February is celebrated as Black History Month. During my younger days as a student in elementary, middle and high school, each year I found myself learning about the same historical figures, over and over again. Rosa Parks. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Each year, it was the same people. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, however, it does create a limitation. It’s like eating the same meal, day after day, when there are thousands upon thousands of different foods you could be choosing from. 

As a writer, I would have loved to learned about Octavia Butler while I was in school. A black woman who writes science fiction? Are you kidding me?! I would have felt a little less weird about the books I was interested in. Some people will read this post, and wonder, Why didn’t she just look up black sci-fi authors on the internet? Why? Because that really wasn’t an option at the time. If you’re under 30, you’re probably under the impression Google has been around since forever. 

The first Octavia Butler book I read, was Kindred. It’s blend of fantasy and historical fiction. Butler combines a slave memoir with an unexpected element: time travel. The best part: when you read it, even though the story is a fictional one, it doesn’t seem that far-fetched. This book is the first science fiction novel to be written by a black woman.

What I appreciate the most about this book, is it’s existence. Urban fiction gets a bad rep: black characters in books written by black writers are often cast as gangsters, hustlers, etc. If that’s what you enjoy reading, by all means, continue to read those books. But please be open-minded enough to give other books a chance.  Kindred is proof there can be more to urban fiction than the stereotypes. We can expand our reach across different genres of writing. 

Reading Kindred gave me the courage to write and publish The Witch of Fulton Lane. If there could be a book about a young black woman who travels back in time to the days of slavery, there could be a book about a young black woman who is a witch and befriends an abused woman. 

If you’ve never read Kindred, I suggest picking up a copy. You don’t even have to like sci-fi to enjoy this book. And while you’re at it, pick up a copy of The Witch of Fulton Lane, too.