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Four Facts About Beloved Black Lesbian Science Fiction Writer Octavia Butler

Octavia Butler

On Friday (June 22), Google celebrated the birthday of award-winning and Black lesbian science fiction writer Octavia Butler.

“Octavia E. Butler’s legacy calls to mind the age-old question of whether life imitates art, or vice versa,” Google wrote in her tribute.

“Today’s Doodle honors the author’s immense contribution to the genre of science fiction, including the diverse worlds and characters she brought to life.”

The “Kindred” author died of a stroke in 2006 and she would have been 71-years-old today.

But who is Butler? What were her stories about and what is the legacy she left behind? Well, we got you: Here are four fun facts about the iconic science fiction writer.

Butler was born and raised in California and overcame dyslexia to be a writer: Born in 1947 in Pasadena, California, Butler’s father, who died when she was very young, earned a living shining shoes. While her father died early on, Butler was raised by her mother, who worked as a maid to support her family.

She also suffered from dyslexia, but teachers continued to see her potential, BuzzFeed noted. That, and Butler was determined to be writer regardless who ended up making stories when she was four and writing them when she was 10 years old.

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