Black History Month is an opportunity to learn more about how the Black community has helped shape every facet of life in the United States. That includes the world of books, where countless Black writers have advanced literary genres from noir to criticism to poetry and everything in between. One of the most notable of these pioneers was the author Octavia E. Butler, whose award-winning work helped define and expand the genre of science fiction.

Born in Pasadena, California in 1947, Butler was drawn to literature from a young age. She wrote stories as a child and throughout her high school years. She even won a school-wide short story contest while earning her associate's degree at Pasadena City College. Still, it took time for Butler’s work to gain notice. While working odd jobs and waking up as early as 2 a.m. to write, she enrolled in a host of creative writing courses, including at UCLA Extension.

Over her career, Butler wrote over a dozen books, nearly all of them works of science fiction that tackled themes of social justice in the Black community and issues such as women’s rights and global warming. In the course of her career, Butler won a host of literary awards and in 1995 was awarded a MacArthur "Genius" Fellowship Grant for her work.

One of Butler's most notable books, “Kindred,” was banned in prisons across the country. The book, published in 1979, follows a recently married 26-year-old woman named Dana who lives in the 1970s but finds herself time traveling to the antebellum south. As she moves between past and present, meeting her ancestors and witnessing firsthand the cruelties of slavery, Dana gains a better understanding of humanity and its history.

Butler's novels helped redefine the science fiction genre and constituted one of the earliest examples of Afrofuturism. Her books also discussed the concept of gender identity and sexuality, inspiring queer writers of today. With topics that remain relevant, Butler’s books bring insight not only into the past but also the present.

Marking almost 19 years after her passing, this month is a great time to honor Butler and other Black writers of the past, as well as explore the literature of Black writers today.