In the late 2020s, Lauren Olamina lives in relative safety in her walled and gated community in California, under the protection and strict tutelage of her preacher father. Deep down, Lauren does not feel that anything they do can keep them safe. The world is falling apart. Despite having a colony on the Moon and a base on Mars, the United States is wracked with social unrest, rampant drug abuse, economic inflation and rising sea levels from unchecked global warming. Food is always getting more expensive and social services like police, ambulances and fire departments are costly and unreliable. Though her parents hope for a return to the 'good old days' Lauren thinks that is impossible.
Thus begins Parable of the Sower.
I'd heard on and off about this book in interviews from other writers, numerous literary discussions and simple internet searches. It was often described as a "must read" by people. I picked it up expecting to disagree, but found myself adamantly agreeing with those who recommended it! From the discomfort of the near future vibes, the eloquence of the language, and the characters and messages it espouses, I can't recommend it enough!
Parable is a book with a message. First about the calamity of a slowly collapsing United States and all the uncertainty that brings, secondly it is about the idea of Earthseed. This is the religion that Lauren has discovered (not created, she is very particular about this) which realizes "God is Change" and that leads all she does from there. Lauren is young, grappling with how to explain her discovery to other people, and without scaring them away. One of the other messages in Earthseed is the importance of community, creating and building a stable one. Which, quite honestly, felt very much like something I would read in prepping fiction.
As a very quick aside, it has a lot of the basics of the prepping movement seamlessly woven into the story. From having a bug out bag handy, to practicing with firearms, methods of hiding goods on your person, and pragmatic group oriented survival, this would be a very colorful way to introduce people to the concept. Truthfully I'm a little shocked I hadn't come across this book before in those circles.
Moving on, Lauren's life is one of loss and pain predominantly. She lost her biological mother at a young age, and her own community is losing its fight for survival. Then on the road, she finds that she can make a new community and a new family. Through acts of kindness, ruthless pragmatism, and knowing who and who not to trust, she embarks on a long journey of discovery, and one without a real destination in mind.
The story is told largely as diary kept by Lauren where she chronicles the break down of her family life, and her journey across much of California. It is also where she confides her deepest secrets and hopes for Earthseed. There too, she has an outlet for her 'sharing' ability, that is, an ability to feel the pain and pleasure of others. Though in a world as crazy as hers, it is sadly mostly pain and she does her best to keep people from knowing. It was caused by her mother's use of a new form of psychedelic drug which began flooding the US in the early 2000s. It's a secret she fights to keep, lest it be used against her.
I found the message espoused through Earthseed and Parable as a whole, to be a very timeless one. The ideas behind Earthseed are interesting, and they fascinated me as they were an exciting exploration of how a religion is founded, how people view its early ideas, and maybe what it is like to be an early prophet absent some more dramatic divine revelation.
Readers will find it very easy to emphasize with Lauren's struggles, both personal and external, and will be rooting for her and her little family the whole way. Though I will admit some will probably find Lauren and Bankole's relationship a little off putting, but to each their own as that is a far too detailed topic to get in to. It was a read that really sucked me in, and I found myself wanting more. The only complaint I have against this book is that it was too short! It was exciting to discover that there was indeed a sequel, and I really look forward to getting my hands on it.
This is an easy recommendation whether you like science fiction or not in my opinion. Easily one of the best books I have read in 2020. Though for now, let me leave you with the original parable of the sower for some easy reading and appreciation for clever theme naming!
"Then he told them many things in parables, saying: 'A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil, where it produced a crop—a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown. Whoever has ears, let them hear.'" Matthew 13:3-9
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