Reading is Vital to My Conscientious Resilience!
Estimated reading time: 27 minutes, 7 seconds
Are We Doomed?
Dystopian stories have long captivated audiences in Hollywood, reflecting our deepest fears and anxieties. With the world grappling with bizarre weather patterns, raging wildfires, devastating floods, and climate crises, today’s reality can feel more chilling than even the darkest novel or film. So, what’s the draw of reading dystopian literature when our future seems so precarious? It’s about discovering valuable lessons on safeguarding our only planet. After all, there’s no Planet B – and perhaps the narratives from these fictional worlds can inspire us to take action before it’s too late.
Parable of the Sower and the Talents
At the beginning of last year, I read Octavia E. Butler’s acclaimed post-apocalyptic novel, “Parable of the Sower.” The story depicts a world where global climate change and economic crises have led to social chaos, particularly in California. Despite the grim setting, the novel conveys a message of hope. It follows the journey of Lauren Olamina, a fifteen-year-old girl who lives with her preacher father, family, and neighbors in a gated community, which protects them from the surrounding turmoil. However, in a society where everyone is at risk, Lauren suffers from hyperempathy, a condition that makes her highly sensitive to the emotions of others.
After enjoying the first book, I immediately read “Parable of the Talents,” initially published in 1998. Ms. Butler’s second book is even more relevant today than it was back then. The novel’s timely message of hope and resistance in the face of fanaticism is astonishingly prescient.
In 2032, Lauren Olamina survives the destruction of her home and family. She envisions a peaceful community in Northern California, which she establishes based on her newly founded faith, Earthseed. This settlement serves as a haven for outcasts facing persecution following the election of an ultra-conservative president. The new president pledges to “make America great again,” but the country becomes increasingly divided and dangerous. Lauren’s subversive colony, a minority religious faction led by a young Black woman, becomes a target for President Jarret’s oppressive regime, characterized by terror and discrimination.
Ms. Butler passed away in 2006 before completing the next book in her series. Ironically, as Essence reported, Butler “imagined a Los Angeles consumed by fires.” The cemetery “where the iconic author is buried caught fire amid the ongoing wildfires impacting communities across Southern California.” Additionally, Altadena, where she grew up and was known as “a sanctuary from discriminatory housing practices,” was devastated by the Eaton Fire.
Station Eleven
“Station Eleven: A Novel” by Emily St. John Mandel is a notable dystopian science fiction work, recognized as one of The New York Times’ 100 Best Books of the Century. The story unfolds during the unsettling days of civilization’s collapse. It follows a Hollywood star, his potential savior, and a group of nomadic actors traveling through the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region. They risk everything for the sake of art and humanity, reminding us of the enduring power of culture even in the most terrifying circumstances.
Kirsten Raymonde will never forget the night Arthur Leander, a famous Hollywood actor, had a heart attack on stage during a production of “King Lear.” That night, a devastating flu pandemic swept through the city, and within weeks, civilization as we know it came to an end. Little did she know that this event would shape the world’s future.
Twenty years later, Kirsten, a central figure in the story, travels through the settlements of this altered world with a small troupe of actors and musicians known as The Traveling Symphony. They have made it their mission to keep the remnants of art and humanity alive. Their encounters, particularly in St. Deborah by the Water, with a violent prophet threatening their existence, form a crucial part of the narrative. The story’s unique structure, which moves back and forth in time, vividly depicts life before and after the pandemic, showcasing the strange twists of fate that connect them all and keeping readers on the edge of their seats.
After almost 48 years, I recently lost my wife, Jan Lilien. Like The Little Prince, Jan and I believed that “The most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or touched, they are felt with the heart.” This blog is a collection of my random thoughts on love, grief, life, and all things considered.
