Octavia Estelle Butler (June 22, 1947 – February 24, 2006) was an American science fiction writer, one of the best-known among the few African-American women in the field. She won both Hugo and Nebula awards. In 1995, she became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant.

Octavia Butler grew up in California and started writing science fiction stories when she was a young girl. She began getting published in the 1970s, then won a Hugo award for her short story, "Speech Sounds" in 1983. A year later Butler won both the Hugo and Nebula awards for her novella "Bloodchild." Her novels include Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents and Fledgling.

Awards:

2010: Inductee Science Fiction Hall of Fame
2000: lifetime achievement award in writing from the PEN American Center
1999: Nebula Award for Best Novel - Parable of the Talents
1995: MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant
1985: Hugo Award for Best Novelette - Bloodchild
1985: Locus Award for Best Novelette - "Bloodchild"
1985: Science Fiction Chronicle Award for Best Novelette - "Bloodchild"
1984: Nebula Award for Best Novelette - Bloodchild
1984: Hugo Award for Best Short Story - Speech Sounds
1980: Creative Arts Award, L.A. YWCA

Author of books:

Patternist series
Patternmaster (1976)
Mind of My Mind (1977)
Survivor (1978)
Wild Seed (1980)
Clay's Ark (1984)
Seed to Harvest (compilation; 2007-does not include Survivor)

Lilith's Brood (formerly the Xenogenesis trilogy)
Dawn (1987)
Adulthood Rites (1988)
Imago (1989)

Parable Series
Parable of the Sower (1993)
Parable of the Talents (1998)

Kindred (1979)
Fledgling (2005)