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Positive Obsession: The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler
A magnificent cultural biography that charts the life of one of our greatest writers, situating her alongside the key historical and social moments that shaped her work.
As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation’s transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion.
In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler’s story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women’s liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler’s personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs; they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler’s stories.
Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God’s sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn’t stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you’re afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It’s about not being able to stop at all.”
As the first Black woman to consistently write and publish in the field of science fiction, Octavia Butler was a trailblazer. With her deft pen, she created stories speculating the devolution of the American empire, using it as an apt metaphor for the best and worst of humanity—our innovation and ingenuity, our naked greed and ambition, our propensity for violence and hierarchy. Her fiction charts the rise and fall of the American project—the nation’s transformation from a provincial backwater to a capitalist juggernaut—made possible by chattel slavery—to a bloated imperialist superpower on the verge of implosion.
In this outstanding work, Susana M. Morris places Butler’s story firmly within the cultural, social, and historical context that shaped her the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power, women’s liberation, queer rights, Reaganomics. Morris reveals how these influences profoundly impacted Butler’s personal and intellectual trajectory and shaped the ideas central to her writing. Her cautionary tales warn us about succumbing to fascism, gender-based violence, and climate chaos while offering alternate paradigms to religion, family, and understanding our relationships to ourselves. Butler envisioned futures with Black women at the center, raising our awareness of how those who are often dismissed have the knowledge to shift the landscape of our world. But her characters are no magical martyrs; they are tough, flawed, intelligent, and complicated, a reflection of Butler’s stories.
Morris explains what drove Butler: She wrote because she felt she must. “Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God’s sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn’t stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you’re afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It’s about not being able to stop at all.”
1 pages, Audio CD
Published August 19, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
August 16, 2025
One of the first descriptors used to describe the science fiction author Octavia Butler, if you were introduced to her in the last few years, is the word: Prophet. Butler's books, specifically her Parable duology, which was published in the 1990s and set in the 2020s and beyond, eerily seem to predict our current moment. From the numerous environmental disasters caused by climate change, to the series of economic collapses, to the president who uses the slogan "Make America Great Again". However, Susana Morris, author of Positive Obsession, a new biography of Butler, argues that the author was not a prophet, but was a "surveyor of history and a deeply thoughtful intellectual".
The book begins with her childhood, where we learn that Butler wrote stories at a very young age. Some of her stories were the beginning plot points and themes to her books she would publish as an adult. Morris gives a thorough overview of her published works, including her many novels and short stories. This will hopefully entice readers unfamiliar with her works to pick up a few that interest them.
Positive Obsession reads as if Morris personally knew Butler, even though she never got a chance to meet her when she was alive. Morris's use of Butler's archival papers helps foster this feeling of familiarity with the author. You get to know Butler as a person in this book, and you will learn about her writing habits/routines, personal thoughts, successes, and challenges. Morris also reveals Butler's relationship with her other Black female literary peers and what those relationships meant to Butler.
At the end of this work, Morris argues that Butler, this possibly neurodivergent Black woman science fiction writer, has changed our world for the better through the stories she wrote and the questions they pose to their readers. Although Butler only lived until her late 50s in 2006, her legacy lives on. She has had a major impact on the current generation of Black sci-fi writers and on the many readers who, because of her works, can make and shape a world anew that all can benefit from.
Thanks to Amistad, Resist Booksellers, and Susana Morris for the ARC copy. This book will be released on August 19, 2025.
The book begins with her childhood, where we learn that Butler wrote stories at a very young age. Some of her stories were the beginning plot points and themes to her books she would publish as an adult. Morris gives a thorough overview of her published works, including her many novels and short stories. This will hopefully entice readers unfamiliar with her works to pick up a few that interest them.
Positive Obsession reads as if Morris personally knew Butler, even though she never got a chance to meet her when she was alive. Morris's use of Butler's archival papers helps foster this feeling of familiarity with the author. You get to know Butler as a person in this book, and you will learn about her writing habits/routines, personal thoughts, successes, and challenges. Morris also reveals Butler's relationship with her other Black female literary peers and what those relationships meant to Butler.
At the end of this work, Morris argues that Butler, this possibly neurodivergent Black woman science fiction writer, has changed our world for the better through the stories she wrote and the questions they pose to their readers. Although Butler only lived until her late 50s in 2006, her legacy lives on. She has had a major impact on the current generation of Black sci-fi writers and on the many readers who, because of her works, can make and shape a world anew that all can benefit from.
Thanks to Amistad, Resist Booksellers, and Susana Morris for the ARC copy. This book will be released on August 19, 2025.
September 2, 2025
Sometimes biographers are accused of being too close to their subjects. In this case, Susana M. Morris seems too close to the works created by Octavia Butler, and not close enough to the artist herself.
Positive Obsession is a book that beautifully explains why you should read Octavia Butler. A 200-page case for support, if you will. Butler's novels and short stories are summarized, annotated, compared, and taught to the reader. Morris clearly loves teaching works like Kindred, the Patternist series, and the (recently best-selling!) Parable duology.
