Civilizations don't collapse suddenly. They sink subtly into the muck - so gradually that you can almost pretend it isn't happening.
In Octavia E. Butler's novel Parable of the Sower, a civilization goes under once and for all, dragged down by poverty, crime, drugs, and people who just don't give a shit.
Butler's heroine, Lauren, lives in a tiny walled enclave in a remote LA suburb with a handful of families. Economic hardship has divided the country into those existing inside walled communities and those outside.
One night, the outsiders descend on Lauren's neighborhood. Turned out, her life becomes a struggle to keep from getting raped or killed.
Butler's world isn't so different from ours: she's just taken our social ills and given them a little push.
On its face, Parable is a simple version of a classic sci-fi theme: a band of plucky adventurers endure the collapse of civilization and start anew. It is also a chilling cautionary tale.
In the end, it proves to be a parable indeed. Even in bleak times, there's cause to hope and even rejoice. Individuals may fall by the wayside, but a few seeds will land on fertile ground and again spring up to bear fruit a hundredfold.
Parable of the Sower, by Octavia E. Butler: US$5.99. Warner: +1 (212) 522 7200.
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