Bloodchild and Other Stories
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For 4,000 years, an immortal has spread the seeds of a master race, using the downtrodden as his private breeding stock. But now a young ghetto telepath has found a way to awaken - and rule - her superhuman kind, igniting a psychic battle as she challenges her creator for her right to free her people.
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OMG
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Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi - the first ever born to a human mother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Wow!
- By Lynnette on 10-16-16
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Fledgling
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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This is the story of an apparently young, amnesiac girl whose alarmingly unhuman needs and abilities lead her to a startling conclusion: She is in fact a genetically modified, 53-year-old vampire. Forced to discover what she can about her stolen former life, she must at the same time learn who wanted - and still wants - to destroy her and those she cares for and how she can save herself.
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5 out of 5 stars
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
- By M.G. on 05-18-20
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Unexpected Stories
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 53
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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This exciting collection presents two previously unpublished stories by SF legend Octavia E. Butler. A Necessary Being precedes the events of Survivor, Butler's third (famously disowned) installment in her Patternist series, and includes characters from it, focusing exclusively on the Kohn, aliens who build their social hierarchies on the blueness of their fur. In Childfinder, a black woman with the gift of identifying children with latent psychic ability refuses to share her skill with an organization of white telepaths.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Octavia B. is the John Coltrane of Scifi fantasy
- By Adé Ngeno on 06-30-19
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Patternmaster
- The Patternist Series
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Eugene H. Russell IV
- Length: 5 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 524
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 472
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 473
The Patternist is a telepathic race, commanded by the Patternmaster, whose thoughts can destroy, heal, rule. Coransee, son of the ruling Patternmaster, wants the throne and will stop at nothing to get it, including venture into the wild mutant-infested hills to destroy a young apprentice - his equal and his brother.
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5 out of 5 stars
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FINALLY SOMETHING LIVES UP TO WILD SEED!!
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Clay's Ark
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- By: Octavia E. Butler
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- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 514
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 470
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 470
In a violent near-future, Asa Elias Doyle and her companions encounter an alien life form so heinous and destructive, they exile themselves in the desert so as not to contaminate other humans. To resist the compulsion to infect others is mental agony, but to succumb is to relinquish humanity and free will. Desperate, they kidnap a doctor and his two daughters as they cross the wasteland--and endanger the world.
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3 out of 5 stars
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a little confusing
- By Tiffany on 08-24-15
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Mind of My Mind
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- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Christie Clarke
- Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 919
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 849
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 852
For 4,000 years, an immortal has spread the seeds of a master race, using the downtrodden as his private breeding stock. But now a young ghetto telepath has found a way to awaken - and rule - her superhuman kind, igniting a psychic battle as she challenges her creator for her right to free her people.
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,521
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,368
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,374
Human and Oankali have been mating since the aliens first came to Earth to rescue the few survivors of an annihilating nuclear war. The Oankali began a massive breeding project, guided by the ooloi, a sexless subspecies capable of manipulating DNA, in the hope of eventually creating a perfect starfaring race. Jodahs is supposed to be just another hybrid of human and Oankali, but as he begins his transformation to adulthood he finds himself becoming ooloi - the first ever born to a human mother.
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 15
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 14
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5 out of 5 stars
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🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
- By M.G. on 05-18-20
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Adulthood Rites
- Xenogenesis, Book 2
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- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,355
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,234
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In this sequel to Dawn, Lilith Iyapo has given birth to what looks like a normal human boy named Akin. But Akin actually has five parents: a male and female human, a male and female Oankali, and a sexless Ooloi. The Oankali and Ooloi are part of an alien race that rescued humanity from a devastating nuclear war, but the price they exact is a high one the aliens are compelled to genetically merge their species with other races, drastically altering both in the process.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Great second part, Can't wait to finish the series
- By Carolina on 11-03-14
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Wild Seed
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Dion Graham
- Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,609
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,237
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,240
Doro is an entity who changes bodies like clothes, killing his hosts by reflexor design. He fears no one...until he meets Anyanwu. Anyanwu is a shapeshifter who can absorb bullets and heal with a kiss and savage anyone who threatens her. Together they weave a pattern of destiny unimaginable to mortals.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Fairy Tale... even if it's not
- By Annette on 12-23-09
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Dawn
- Xenogenesis, Book 1
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Aldrich Barrett
- Length: 9 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 3,578
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,251
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Story4 out of 5 stars 3,251
In a world devastated by nuclear war with humanity on the edge of extinction, aliens finally make contact. They rescue those humans they can, keeping most survivors in suspended animation while the aliens begin the slow process of rehabilitating the planet. When Lilith Iyapo is "awakened", she finds that she has been chosen to revive her fellow humans in small groups by first preparing them to meet the utterly terrifying aliens, then training them to survive on the wilderness that the planet has become. But the aliens cannot help humanity without altering it forever.