Because I also love Octavia Butler's books, this was a good read. I enjoyed the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about books I already like. However, it was disappointing how Octavia Butler herself was not very illuminated beyond what you could already read about her online.
Positive Obsession relies heavily on Butler’s diaries and doesn't elaborate on (or support / or question) what is written in them. Morris often over-lines her points, as if padding out a book report. For example, we hear why Butler researched Kindred in Maryland, we then see the research as it’s shown in the novel, and then Morris finishes the chapter by highlighting the importance of the primary research in Kindred. This biography has many sections that feel like they were originally bullet-pointed slides for college students. You know, you gotta tell 'em three times so they retain the knowledge, etc.
Morris also describes Octavia Butler as being neurodivergent, including one passage where she says Butler's multiple attempts at college courses suffered because her “neurodivergence could not be accommodated”. Butler describes struggling specifically due to dyslexia (also why she never learned to drive a car). I was interested in exploring more about how Butler succeeded as a prolific and successful writer with dyslexia. She must have developed so many strategies and workarounds to drive her success. How did she perceive the world differently, and how did this appear in her storytelling?
I also wanted to know real, functional stuff. What was Octavia Butler's writing process? She participated in so many workshops, worked with different publishing houses, and was long-term friends with other writers. We hear about Butler’s writing process in that she is very disciplined about the number of hours that she writes and the time she spends researching. But how did she actually write and edit? Her editors and their feedback is mentioned in a cursory fashion. How did she do her rewrites?
Throughout Positive Obsession, Morris talks about Octavia Butler's longing for romantic partnerships. More than once, Morris uses being “a 6-foot tall, dark skinned, somewhat androgynous woman” as an explanation for Butler's romantic difficulties. To me, it was not clear that Butler herself sourced her relationship problems to her physical appearance. It seemed that in her diaries she agonized about her difficulties talking to people, understanding their behaviour, and connecting with them.
Octavia Butler knew Harlan Ellison & Samuel R. Delaney quite well, was friends with Toni Bambera for decades, considered Vonda McIntyre and Joanna Russ contemporaries, admired Ursula K. LeGuin ... Where are the other perspectives on Octavia Butler? Perspectives on her work, specifically. Morris does tells us: "There's a common refrain from everyone I have talked to who ever met Octavia ... They all remark on her kindness, generosity and regal dignity." Nice, and no doubt all true, but in a biography this felt distancing. Morris is noting how people talk about the legend, not the person. I was surprised at how few contemporaries were interviewed or referenced in Positive Obsession.
Ultimately, this is a good book for sci-fi fans, but I think it would especially be appreciated by the weird and unusual girls in your life. Pass this book to young people who need to be reminded "that everyone has something that they can do better than they can do anything else. It’s up to them to find out what that something is.”
Positive Obsession is a book that beautifully explains why you should read Octavia Butler. A 200-page case for support, if you will. Butler's novels and short stories are summarized, annotated, compared, and taught to the reader. Morris clearly loves teaching works like Kindred, the Patternist series, and the (recently best-selling!) Parable duology.
Because I also love Octavia Butler's books, this was a good read. I enjoyed the opportunity to appreciate and learn more about books I already like. However, it was disappointing how Octavia Butler herself was not very illuminated beyond what you could already read about her online.
Positive Obsession relies heavily on Butler’s diaries and doesn't elaborate on (or support / or question) what is written in them. Morris often over-lines her points, as if padding out a book report. For example, we hear why Butler researched Kindred in Maryland, we then see the research as it’s shown in the novel, and then Morris finishes the chapter by highlighting the importance of the primary research in Kindred. This biography has many sections that feel like they were originally bullet-pointed slides for college students. You know, you gotta tell 'em three times so they retain the knowledge, etc.
Morris also describes Octavia Butler as being neurodivergent, including one passage where she says Butler's multiple attempts at college courses suffered because her “neurodivergence could not be accommodated”. Butler describes struggling specifically due to dyslexia (also why she never learned to drive a car). I was interested in exploring more about how Butler succeeded as a prolific and successful writer with dyslexia. She must have developed so many strategies and workarounds to drive her success. How did she perceive the world differently, and how did this appear in her storytelling?
I also wanted to know real, functional stuff. What was Octavia Butler's writing process? She participated in so many workshops, worked with different publishing houses, and was long-term friends with other writers. We hear about Butler’s writing process in that she is very disciplined about the number of hours that she writes and the time she spends researching. But how did she actually write and edit? Her editors and their feedback is mentioned in a cursory fashion. How did she do her rewrites?
Throughout Positive Obsession, Morris talks about Octavia Butler's longing for romantic partnerships. More than once, Morris uses being “a 6-foot tall, dark skinned, somewhat androgynous woman” as an explanation for Butler's romantic difficulties. To me, it was not clear that Butler herself sourced her relationship problems to her physical appearance. It seemed that in her diaries she agonized about her difficulties talking to people, understanding their behaviour, and connecting with them.
