Octavia Estelle Butler (born Pasadena, California June 22, 1947-February 25, 2006) was an American science fiction writer, and one of very few African-American women in the field. She has won both Hugo and Nebula awards and is also the only science fiction writer (as of 2005) ever to be a recipient of the MacArthur Foundation “genius grant”.

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Butler moved to Seattle in November 1999.

Octavia Estelle Butler is the first African-American woman to gain popularity and critical acclaim as a science fiction writer. Through her fictional tales, Butler tries to understand and explain our differences as well as common traits shared by all humans.

In her Lilith’s Brood trilogy, for example, she introduces her readers to the Oankali, a nomadic alien species that runs into an evolutionary dead end because of its lack of diversity. Butler says these aliens need to interbreed with the human species to regain their genetic strength despite their hatred of humans’ hierarchical tendencies and self-destructive violence.

The theme of slavery also appears frequently in her books. In Kindred, a black woman travels back through time to rescue a white man who turns out to be her ancestor. And she later struggles with the fact that she owes her existence to the man who was one of the oppressors of black slaves.

It’s easier to find remedies for racism and violence in the fictional world. But what about in real life? In her essay for NPR, Butler asks: What would make us more tolerant, more peaceful, and less likely to need a UN Conference on Racism? Her sobering answer is “nothing at all.” It’s natural for humans to feel superior to each other, she concludes, and there would be intolerance even if we were all the same color.
source - NPR