds, the end of humanity, transgressions (not only age and race) ... here, we learn that these notions formed early and grew richer as Butler gained confidence and experience and the freedom to write what she wanted to write.
Some of the content felt too intimate. Yellowed paper and mail meant for certain eyes only. And a lot of smut revelations. My goodness, did Butler like her smut, and early on! The tales she apparently penned by the time she was a middle-schooler would give modern romance writers a run for their money.
I was saddened to hear of her social and educational struggles, although not terribly surprised. Like many outcasts who struggle within the system, she found solace in the library, and this only did good for her storytelling. I was heartened by the platonic loves in her life, like her enduring relationship with her mother, who did her best by Butler in those regressive times. I was in awe at her brave spirit and expansive worldview, although unfortunately it was not as expansive as one might hope (sexually, gender-wise, etc.). Butler was racially progressive and posthumanly so, with multiracial but also multispecial characters driving unquestionably "beyond humanity" sentiments. This was a frame of mind that we discover she had early on and helps explain the patterns and progressiveness of her later works.
The narration by Janina Edwards was excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook.
Butler was, no question, one of the greatest writers and thinkers of our time. We'll be returning to her work for generations to come, I suspect. She was a trailblazer and she viewed the world differently. This is laid bare by Yang, who gained intimate access to the work produced by Butler in her childhood.
Still, I was puzzled, even by the end of the text, about why Yang settled on horses. Butler did imagine herself as a horse character (or several) and created worlds with horse-like entities, but this was just one of the many frames that fed her worldview and inspired her later work. Butler was simply obsessed with recombination, the others, and more-than-human mindsets. Aliens, creatures, protagonists from other worlds, the end of humanity, transgressions (not only age and race) ... here, we learn that these notions formed early and grew richer as Butler gained confidence and experience and the freedom to write what she wanted to write.
Some of the content felt too intimate. Yellowed paper and mail meant for certain eyes only. And a lot of smut revelations. My goodness, did Butler like her smut, and early on! The tales she apparently penned by the time she was a middle-schooler would give modern romance writers a run for their money.
I was saddened to hear of her social and educational struggles, although not terribly surprised. Like many outcasts who struggle within the system, she found solace in the library, and this only did good for her storytelling. I was heartened by the platonic loves in her life, like her enduring relationship with her mother, who did her best by Butler in those regressive times. I was in awe at her brave spirit and expansive worldview, although unfortunately it was not as expansive as one might hope (sexually, gender-wise, etc.). Butler was racially progressive and posthumanly so, with multiracial but also multispecial characters driving unquestionably "beyond humanity" sentiments. This was a frame of mind that we discover she had early on and helps explain the patterns and progressiveness of her later works.
The narration by Janina Edwards was excellent.
Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for the advance copy of the audiobook.
March 2, 2025
Octavia E. Butler: H is for Horse is an excellent and unique exploration of the legendary author's unpublished early works. Chi-ming Yang does a fantastic job of delving into Butler's childhood and teen years, revealing how her love of horses intertwined with the development of her writing. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into Butler's early creative mind, showing how her youthful obsessions and experiences shaped the groundbreaking stories she would go on to write. The combination of unpublished writings and drawings makes this a must-read for fans of Butler's work and anyone interested in seeing the early influences of a literary genius.
Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and HighBridge Audio for this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2025
ARC Review: NetGalley
Release Date: 3-11-25
Author: Chi-ming Yang
No Spoilers
I am a fan of Octavia E. Butler, so of course I requested an advanced copy. I was initially concerned because I noticed the author wasn't African American. It crossed my mind that maybe this author was trying to use Octavia Butler's name to gain popularity since her popularity has increased lately because of our current government. Once I started listening, I noticed the narrator was African American (that made me feel a little better). I quickly realized that this was going to be informative. This book is very detailed. If you're a fan, you will find out everything you ever wanted to know about the brilliant author, and more. I gave it three and a half stars because it's extremely dry and I didn't like the ABC's style of writing. The writing style made the book read like a children's book. A is for… B is for… 🤦🏾♂️
Release Date: 3-11-25
Author: Chi-ming Yang
No Spoilers
I am a fan of Octavia E. Butler, so of course I requested an advanced copy. I was initially concerned because I noticed the author wasn't African American. It crossed my mind that maybe this author was trying to use Octavia Butler's name to gain popularity since her popularity has increased lately because of our current government. Once I started listening, I noticed the narrator was African American (that made me feel a little better). I quickly realized that this was going to be informative. This book is very detailed. If you're a fan, you will find out everything you ever wanted to know about the brilliant author, and more. I gave it three and a half stars because it's extremely dry and I didn't like the ABC's style of writing. The writing style made the book read like a children's book. A is for… B is for… 🤦🏾♂️
April 15, 2025
A fascinating, well-researched, detailed autobiography of Octavia Butler. I discovered so many new and unique things about every facet of Octavia Butler's life and compiled a list of books I would like to read later.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #highbridgeaudio for this ARC.
Thank you to #Netgalley and #highbridgeaudio for this ARC.
May 14, 2025
Wonderfully playful and a great read altogether.
May 22, 2025
I received an audiobook eARC of Octavia E. Butler: H is for Horse from NetGalley and RBMedia, and honestly? What a gift. As someone who’s currently mid-Parable of the Sower and still emotionally recovering from Kindred, this biography added so much context to Butler’s stories. Written by Chi-Ming Yang and narrated by Janina Edwards (who is consistently excellent) the audiobook felt like sitting down for a deeply personal conversation about one of the most important voices in scifi and speculative fiction.
This isn’t your standard linear biography, it’s structured like an A-to-Z alphabet book, but make it literary and layered. We get glimpses into Butler’s childhood obsessions (aliens, horses, westerns), her affirmations and anxieties, and how she wrestled with identity, creativity, and belonging. The author had access to Butler’s archive at the Huntington Library and it shows as she paints a full intimate portrait of Butler. There is something incredibly moving about hearing her words from old notebooks and unpublished stories woven together with interviews and reflections.
It also made me realize how much of her work was rooted in the everyday struggles she lived through. Yang showed us Butler’s bullying, isolation, and the need to carve out a space for herself in a world that didn’t quite know what to do with her brilliance. If you’re a fan of her fiction or just curious about the mind behind it, this is an absolute must-read.
And if you can, absolutely listen to the audiobook, because Janina Edwards delivers Butler’s story with the care and clarity it deserves.
This isn’t your standard linear biography, it’s structured like an A-to-Z alphabet book, but make it literary and layered. We get glimpses into Butler’s childhood obsessions (aliens, horses, westerns), her affirmations and anxieties, and how she wrestled with identity, creativity, and belonging. The author had access to Butler’s archive at the Huntington Library and it shows as she paints a full intimate portrait of Butler. There is something incredibly moving about hearing her words from old notebooks and unpublished stories woven together with interviews and reflections.
It also made me realize how much of her work was rooted in the everyday struggles she lived through. Yang showed us Butler’s bullying, isolation, and the need to carve out a space for herself in a world that didn’t quite know what to do with her brilliance. If you’re a fan of her fiction or just curious about the mind behind it, this is an absolute must-read.
And if you can, absolutely listen to the audiobook, because Janina Edwards delivers Butler’s story with the care and clarity it deserves.
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