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4 out of 5 stars
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I couldn't tell if I loved it or hated it.
- By Lindsay on 01-31-16
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Parable of the Talents
- By: Octavia E. Butler
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- Length: 15 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 1,701
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 1,438
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 1,437
Environmental devastation and economic chaos have turned America into a land of horrifying depravity. Assault, theft, sexual abuse, slavery, and murder are commonplace. And a zealous, bigoted tyrant has won his way into the White House. Directly opposed is Lauren Olamina, founder of Earthseed - a new faith that teaches "God Is Change". Persecuted for "heathen" beliefs as much as for having a black female leader, Earthseed's followers face a life-and-death struggle to preserve their vision.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A Look Into Our Future
- By Alysia on 01-27-14
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Kindred
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Kim Staunton
- Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 6,724
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 5,922
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 5,900
Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes she's been given a challenge.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Octavia is awesome!!
- By Kirsten on 01-30-08
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Parable of the Sower
- By: Octavia E. Butler
- Narrated by: Lynne Thigpen
- Length: 12 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3,662
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 3,266
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 3,256
God is change. That is the central truth of the Earthseed movement, whose unlikely prophet is 18-year-old Lauren Olamina. The young woman's diary entries tell the story of her life amid a violent 21st-century hell of walled neighborhoods and drug-crazed pyromaniacs - and reveal her evolving Earthseed philosophy. Against a backdrop of horror emerges a message of hope: if we are willing to embrace divine change, we will survive to fulfill our destiny among the stars.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Better than Mark
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Binti
- By: Nnedi Okorafor
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- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,878
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,663
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,655
Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Messages
- By khaalidah on 10-07-15
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How Long 'Til Black Future Month?
- Stories
- By: N. K. Jemisin
- Narrated by: Shayna Small, Gail Nelson-Holgate, Robin Ray Eller, and others
- Length: 14 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 384
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 354
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 354
N. K. Jemisin is one of the most powerful and acclaimed speculative fiction authors of our time. In the first collection of her evocative short fiction, Jemisin equally challenges and delights listeners with thought-provoking narratives of destruction, rebirth, and redemption.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great! One quibble with the audiobook editing
- By L on 03-05-19
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Octavia's Brood
- Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements
- By: Adrienne Maree Brown, Walidah Imarisha
- Narrated by: Je Nie Fleming
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 81
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 72
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
Whenever we envision a world without war, without prisons, without capitalism, we are producing speculative fiction. Organizers and activists envision and try to create such worlds all the time. Walidah Imarisha and adrienne maree brown have brought 20 of them together in the first anthology of short stories to explore the connections between radical speculative fiction and movements for social change.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Octavia Would Be Proud
- By Susie on 06-15-16
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Binti: Home
- Binti, Book 2
- By: Nnedi Okorafor
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 4 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 719
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 671
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 670
It's been a year since Binti and Okwu enrolled at Oomza University. A year since Binti was declared a hero for uniting two warring planets. A year since she found friendship in the unlikeliest of places. And now she must return home to her people, with her friend Okwu by her side, to face her family and face her elders. But Okwu will be the first of his race to set foot on Earth in over a hundred years, and the first ever to come in peace.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Abrupt Conclusion
- By Ryann on 04-14-18
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Binti: The Night Masquerade
- Binti Series, Book 3
- By: Nnedi Okorafor
- Narrated by: Robin Miles
- Length: 6 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 529
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 492
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 492
Binti has returned to her home planet, believing that the violence of the Meduse has been left behind. Unfortunately, although her people are peaceful on the whole, the same cannot be said for the Khoush, who fan the flames of their ancient rivalry with the Meduse.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Best Series Hands Down
- By althea on 08-21-18
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Doctor Aphra (Star Wars)
- By: Sarah Kuhn
- Length: 6 hrs
- Unabridged
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Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
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Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
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Story0 out of 5 stars 0
Dr. Chelli Lona Aphra, rogue archaeologist, is in trouble again. A pioneer in the field of criminal xenoarchaeology, Aphra recognizes no law, has no fear, and possesses no impulse control. To her, the true worth of the galactic relics she discovers isn’t found in a museum but in an arsenal. This viewpoint has led to a lot of misunderstandings. After her latest plan goes horribly wrong, her roguish ways are on the verge of catching up to her, when suddenly Darth Vader, terror of the galaxy, swoops in with his lightsaber ignited and...saves her life?