Octavia Butler knew Harlan Ellison & Samuel R. Delaney quite well, was friends with Toni Bambera for decades, considered Vonda McIntyre and Joanna Russ contemporaries, admired Ursula K. LeGuin ... Where are the other perspectives on Octavia Butler? Perspectives on her work, specifically. Morris does tells us: "There's a common refrain from everyone I have talked to who ever met Octavia ... They all remark on her kindness, generosity and regal dignity." Nice, and no doubt all true, but in a biography this felt distancing. Morris is noting how people talk about the legend, not the person. I was surprised at how few contemporaries were interviewed or referenced in Positive Obsession.
Ultimately, this is a good book for sci-fi fans, but I think it would especially be appreciated by the weird and unusual girls in your life. Pass this book to young people who need to be reminded "that everyone has something that they can do better than they can do anything else. It’s up to them to find out what that something is.”
August 20, 2025
Truly enjoyed this story that dove into the life of Octavia Butler! Hearing her journey & battles she had to endure as an African American woman & author was rewarding. She was already writing in a genre that was unorthodox for African American women, so that made her literary challenges that much harder. She was determined to pave the way & stayed true to herself despite the obstacles! Her fierce demeanor screamed “Who said black women can’t write Sci-fi.”
Her self accountability was refreshing, as she forced herself to write daily whether she felt like it or not. This story captures both the brilliance and determination that defined Butler’s career, while also weaving in the cultural, historical, and personal dilemmas that shaped her work. As well as the racial discrimination that she encountered in her business and personal life. Overall a solid read that fans of Octavia Butler and those that are simply interested in her will enjoy. Thank You Colored Pages Book Tours, Amistad & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
Her self accountability was refreshing, as she forced herself to write daily whether she felt like it or not. This story captures both the brilliance and determination that defined Butler’s career, while also weaving in the cultural, historical, and personal dilemmas that shaped her work. As well as the racial discrimination that she encountered in her business and personal life. Overall a solid read that fans of Octavia Butler and those that are simply interested in her will enjoy. Thank You Colored Pages Book Tours, Amistad & NetGalley for an advanced reader copy.
September 14, 2025
I count myself among the many people saddened that Octavia Butler was taken from us so soon. I have read every book and almost every story (this book let me know about more that I missed.) Before going into Positive Obsession, I had some information about her life, but it was limited. I jumped at the chance to read a biography (and more) about Butler and the effect she had on the larger world.
Susana M. Morris created a stellar tribute with this book. She manages to navigate past all of the things, that can make biography and literary analysis a slog or impossible to read, with great skill. I will caution readers who have not read Octavia Butler's work to either do so before reading this book or skip over the sections where Morris gets into detail about plots of books and stories. The author has taught Butler as a college professor and it shows in her writing. Positive Obsession is highly readable and flows very well. It is not overly jargony or dry. The author's love, respect, and sheer excitement about Octavia Butler and her work shines through.
This book is not entirely biography in the sense that it does not follow the format of "this happened then this happened" that can make bios dry for me. Morris includes a little of herself in this. She discusses her experiences with teaching and how much Butler has touched and influenced her despite the two of them never meeting in person. There is also literary analysis of each book and story that I would say is a bit more than average for a biography of a writer. I found this to be a good thing. By analyzing Butler's books, sharing personal anecdotes, and telling the history and culture that was surrounding Butler, Morris creates a clearer picture of Butler's life than many biographies manage. It is also simply well done. I felt transported back to when I had read each book. I was often in agreement or enlightened by Morris' assessments of what it all meant to both Octavia and the larger world. Reading this book felt like getting to know someone rather than only about someone.
Morris discusses race and gender in ways that are important and complex. She is able to speak about how Octavia Butler being a Black woman affected her work and life without reducing her to those attributes nor tokenizing her- things that many others unfortunately did. For instance, Octavia Butler was not the first "black woman science fiction author" to win the MacArthur Fellowship (aka Genius Grant.) She was the first science fiction author ever to receive the honor. Morris gives a snapshot of Butler as a highly skilled person in community of writers who is also affected by her own identities in the cultural and political climates of the time. It was interesting to learn more about Butler's political views which I am frankly surprised I did not know more about. I also have decided to reread the Parable series soon due to its bananas prediction of the future. I had forgotten that "Make America Great Again" was the slogan of authoritarianism in that book written long before our current fascist regime was in place. Despite Butler not seeing herself as a prophet, the predictions she made of the future are uncanny.
There is a great selection of photos in the center of the book taken throughout Butler's life. I also really enjoyed the design format in general of the hardcover. The cover is beautiful and the book feels "just right" in terms of size and so on. I usually don't end up with tons of page flags when I read biographies, but I marked so many sections of this book so that I could return later to stories I have not yet read, quotes from the author, and many standout facts I had no idea about. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to know more about one of the most important fiction writers in history and especially to those of us who have desired something to fill the gap between Butler's final contributions and today.
This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.
Susana M. Morris created a stellar tribute with this book. She manages to navigate past all of the things, that can make biography and literary analysis a slog or impossible to read, with great skill. I will caution readers who have not read Octavia Butler's work to either do so before reading this book or skip over the sections where Morris gets into detail about plots of books and stories. The author has taught Butler as a college professor and it shows in her writing. Positive Obsession is highly readable and flows very well. It is not overly jargony or dry. The author's love, respect, and sheer excitement about Octavia Butler and her work shines through.
