There's also thread about this topic on the Octavia Butler subreddit, but I think this is important enough that more people need to be aware.
The information below was found on an audio book website. The blurb clearly describes a print book, not an audio book, so it may have been posted there by mistake. Anyway, I believe it's cause for hope!!
This is all the information I could find. The source is linked below then the blurb follows. I have spoiler-marked plot-related details.
(Source)
Returning to print after nearly 50 years, Survivor completes Octavia E. Butler’s thrilling Patternist series, including a short story from the Patternist saga and new historical essays from a major Butler scholar.
This deluxe edition includes:
- An incredible new cover and package
- Premium French flaps and newly designed, full color interior covers
- High-quality paper with elegant deckled-edges
The Patternist books (Wild Seed, Mind of My Mind, Clay's Ark, and Patternmaster) comprise Butler's longest, most complex series, stretching from late 17th century Africa to outer space in the far future, as rival factions of humanity develop incredible powers—only to use them to subjugate others. For nearly half a century, the fourth volume, Survivor, has been out of print at Octavia E. Butler's request.
It tells the story of Alanna, a colonist fleeing a plague-scarred Earth. But the planet she lands on is inhabited by the alien Kohn, whose battling tribes soon trap Alanna in their war. She must make alliances—while plotting betrayals. She must protect her heart—while putting it at risk. And she must decide if the best way to retain her humanity . . . is to leave it behind.
Now returning to print, Survivor is put into its proper historical context thanks to contributions from scholar and Octavia E. Butler Fellow Alyssa Collins.
This long-awaited volume also contains "A Necessary Being," the only short fiction set in the Patternist universe, to finally, fully bring together and complete the Patternist series for readers everywhere.
by NellieOlesonSmirk
3 Comments
This is actually huge news if it’s real. Butler famously hated *Survivor*—she even called it her “Star Trek novel”—and kept it out of print for decades because she felt it relied too heavily on sci-fi clichés. It feels a little complicated to publish it now given how adamant she was, but adding essays to put it in “historical context” sounds like the estate is trying to handle it carefully. As a completionist, I’ve always been desperate to see how it fits into the rest of the Patternist series.
Awesome news, thanks for sharing
Didn’t she “disown” it?