Tag Archives: Octavia Butler

How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin (a review)

Posted on April 6, 2022 by Brenton Dickieson

How Long ’til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin My rating: 4 of 5 stars When I say that N.K. Jemisin is one of the most powerful writers in contemporary speculative fiction, I am making a claim of both influence … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews | Tagged Broken Earth Trilogy, CliFi, climate fiction, Hugo Awards, James Blish, N.K. Jemisin, Nalo Hopkinson, Nisi Shawl, Nnedi Okorafor, Octavia Butler, Rebecca Roanhorse, Tananarive Due, Terry Pratchett, The City We Became, The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas, Ursula K. Le Guin | 2 Comments

2021: My Year in Books: The Infographic

Posted on December 31, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Happy New Year Eve everyone! I will have some fun putting together the “nerd data” in an upcoming post–including more charts! Gotta have charts. And behind every chart is a great spreadsheet! Stay tuned for 01/10/22. Meanwhile, I wanted to … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Anne Rice, C.S. Lewis, Goodreads, Harry Potter, Hugo Awards, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, Octavia Butler, Reading, Stephen King, Ursula K. Le Guin | 6 Comments

Share with Me a Woman’s Voice on Shakespeare, with Thoughts on The Merchant of Venice

Posted on February 9, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Yes, I know, it is kind of a strange request: Share with Me a Woman’s Voice on Shakespeare. Moreover, it is one that I cannot necessarily follow up on fully. But let me explain. The other day, I finished up … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections | Tagged C.S. Lewis, feminism, Goethe, Hamlet, Harry Potter, Helena Kelly, Inklings, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, Joanna Russ, Octavia Butler, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Shakespeare, Stephen King, The Merchant of Venice, The Tempest | 16 Comments

2020: My Year in Books: The Infographic

Posted on January 7, 2021 by Brenton Dickieson

Happy New Year everyone! I will have some fun putting together the data in an upcoming post, including some new charts. I love charts. Meanwhile, I wanted to share the Goodreads “My Year in Books” infographic. I’m pleased to say … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Anne Rice, C.S. Lewis, Chaim Potok, Charlotte Brontë, Flannery O'Connor, Frederick Buechner, Goodreads, Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling, J.R.R. Tolkien, Jane Austen, L.M. Montgomery, Madeleine L'Engle, Marilynne Robinson, Octavia Butler, Reading, Shūsaku Endō, Stephen King | 2 Comments

Thesis Theater: Jens Hieber, “Negotiated Symbiosis: Power, Identity, and Community in the Works of Octavia E. Butler” (Oct 2nd, 7pm Eastern)

Posted on September 30, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I am pleased to announce that Signum University MA student Jens Hieber will present his thesis “Negotiated Symbiosis: Power, Identity, and Community in the Works of Octavia E. Butler,” and respond to questions from the audience in an interactive Thesis … Continue reading →

Posted in News & Links | Tagged Black Women Authors, Fledgling, Octavia Butler, Octavia E. Butler, On Writing, Science Fiction, SF, Signum University | 5 Comments

Coleridge’s “Christabel,” Keats’ “La Belle Dame sans Merci,” and Early English Vampire Poems

Posted on September 8, 2020 by Brenton Dickieson

I am preparing for my next discussion in “Folkloric Transformations: Vampires and Big Bad Wolves” at Signum University, and we have assigned Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s turn-of-the-century poem, “Christabel” (1797-1800). This 677-line poem comes out of Coleridge’s attempts to re-stage English … Continue reading →

Posted in Thoughtful Essays | Tagged Anne Rice, Carmilla, Christabel, Fledgling, Frankenstein, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, John Keats, John William Polidori, Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu, La Belle Dame sans Merci, Lord Byron, mary shelley, Octavia Butler, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, The Vampyre, Vampire Chronicles, Vampire Fiction, vampires | 13 Comments

An Anti-Ginger Bias in American Publication? A Note on Publication Whitewashing

Posted on October 30, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I posted on Monday a reflection about my reading of The Gift of Asher Lev, the sequel to Chaim Potok stunning novel, My Name is Asher Lev. Potok’s book really is a “gift,” but I noted some “curse” elements as well. One … Continue reading →

Posted in Reflections, Reviews | Tagged Anne of Green Gables, antisemitism, Book Covers, Chaim Potok, Dawn, Ginger Persecution, My Name is Asher Lev, Octavia Butler, Perelandra, Prince Edward Island, The Gift of Asher Lev, whitewashing | 20 Comments

A Brief Note on the N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy

Posted on August 8, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have just finished reading N.K. Jemisin’s Broken Earth Trilogy, which has the distinction of winning the Hugo Award for Best Novel in three consecutive years for … Continue reading →

Posted in Fictional Worlds, Reviews | Tagged Broken Earth Trilogy, CliFi, J.G. Ballard, Larry Niven, N.K. Jemisin, Octavia Butler, Science Fiction, The Fifth Season, The Obelisk Gate, The Stone Sky | 17 Comments

Writing Tips by Stephen King: Infographic and Video

Posted on August 2, 2019 by Brenton Dickieson

I know that this post is less than a year old, but I still think the infographic is pretty cool. Plus, I found a funny short video from the Late Show with Stephen Colbert that is worth sharing. No matter … Continue reading →