This book is not entirely biography in the sense that it does not follow the format of "this happened then this happened" that can make bios dry for me. Morris includes a little of herself in this. She discusses her experiences with teaching and how much Butler has touched and influenced her despite the two of them never meeting in person. There is also literary analysis of each book and story that I would say is a bit more than average for a biography of a writer. I found this to be a good thing. By analyzing Butler's books, sharing personal anecdotes, and telling the history and culture that was surrounding Butler, Morris creates a clearer picture of Butler's life than many biographies manage. It is also simply well done. I felt transported back to when I had read each book. I was often in agreement or enlightened by Morris' assessments of what it all meant to both Octavia and the larger world. Reading this book felt like getting to know someone rather than only about someone.
Morris discusses race and gender in ways that are important and complex. She is able to speak about how Octavia Butler being a Black woman affected her work and life without reducing her to those attributes nor tokenizing her- things that many others unfortunately did. For instance, Octavia Butler was not the first "black woman science fiction author" to win the MacArthur Fellowship (aka Genius Grant.) She was the first science fiction author ever to receive the honor. Morris gives a snapshot of Butler as a highly skilled person in community of writers who is also affected by her own identities in the cultural and political climates of the time. It was interesting to learn more about Butler's political views which I am frankly surprised I did not know more about. I also have decided to reread the Parable series soon due to its bananas prediction of the future. I had forgotten that "Make America Great Again" was the slogan of authoritarianism in that book written long before our current fascist regime was in place. Despite Butler not seeing herself as a prophet, the predictions she made of the future are uncanny.
There is a great selection of photos in the center of the book taken throughout Butler's life. I also really enjoyed the design format in general of the hardcover. The cover is beautiful and the book feels "just right" in terms of size and so on. I usually don't end up with tons of page flags when I read biographies, but I marked so many sections of this book so that I could return later to stories I have not yet read, quotes from the author, and many standout facts I had no idea about. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to know more about one of the most important fiction writers in history and especially to those of us who have desired something to fill the gap between Butler's final contributions and today.
This was also posted to my storygraph and blog.
October 20, 2025
This is a wonderful exploration into the works of Octavia E. Butler, relying heavily on her personal diaries to give context to how her experiences of her life and the world around her informed her work. It is clear that Susana Morris really enjoys teaching Butler’s work, and the passion with which she discusses the texts and what the texts offer the world is infectious. I do wish she brought us close to Butler, though. What we have feels like a little more than a sketch of Butler’s life. Yes, we learn about her personal anxieties, obstacles, and triumphs, her work ethic and dedication, and about her understanding of the role of art, and her art, can play in the world. Even though there is heavy reliance of personal journals none of these points feel remarkably insightful, and where this text shines is when those personal details are put in a chronology that maps them onto Butler’s works.
Butler was a private person in many ways, as the book mentions. But she has living family, friends, and students and I would have really loved more discussion with them as a way of knowing Butler. The few times Morris quotes Butler’s friends it is always to say how kind and considerate and helpful Butler is, which I appreciate, but it doesn’t get me very far into knowing more about her as a person. Morris makes a point of repeating that Butler wrote nearly every day, that was a critical part of her relationship with writing, and there are numerous abandoned sketches and drafts of novels. What was her writing process actually like? What was her revision process like? I almost feel like I have more questions about Butler and her relationship with (her) art after finishing this book than when I started. This is also in part because some of the few personal details, such as her sociological preoccupations, her research processes, and so on, were repeated in every chapter without ever really adding much. It felt like constant underlining instead of revealing new information. Or, maybe more accurately, every chapter felt almost as if it was written in isolation, (which makes some sense, as they cover different periods of her artistic output), and as such the same points are made anew in each section.
I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I hope my review doesn’t suggest otherwise, but it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for it to be. This book really is a love letter to Butler, a praise to her through the exploration of her work, which is certainly what she wanted to be remembered for. It is more a story of Butler’s work through the lens of Butler’s life than it is about Butler herself. I finished this book with a much deeper appreciation for that work and for the dedication that fed that work. I did learn more about Octavia Butler than I knew going in; this book is well-researched and does put Butler in context for the reader. It is definitely worth reading, I am very glad I had the chance to, but it does leave space open for future biographical efforts that may be more intimate in their explorations of Butler as a human and an artist with her work helping tell that story, instead of the other way around.
(Rounded from 3.5)
Butler was a private person in many ways, as the book mentions. But she has living family, friends, and students and I would have really loved more discussion with them as a way of knowing Butler. The few times Morris quotes Butler’s friends it is always to say how kind and considerate and helpful Butler is, which I appreciate, but it doesn’t get me very far into knowing more about her as a person. Morris makes a point of repeating that Butler wrote nearly every day, that was a critical part of her relationship with writing, and there are numerous abandoned sketches and drafts of novels. What was her writing process actually like? What was her revision process like? I almost feel like I have more questions about Butler and her relationship with (her) art after finishing this book than when I started. This is also in part because some of the few personal details, such as her sociological preoccupations, her research processes, and so on, were repeated in every chapter without ever really adding much. It felt like constant underlining instead of revealing new information. Or, maybe more accurately, every chapter felt almost as if it was written in isolation, (which makes some sense, as they cover different periods of her artistic output), and as such the same points are made anew in each section.
