Don’t be
deceived by this slight volume. It is packed with wonderful words, Manzel
Bowman’s stunning artwork and sage advice from the legendary science fiction
writer and Afro futurist pioneer, Octavia E Butler (1947-2006). She was the
first science fiction writer to be awarded a MacArthur Fellowship “genius”
grant in 1995 and the first African American woman to win widespread
recognition and receive awards. Her gripping novels reflect on racial
injustice, women’s rights and climate collapse.
Her archive
is kept at The Huntington Library in California. Find out more about her here;
https://www.octaviabutler.com/
In her dystopian
novel Parable of the Talents, (published in 1998), a dictatorial presidential candidate,
Andrew Steele Jarret, accuses whole groups of people, without grounds, of being
drug dealers and rapists. He uses the slogan. ‘Make America great again, ’and storms
to victory in 2032.
A Few Rules
for Predicting the Future was originally published as an essay in Essence
magazine in 2000. This edition contains art work by American artist, Manzel
Bowman aka artxman. He is a digital collagist and painter who uses digital
media to create Afro- Futurist art. His art ,matched with Octavia’s wise words,
make this a book to collect and keep and re-read on a regular basis.
This
powerful essay was inspired by a student misquoting her response to his
question, “So do you really believe that in the future we’re going to have the
kind of trouble you write about in your books?”
Octavia
states,
‘..the one
thing that I and my main characters never do when contemplating the future is
give up hope. In fact, the very act of trying to look ahead to discern
possibilities and offer warnings is itself an act of hope.’
The essay is
divide into four sections;
Learn from
the past
Respect the
law of consequences
Be aware of
your perspective
Count on the
surprises
Sage advice
for life as well as for writers.
The essay
begs with the question, ‘Why try to predict the future at all if it’s so
difficult, so nearly impossible?’
‘Because,
most of all, our tomorrow is the child of our today. Through thought and deed,
we exert a great deal of influence over this child, even though we can’t
control it absolutely. Best to think about it, though. Best to try and shape it
into something good. Best to do that for any child.’
This edition
would be a great gift for someone who has just finished school, or who is
anxious about the world and wants to shape the future into something good.
ISBN
978-1-035 427604
Headline
–www. Headline.co.uk
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