The bookstore preserving the legacy of Altadena author Octavia Butler
Octavia Butler was often noted for being ahead of her time. A science fiction writer, she became the first Black woman to gain widespread acclaim in a genre that was predominantly white and male. During the Eaton fire, people were quick to point out the eerie similarities to her 1993 dystopian novel Parable of the Sower, which took place in 2025 and imagined Los Angeles ravaged by fires.
Altadena resident Nikki High opened Octavia's Bookshelf in February 2023, inspired by the author. 'People miss the blueprint of hope [Butler] wrote in Parable of the Sower.' It was with that in mind that High knew she wanted to help the community that had supported her in opening her bookstore, even as she was dealing with the effects of the fire herself. She turned the store into a mutual aid shop the day after the fires began, collecting and distributing donations to impacted residents. Octavia Butler passed away in 2006, but her legacy lives on in Altadena, Pasadena and beyond. Video by Rebecca Castillo.
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