I did thoroughly enjoy this book, I hope my review doesn’t suggest otherwise, but it just wasn’t quite what I was hoping for it to be. This book really is a love letter to Butler, a praise to her through the exploration of her work, which is certainly what she wanted to be remembered for. It is more a story of Butler’s work through the lens of Butler’s life than it is about Butler herself. I finished this book with a much deeper appreciation for that work and for the dedication that fed that work. I did learn more about Octavia Butler than I knew going in; this book is well-researched and does put Butler in context for the reader. It is definitely worth reading, I am very glad I had the chance to, but it does leave space open for future biographical efforts that may be more intimate in their explorations of Butler as a human and an artist with her work helping tell that story, instead of the other way around.
(Rounded from 3.5)
November 6, 2025
Audiobook (9 hours) narrated by Karen Murray.
Publisher: HarperCollins (Amistad)
Karen Murray did an excellent narration job. While I do not believe that she has yet received any narration awards, I did see that she had been nominated, so I suspect that it will happen.
The audio is flawless.
Susana M. Morris does an excellent job of sharing a good balance of Octavia E. Butler's life, personality, history of her as an author, background on specific books including book inspiration, writing process and her mentorship of others.
If you are a fan of Octavia or have loved any of her work, this is a high recommend.
This book left me wanting more but not because I thought it was lacking, but it was so good that I want to dive into the works not mentioned and really I just cannot get enough information about Octavia. I don't fan girl about a lot of people, even those I admire, but if I was going to get all flustered and light headed around someone with excitement, it would be Octavia! I never met her and I miss her so much!
Big recommend!
Publisher: HarperCollins (Amistad)
Karen Murray did an excellent narration job. While I do not believe that she has yet received any narration awards, I did see that she had been nominated, so I suspect that it will happen.
The audio is flawless.
Susana M. Morris does an excellent job of sharing a good balance of Octavia E. Butler's life, personality, history of her as an author, background on specific books including book inspiration, writing process and her mentorship of others.
If you are a fan of Octavia or have loved any of her work, this is a high recommend.
This book left me wanting more but not because I thought it was lacking, but it was so good that I want to dive into the works not mentioned and really I just cannot get enough information about Octavia. I don't fan girl about a lot of people, even those I admire, but if I was going to get all flustered and light headed around someone with excitement, it would be Octavia! I never met her and I miss her so much!
Big recommend!
December 12, 2025
a truly remarkable woman.
September 16, 2025
This is a well-researched and very well-rounded biography of Octavia Butler. It puts her works into context – the context of the times she wrote them, and in context of her life and struggles.
Butler's work can be difficult to parse. There is often violence, bordering on horror, but it is always to serve a purpose. Her works are best viewed in the context of her objectives in creating them. This book does an excellent job of doing that.
Moving chronologically through her life, it addresses her early challenges and isolation. As she moves into writing her books, it tells what she was thinking at the time, and the outside events she was reacting to. One of the reasons the author can do this is that Octavia left copious notes about her process and what she was thinking.
She famously did not have a large output for a science fiction author, and the book explains how that came to be. She was somewhat of a perfectionist, reworking drafts constantly to achieve the effect she wanted. She also was an idea factory, as her notes show. During fallow periods of production she would nevertheless create thousands of pages of notes of possible story ideas and research possibilities. Sometimes she called this 'writer's block', since it kept her from completing novels, but she was still thinking and writing furiously, just not for publication.
Butler has received a lot of attention lately. Chi-Ming Yang's book 'H is for Horse' dives deeply into Octavia's childhood. While her early years are recounted here, they aren't dwelt upon, which makes the Yang book a useful complement to this one rather than a competitor.
Butler's work was varied; her most well known books are the more accessible 'Kindred' and the 'Parable' books, but her more sf-nal Patternist and Xenogenesis books might be closer to the topics she grappled with most in her writing life. This book does a good job of explaining those series, which can be shocking and difficult to understand for readers. The book also explains the origin and intent of some of her key short stories.
All in all, this is the best biography so far on Butler. It is not trying to be a formal critical review, but has sufficient critical content to satisfy the average reader. It would be a good read for those just beginning to read her (in order to understand her themes and intentions) and also for veteran fans, to gain more appreciation for what Butler struggled to achieve.
Butler's work can be difficult to parse. There is often violence, bordering on horror, but it is always to serve a purpose. Her works are best viewed in the context of her objectives in creating them. This book does an excellent job of doing that.
Moving chronologically through her life, it addresses her early challenges and isolation. As she moves into writing her books, it tells what she was thinking at the time, and the outside events she was reacting to. One of the reasons the author can do this is that Octavia left copious notes about her process and what she was thinking.
She famously did not have a large output for a science fiction author, and the book explains how that came to be. She was somewhat of a perfectionist, reworking drafts constantly to achieve the effect she wanted. She also was an idea factory, as her notes show. During fallow periods of production she would nevertheless create thousands of pages of notes of possible story ideas and research possibilities. Sometimes she called this 'writer's block', since it kept her from completing novels, but she was still thinking and writing furiously, just not for publication.
