The Sword and Laser discussion

This book is, broadly, "science fiction," but what is it really? It kind of fits several categories but steps well outside them as well.

Our guest host Brea Grant called it Feminist SF. I can see that - female protagonist, near-future apocalypse.

Is it progressive? The MC is developing a new religion, but respects her father's religion and wants his approval.

There is a strong pro-Second Amendment theme as all the characters are encouraged to practice shooting. Self defense helps the community survive much longer than others, (view spoiler)[ although it doesn't ultimately save them. (hide spoiler)] There are themes of homesteading and self sufficience that would fit easily into a Prepper community.

Post apocalyptic? No, those usually take place right after a precipitating event, like an atomic bomb (Canticle for Leibowitz) or asteroid/meteor strike (Lucifer's Hammer.) This is a slow motion apocalypse that is occurring right then. Dystopian, definitely.

Is it even SF? The world presented is simply an extension of today. Most of the events described in the first two thirds of the book occur regularly in our own inner cities. Droughts followed by torrential rains are a fact of life in Southern California.

The theme of hope in the face of overwhelming adversity makes it almost a religious book, which the title reinforces. I would almost expect to find this in the Christian Fiction aisle, except that it's expressly not Christian. Not anti-Christian, not mocking it as say the Hyperion books, but simply taking Christianity as one of several helpful source ideologies.

I kinda wanted this to be more explicitly SF, as by the end of this book it's just one downer after another with just the faintest glimmer of hope. For that (view spoiler)[perhaps I'm just too early. I have not read the second book, but have heard that it includes ships heading off to create interstellar colonies. (hide spoiler)] Paradoxically that spoiler makes it more likely I'll read the next one. AFTER some more optimistic works!

As to the Book 2 spoiler. Not any more spoilery, just clarifying a point you made.

(view spoiler)[PotT isn't any more sci-fi than PotS. The spaceships leaving happens in the last few pages, in an epilogue that goes forward many decades.

Book 2 is very much like Book 1. It is also set in the dystopian America of the near future.

Book 3 (the one never completed would have been the real sci-fi space adventure (hide spoiler)]

I still think Parable of the Talents is worth reading, if you liked PotS

John (Taloni) wrote: "Is it even SF? The world presented is simply an extension of today. Most of the events described in the first two thirds of the book occur regularly in our own inner cities. Droughts followed by torrential rains are a fact of life in Southern California.
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This isn't exactly untrue, but I think it leaves out a bit of the speculation the author did around the sciences of climate change (which seems old hat now, but was less established within the mainstream in the '90s) and around the softer sciences of political science, sociology etc. You're right that the author could probably find examples of the stuff she wrote about on the fringes of society, she took the speculative step of moving some of that into the mainstream of the society of her world. It might not be astrophysics that she's riffing off of, but she deserves credit for leaps she takes. That it seems plausible to you probably means that the author is doing a good job, rather than that she failed to be ambitious in her speculation.

PotS is dystopian thus sci fi. Book 2 has some sci fi tech/vehicles. Also, referencing "hard currency", which I thought was cash, but later paper cash is mentioned as worthless.

Book 2 also is alarmingly prophetic about some current events.

Bleah! Now I remember, now that the month is over. Anyhoo, one of my thoughts was that this book might be more on the literary than genre side. Seems in some ways like it's hitting the same territory as Grapes of Wrath, except that people are *leaving* California due to drought, instead of going to it. Same themes of moving due to an intolerable situation, meeting people on the way, and the destination not being what was expected. Also making the best of some pretty bad situations. Okies faced discrimination as well, not based on race but on place of origin.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Now I remember, now that the month is over. Anyhoo, one of my thoughts was that this book might be more on the literary than genre side. Seems in some ways like it's hitting the same territory as Grapes of Wrath..."

That's an astute observation. Despite her sparse writing style I do think Butler could qualify as a literary writer.