Reviews for Books in The Earthseed series

Intense and sad, yet hopeful. I started it on the same day the book's story begins (July 20, 2024), which is sort of fascinating. It was written in 1993. Some details still seem far off and others... don't. Some very cool worldbuilding.

Intense, visceral, heartbreaking, heavy, and hopeful. Written in 1998 but describes news items that could have been written about today's political climate (including a US-Canadian war, the phrase “Make America great again”, and the coupling of the church to the state). Butler was either a prophet or today's American right wing isn't as original as we think they are. Outside of its political relevance, it gives interesting perspective about life after the fall of a society. It wasn't the super harsh conditions that I found most interesting, but the way (some) life just goes on, even when the foundation of a nation shifts. Civilization doesn't end for everyone at the same time (or affect everyone equally). Its depiction of building a religious movement was especially compelling- what worked and what didn't and how you meet people where they are. The prose was fascinating too. The heaviest segments were written in the most matter-of-fact style, separating their impact from the way they were described. Tore through the book, but had to pace myself for sanity reasons. Not necessarily a fun read, but a good and powerful one.