Butler has received a lot of attention lately. Chi-Ming Yang's book 'H is for Horse' dives deeply into Octavia's childhood. While her early years are recounted here, they aren't dwelt upon, which makes the Yang book a useful complement to this one rather than a competitor.
Butler's work was varied; her most well known books are the more accessible 'Kindred' and the 'Parable' books, but her more sf-nal Patternist and Xenogenesis books might be closer to the topics she grappled with most in her writing life. This book does a good job of explaining those series, which can be shocking and difficult to understand for readers. The book also explains the origin and intent of some of her key short stories.
All in all, this is the best biography so far on Butler. It is not trying to be a formal critical review, but has sufficient critical content to satisfy the average reader. It would be a good read for those just beginning to read her (in order to understand her themes and intentions) and also for veteran fans, to gain more appreciation for what Butler struggled to achieve.
Read
August 25, 2025What a gorgeous homage to an absolute icon. Octavia Estelle, you will always be famous.
July 24, 2025
I was fortunate enough to attend an author reading and pick up a copy of this book before publication. I was impressed by Susana Morris’ erudite yet down to earth style which comes through in her writing. My respect and appreciation for Butler’s ouvre and life is greatly deepened by this biography. I love the “just right” amount of information culled from her journals balanced with a cultural and scholarly approach to her work. I’m inspired to read the remaining books of Butler’s that I have yet to enjoy.
October 30, 2025
I’m ashamed to admit that it wasn’t until recently that I read my first Octavia Butler book. As I was reading Parable of the Sower (my first) I chose to read Positive Obsession in tandem. I’m glad I did. I needed to take little breaks while reading Parable, and it just made the most sense to me to read her biography.
I enjoyed learning about her writing process and inspiration for each book in her catalogue. You can tell the author is a fan of hers and took great care in writing about her. Positive Obsession is geared more towards avid readers of Butler’s work. There are full discussions of her books that include spoilers if you aren’t familiar with them. However, that didn’t bother me. Science Fiction has always been one of the harder genres for me to read so knowing ahead of time will probably help me when I do read them. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or someone new, Positive Obsession is a carefully crafted book about the iconic author.
Thanks to Amistad Books and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed learning about her writing process and inspiration for each book in her catalogue. You can tell the author is a fan of hers and took great care in writing about her. Positive Obsession is geared more towards avid readers of Butler’s work. There are full discussions of her books that include spoilers if you aren’t familiar with them. However, that didn’t bother me. Science Fiction has always been one of the harder genres for me to read so knowing ahead of time will probably help me when I do read them. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or someone new, Positive Obsession is a carefully crafted book about the iconic author.
Thanks to Amistad Books and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy in exchange for an honest review.
December 26, 2025
Highly recommended for all followers of Octavia Butler, social justice allies, and fellow authors of Afro-futurism, science fiction.
Also, every fan of the anthology Well-Read Black Girl will also enjoy this cultural biography centering Octavia Butler.
My gratitude to Susana M. Morris, Amistad Publishing, and Netgalley for early ePub access.
Also, every fan of the anthology Well-Read Black Girl will also enjoy this cultural biography centering Octavia Butler.
My gratitude to Susana M. Morris, Amistad Publishing, and Netgalley for early ePub access.
Want to read
August 24, 2025The New Yorker's short take, in their Best Books newsletter: https://www.newyorker.com/best-books-...
"This nimble biography examines the life of the legendary science-fiction writer Octavia Butler, whose works, such as “Parable of the Sower,” often articulated unsettling visions of social collapse. Born in California in 1947 to a domestic worker and a veteran, Butler found escape in sci-fi books as a child. As Morris shows, Butler’s stories, which reckoned with chattel slavery, climate catastrophe, and fascism, were as deeply attuned to West African culture and myth as they were to the American civil-rights movement. Yet Morris contends that Butler’s stories “were not nihilistic predictions but a sort of love offering for readers to receive and be changed by.”
Octavia Butler is one of my SF heroines. I'll be reading this one.
"This nimble biography examines the life of the legendary science-fiction writer Octavia Butler, whose works, such as “Parable of the Sower,” often articulated unsettling visions of social collapse. Born in California in 1947 to a domestic worker and a veteran, Butler found escape in sci-fi books as a child. As Morris shows, Butler’s stories, which reckoned with chattel slavery, climate catastrophe, and fascism, were as deeply attuned to West African culture and myth as they were to the American civil-rights movement. Yet Morris contends that Butler’s stories “were not nihilistic predictions but a sort of love offering for readers to receive and be changed by.”
Octavia Butler is one of my SF heroines. I'll be reading this one.
September 14, 2025
More than a straightforward biography, this is a passionately written and researched look at Butler’s life that adds historical context to all of her works while also giving insight into her personal life and writing process.
I only began reading Octavia Butler’s work in 2022, starting with Kindred, and have been slowly making my way through all of her published novels and stories since. I have one series remaining and I know I’ll feel a bit heartbroken when I reach the end of it. I love that all of her books invite the reader to wrestle with big questions without providing prescriptive answers.
