Octavia Butler’s Dystopian Visions Take Center Stage at The Huntington Library

In 1993, visionary science fiction author Octavia E. Butler penned “Parable of the Sower,” a chilling dystopian novel set in the years 2024-2027, which we are now entering. Butler’s prophetic narrative, which explores themes of societal collapse, environmental degradation, and the resilience of the human spirit, has taken on an unsettling new resonance in our current era.

The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino is poised to offer a timely exploration of Butler’s work through a two-day conference titled “Futurity as Praxis: Learning from Octavia E. Butler.”

Scheduled for Thursday and Friday, May 23rd and 24th, the event will convene scholars and enthusiasts at The Huntington’s Haaga Hall in the Steven S. Koblik Education and Visitor Center. 

The conference’s title, “Futurity as Praxis,” underscores the central role Butler’s work plays in prompting us to confront pressing social issues and translate science fiction’s warnings into actionable solutions. 

Visionary science fiction writer Butler was born and raised in north Pasadena, about four miles from The Huntington, where an extensive archive of her works is now housed.

“The Huntington houses the collection that’s made up of over 10,000 individually cataloged items and over 350 boxes,” said Dr. Ayana Jamieson, Assistant Professor of Ethnic and Women’s Studies at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network.

After graduating from John Muir High School in 1965, Butler worked during the day and attended Pasadena City College, where she earned an Associate of Arts degree with a focus in history in 1968. 

Butler’s work – some 23 books and collections of short stories and novellas – is now taught in over 200 colleges and universities nationwide. The No. 1 New York Times bestselling graphic novel adaptation of her book “Kindred,” created by Damian Duffy and John Jennings, received the Eisner Award for best adaptation in 2018. 

The conference at The Huntington next week follows a 2017 exhibition and academic gathering focused on Butler, reflecting the growing interest in her life and impact.

“Her collection, to my understanding, is the most heavily used by researchers at The Huntington Library,” Jamieson said. “People are very curious about her life and her work and impact. So this conference is a continuation of that interest in that work.” 

A key theme of the conference is the “Books of the Living,” a concept from Butler’s Earthseed series. Jamieson interprets this as “writing the history of the future or seeding the history of the future,” considering how to envision life together without oppression or exclusion in the context of today’s global challenges.

Jamieson, who will participate in a panel discussing Butler’s archives, emphasizes the importance of seeing Butler as a real person.

“She’s not just a passive body of knowledge to extract things from in a colonial way,” Jamieson said. “She was planting seeds of the future in ways that we can be with one another that can change and help us understand our material conditions – not just the disembodied intellectual academic exercise, but how it could impact people’s real lives and how to be in community.” 

Beyond the conference, Jamieson and the organization she founded, the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network, continue to explore the writer’s impact through exhibitions like “Octavia Butler: Seeding Futures” at the San Diego New Children’s Museum, collaborations on PST Art and Science Collide projects, and future events such as the “Shaping Change 2026” conference at UC San Diego with Shelley Streeby.

“My work with Octavia Butler Legacy Network continues beyond the conference in some large scale global and also some very local things,” she noted.

Tickets to “The Future of Dystopia” are between $20 and $25. Additional support is provided by  The E.P. Mauk/D.B. Nunis Research Endowment. Attendees will also enjoy free entry to The Huntington’s grounds and galleries.

For more information, including a full schedule of the “Futurity as Praxis” conference, visit https://huntington.org/event/futurity-praxis.