Publisher's Summary
Six remarkable stories from a master of modern science fiction. Octavia E. Butler's classic "Bloodchild," winner of both the Nebula and Hugo awards, anchors this collection of incomparable stories and essays. "Bloodchild" is set on a distant planet where human children spend their lives preparing to become hosts for the offspring of the alien Tlic. Sometimes the procedure is harmless, but often it is not. Also included is the Hugo Award - winning "Speech Sounds," about a near future in which humans must adapt after an apocalyptic event robs them of their ability to speak. In this audiobook, Butler shows us life on Earth and amongst the stars, telling her tales with characteristic imagination and clarity.
Featured Article: 20 Best Short Story Audiobooks
Although brief in length, short stories have had a huge impact on the canon of great literature. In fact, some of the most historically revered novelists wrote short stories, which make excellent introductions to their work. Plus, these bite-size listens are the perfect way to get a big dose of literary inspiration even when you’re short on time. Here, we’ve compiled the greatest small-but-mighty short stories to get you started. From a wide variety of genres, including sci-fi, fantasy, romance, and more, here are the 20 best short story audiobooks available. They may vary in length, but they’ll all have you utterly enraptured.
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Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Donna D
- 08-03-15
Good stories, well narrated
I really enjoyed these short stories by Octavia Butler that I am ashamed to admit I had not heard of or read before. Sci for stories that can give insight to societal problems, though they are cloaked in an imaginative story of what ifs. This author has a great imagination and I love both the stories and her afterward explanations of what inspired her to write each one and what she was thinking. The narrator was very good also. I will be reading and listening to more from this author.
9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sharey
- 02-27-17
New Fan
I listened to Kindred, enjoyed it, and went on to this. I normally don't like short stories--they leave me either empty or frustrated for more. These stories were excellent, however. I just bought Dawn because I'm intrigued by Octavia Butler's imagination and compelling writing style.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alan Meigs
- 03-27-18
what a hell of an imagination, wow!
perhaps my favorite collection of short stories. so vivid and challenging. uncomfortable, beautiful, and human.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 05-24-17
Thought provoking stories
Ms. Edwards narration was delightful and added to the stories' richness as well as giving the listener a sense of connection to Octavia Butler's insightful essays.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- KeviaG.
- 10-11-16
Brilliantly Written
After listening to Sirius Satellite Radio the Karen Hunter show, Octavia Butler was an author Karen stated that she had read and that she was African American. i immediately searched Audible for books written by the author and was at once engulfed into the stories wanting them to be much longer. Science fiction has often been a favorite of mine and I was proud to know that a Woman African American author was writing in the category. I have many credits to use and will be using them for more of Octavia Butler books and other authors as well.
3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 06-05-16
Brilliant!
This is my first foray into this authors' work. The stories and essays were wonderfully written and thought-provoking, the narration a perfect fit. The afterwords were a great inclusion.
I'm looking forward to listening to more of Octavia E. Butlers' work in the future!
3 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- S. Smith
- 07-27-18
Exquisite short stories
All the stories were interesting, some were completely enthralling. Bloodchild, The Evening and the Morning and the Night, Speech Sounds, and Amnesty are just amazing. I was sad when they ended and couldn’t listen to more. This collection is my first introduction to Butler’s writing. Officially hooked. The narrator emotes well and subtly differentiates between characters. A good starter for what I hope will be my new favorite author.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Aza
- 07-30-15
Unique and engaging
Just as amazing as any other Butler book, but getting to hear so many of her stories in one collection is very special. It's like a glimpse into her mind and all its creative genius. So sad that we won't have any more books from her.
Reader was a good match and did a great job bringing the stories to life.
2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cy Hy
- 07-29-19
Typically Butler
By which I mean, stellar, unique, creative and wonderful. Aliens which are supremely GROSS, Aliens who aren't gross, but interesting, cultural solidarity,, vampires-ish, powerful women, super powers, a conversation with god, and more. All characters feel authentic and real. The suspension of disbelief never disturbs me in Octavia Butler's work and worlds. I can't turn away.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- satisfied customer
- 11-30-18
Amazing
a wonderful collection of thoughtful sci fi. The author's notes after each talk about her inspiration, which was actually really fun.
The narrator did a fantastic job as well.
My only complaint is that the last story assumes that we can't just get rid of capitalism? If you're creating a Utopia, why would you still make it that people have to find a viable job or starve?
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
- Miss A A MacKenzie
- 01-12-20
a sparkling collection of short stories
I am a massive fan of Octavia Butler's novels and series so it was great to spend some time with the short stories. I also really enjoyed the afterwords, where Butler wrote a little more about the references and origins of the stories, and the process of writing.