Kudos to Susana M. Morris for writing such a wonderful book about a remarkable woman. I hope it inspires many more to pick up Butler’s books!
I only began reading Octavia Butler’s work in 2022, starting with Kindred, and have been slowly making my way through all of her published novels and stories since. I have one series remaining and I know I’ll feel a bit heartbroken when I reach the end of it. I love that all of her books invite the reader to wrestle with big questions without providing prescriptive answers.
Kudos to Susana M. Morris for writing such a wonderful book about a remarkable woman. I hope it inspires many more to pick up Butler’s books!
October 24, 2025
If you have loved at least two of Octavia’s books, I think this is a MUST-READ. And if you haven’t, stop what you’re doing RN and go read Parable of the Sower!!
The chapters centering on books that I haven’t yet read were a little less engaging for me personally. But that just made me want to read them that much more.
The chapters on the books that I have read and the sections about her life are all AMAZING!
The chapters centering on books that I haven’t yet read were a little less engaging for me personally. But that just made me want to read them that much more.
The chapters on the books that I have read and the sections about her life are all AMAZING!
January 5, 2026
Great biography, I love Octavia Butler’s writing and I enjoyed learning about her life. I would highly recommend it, even if you haven’t read her books.
September 15, 2025
Informative biography of a brilliant writer
August 15, 2025
In a 1989 article for Essence Octavia Butler described her drive to write and share her work as a 'positive obsessions,' one that could not be stopped by any means, doubts or fears. (Morris, as quoted in the Introduction). Susana Morris uses this self described focus as the key driving principal of Octavia Butler's life and work and Positive Obsession The Life and Times of Octavia E. Butler both details and celebrates these works while also examining their context and ongoing legacy.
The book is organized in six chapters, the first providing the coming of age of Butler, with the rest focused on specifics works and Butler's rising status and awards. Morris is able to drawn on extensive resources, interviews drafts of Butler's works and even diary entries. This gives a much fuller grasp of Butler's processes, struggles and driving work ethic.
And it is quite clear that Butler was focused and disciplined, writing everyday. But until midlife achieving that writing time was a challenge as Butler lost her father early in life and long struggled with poverty. For those unfamiliar, Butler was the first prominent African American woman science fiction author. She was also the first science fiction author to ever receive a MacArthur Fellowship (also referred to as a 'Genius Grant').
Having that full access to the archival materials and journals led Morris to describe Butler as what we would now call neurodivergent, especially when considering Butler's difficulty in socialization at school and difficulty with learning in certain settings. But, this is not presented as a specific diagnosis, just as potential explanation, Morris also clearly demonstrates Butler's capabilities with the deep research undertaken for Butler's projects, even when drafts did not develop to the set high standards for publication.
An insightful look at the career and personal struggles of one of literary pioneers and greats of the 20th century.
Recommended to readers of science fiction, American literature or biographies of writers.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
The book is organized in six chapters, the first providing the coming of age of Butler, with the rest focused on specifics works and Butler's rising status and awards. Morris is able to drawn on extensive resources, interviews drafts of Butler's works and even diary entries. This gives a much fuller grasp of Butler's processes, struggles and driving work ethic.
And it is quite clear that Butler was focused and disciplined, writing everyday. But until midlife achieving that writing time was a challenge as Butler lost her father early in life and long struggled with poverty. For those unfamiliar, Butler was the first prominent African American woman science fiction author. She was also the first science fiction author to ever receive a MacArthur Fellowship (also referred to as a 'Genius Grant').
Having that full access to the archival materials and journals led Morris to describe Butler as what we would now call neurodivergent, especially when considering Butler's difficulty in socialization at school and difficulty with learning in certain settings. But, this is not presented as a specific diagnosis, just as potential explanation, Morris also clearly demonstrates Butler's capabilities with the deep research undertaken for Butler's projects, even when drafts did not develop to the set high standards for publication.
An insightful look at the career and personal struggles of one of literary pioneers and greats of the 20th century.
Recommended to readers of science fiction, American literature or biographies of writers.
I received a free digital version of this book via NetGalley thanks to the publisher.
January 3, 2026
When I heard there was a new book about Octavia E. Butler, I bought it immediately. She is one of my favourite all-time writers and was utterly brilliant and I remain devastated that she died so young and that we didn't get more of her work in this world. Her books stick with you and the ideas that she makes you grapple with are profound and important.
I had always thought of her as a bit of a prophet with how she seemed to anticipate what was going to happen in the future (hello Trump America) but this biography situates Octavia in the culture of her time and her lived experiences and how this both shaped her and her work as well as how she was an excellent observer both of the micro and the macro. This means she deeply watched and understood human psychology in an unvarnished way with all the best and worst of what we can be. But also she was a news junkie and a historian with a brain that was able to step up and beyond to see patterns and chart likely scenarios.
I devoured this book as easily as I normally devour Octavia's books and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Octavia E. Butler and her work. And if you don't know her work yet, read it and then come back and read this book and appreciate even more of the depth and artistry and brilliance that was Octavia E. Butler.
I had always thought of her as a bit of a prophet with how she seemed to anticipate what was going to happen in the future (hello Trump America) but this biography situates Octavia in the culture of her time and her lived experiences and how this both shaped her and her work as well as how she was an excellent observer both of the micro and the macro. This means she deeply watched and understood human psychology in an unvarnished way with all the best and worst of what we can be. But also she was a news junkie and a historian with a brain that was able to step up and beyond to see patterns and chart likely scenarios.
I devoured this book as easily as I normally devour Octavia's books and I highly recommend it to anyone who loves Octavia E. Butler and her work. And if you don't know her work yet, read it and then come back and read this book and appreciate even more of the depth and artistry and brilliance that was Octavia E. Butler.
November 30, 2025
“Who was I anyway? Why should anyone pay attention to what I had to say? Did I have anything to say? I was writing science fiction and fantasy, for God’s sake. At that time nearly all professional science-fiction writers were white men. As much as I loved science fiction and fantasy, what was I doing? Well, whatever it was, I couldn’t stop. Positive obsession is about not being able to stop just because you’re afraid and full of doubts. Positive obsession is dangerous. It’s about not being able to stop at all.”
An amazing book about an amazing person. Because she journaled so extensively I really felt like we got to know the inner thoughts of Butler. The author did a great job chronicling Butler's life in relation to the release of her books. The book made me want to keep reading more of her works and works of other black women in the fantasy and science fiction genres. Highly recommend the audiobook -the author made the smart decision to have a professional narrate the book and she was excellent. 5🌟
An amazing book about an amazing person. Because she journaled so extensively I really felt like we got to know the inner thoughts of Butler. The author did a great job chronicling Butler's life in relation to the release of her books. The book made me want to keep reading more of her works and works of other black women in the fantasy and science fiction genres. Highly recommend the audiobook -the author made the smart decision to have a professional narrate the book and she was excellent. 5🌟
December 17, 2025
I thoroughly enjoyed this biography of the late, great Octavia E. Butler. Besides the obvious effect of making me want to read more of Butler's work, I'll also be following Susana Morris's work now.
I've read some of Butler's novels: Kindred, Wild Seed, and both the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Talents, all of them excellent. Reading this bio enhances my appreciation of them, as well as making me curious to read more of Butler's works.
Even if you are not a big science-fiction fan, you might appreciate this biography for its portrait of a woman determined to be a writer despite the enormous odds against her success. She was clearly an amazing person, and her death at an early age was a terrible loss for this world, but I'm glad she left such a powerful legacy.
I've read some of Butler's novels: Kindred, Wild Seed, and both the Parable of the Sower and the Parable of the Talents, all of them excellent. Reading this bio enhances my appreciation of them, as well as making me curious to read more of Butler's works.
Even if you are not a big science-fiction fan, you might appreciate this biography for its portrait of a woman determined to be a writer despite the enormous odds against her success. She was clearly an amazing person, and her death at an early age was a terrible loss for this world, but I'm glad she left such a powerful legacy.
September 6, 2025
Thank you Morris for paying a beautiful homage to Octavia Butler. This book is spectacular. The literary world lost Butler too soon. I will never forget teaching Parable of the Sower last year to my gifted freshmen class. They loved it so much and thought it was so eerie that it was written in the 90s and so much of it is true for 2025. Butler's pattern recognition and social awareness was insanely overlooked during her time. However, I hope in an odd way that Butler knows that her legacy continues to push through America during this time of hardship and apathy. With that alone, she is timeless.
August 27, 2025
I have only read two of Octavia Butler's books - Kindred and Parable of the Sower, but both are books I think about regularly. I listened to the audiobook, and found the narrator to be a good fit for the subject matter. Octavia overcame a lot of obstacles to become a successful writer, and struggled with money most of her life. She was neurodivergent, and often felt lonely. Her persistence and dedication to daily writing helped her create some truly unique characters and paved the way for author science fiction authors of color. When Octavia started, SciFi was a white man's domain. Her ability to look into the future and portray what is happening now in this country is mind boggling. After listening to this book I plan to read a few more of Octavia's books. Thank you to Netgalley for the advanced reader audiobook.
September 11, 2025
I found it interesting but it wasnt as good as I had hoped. I have only read Kindred and the Earthseed series but am astounded by how perceptive that Octavia Butler was. I think I would be more interested in reading an edited version of her diary. Maybe that is why I was a little disappointed, how can any biographer's writing style compare to hers. I received an ARC of this work from Netgalley for my honest review.
November 29, 2025
Insightful context and analysis in a well-written and engaging package. Makes me want to hit the keyboard and the library
December 22, 2025
A love letter to an absolute legend. I love that Morris got to write this book - you can just feel her passion for the material.
November 3, 2025
Enjoyed the history and novel analysis. Loved learning more about Butler!
August 26, 2025
4.5/5
September 6, 2025
Not only was this a fairly thin hagiography (the most boring kind of biographies) but the author had to project all of her own 'modern' takes on Butler, some of which felt like a stretch (sigh, it is 2025 after all). Reading Boggs' "Baldwin: A Love Story" concurrently with this was like switching between a masterclass and a pre-school session. Morris could also refer to Phillips' "James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon" for how to actually put together a female scifi bio worthy of the subject.
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