Why should you read sci-fi superstar Octavia E. Butler? - Ayana Jamieson and Moya Bailey

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: Helen Chang

Following a devastating nuclear war,

在一場摧毀性的核戰之後，

Lilith Iyapo awakens after 250 years of stasis

莉莉絲里亞波在兩百五十年的 休眠沉睡之後醒來，

to find herself surrounded by a group of aliens called the Oankali.

發現她自己被一群叫做 歐萬卡利的外星人包圍。

These highly evolved beings want to trade DNA

這些高度進化的生物 想要交換 DNA，

by breeding with humans

透過和人類繁殖，

so that each species’ genes can diversify and fortify the other.

來讓每一種基因都能 更多樣化、更強化。

The only alternative they offer is sterilization of the entire human race.

如果不照做， 他們就會消滅全人類。

Should humanity take the leap into the biological unknown,

人類應該要放手一搏， 進入生物的未知領域？

or hold on to its identity and perish?

還是為了堅持自己的身分而死？

Questions like this haunt Octavia Butler’s "Dawn,"

類似這樣的問題縈繞在 奧克塔維婭巴特勒的《黎明》中，

the first in her trilogy "Lilith’s Brood."

該作是她的三部曲 《莉莉絲的後代》中的第一部。

A visionary storyteller who upended science fiction,

巴特勒是位有遠見的 說故事者，顛覆了科幻小說，

Butler built stunning worlds throughout her work–

她在她的作品中建立起了 驚人的世界——

and explored dilemmas that keep us awake at night.

並探究那些讓我們 難以入眠的兩難。

Born in 1947,

生於 1947 年，

Butler grew up shy and introverted in Pasadena, California.

巴特勒在加州的帕薩迪納長大， 成長過程很害羞內向。

She dreamt up stories from an early age,

她從很小的時候就會幻想故事，

and was soon scribbling these scenarios on paper.

很快就開始將這些情境寫在紙上。

At twelve, she begged her mother for a typewriter

十二歲時，她在看了一部很誇大的 科幻電影《火星女下凡》之後，

after enduring a campy science fiction film called "Devil Girl From Mars."

懇求她媽媽給她一台打字機。

Unimpressed with what she saw,

她看到的作品實在無法讓她欽佩，

Butler knew she could tell a better story.

她知道她能講出更好的故事。

Much science fiction features white male heroes

大部分的科幻小說 都用白人男性來當主角，

who blast aliens or become saviors of brown people.

他們要轟擊外星人 或成為褐皮膚族群的救星。

Butler wanted to write diverse characters for diverse audiences.

巴特勒想要寫多元化的角色， 給多元化的讀者看。

She brought nuance and depth to the representation of their experiences.

她把他們的經驗呈現得 更細緻、更有深度。

For Butler,

對巴特勒來說，想像不只是 為科幻小說種下種子——

imagination was not only for planting the seeds of science fiction–

but also a strategy for surviving an unjust world on one’s own terms.

也是在不公平的世界中用自己 喜好的方式求生存的一種策略。

Her work often takes troubling features of the world

她的作品通常會談到 世界上讓人不安的特徵，

such as discrimination on the basis of race, gender, class, or ability,

比如根據種族、性別、階級， 或能力來進行歧視，

and invites the reader to contemplate them in new contexts.

並邀請讀者在新的 情境中思考它們。

One of her most beloved novels,

她最被人喜愛的小說之一 《播種者的寓言》

the "Parable of the Sower,"

follows this pattern.

就是依循這個模式。

It tells the story of Lauren Oya Olamina

它講的是蘿倫歐亞 歐拉米納的故事，

as she makes her way through a near-future California, ruined by corporate greed,

時間是不遠的將來， 她在加州求生存，

那裡已經被企業的貪婪、 不平等，以及環境毀滅給摧毀。

inequality, and environmental destruction.

As she struggles with hyperempathy,

她飽受超級同理心所苦，

or a condition in the novel that causes her to feel others’ pain,

在該書中，這是一種病症， 會讓她感受到他人的痛苦，

and less often, their pleasure.

但很少感受到他們的愉悅。

Lauren embarks on a quest with a group of refugees to find a place to thrive.

蘿倫和一群難民展開了 一段追尋之旅，

尋找他們能成長茁壯的地方。

There, they seek to live in accordance with Lauren’s found religion, Earthseed,

在那裡，他們遵循蘿倫成立的 宗教「地球種子」來求生存，

which is based on the principle

該宗教的基礎原則是

that humans must adapt to an ever-changing world.

人類必須要適應不斷改變的世界。

Lauren’s quest had roots in a real life event–

蘿倫的追尋之旅其實 源自真實的事件——

California Prop 187,

加州 187 提案，

which attempted to deny undocumented immigrants fundamental human rights,

它試圖拒絕無證移民的基本人權，

before it was deemed unconstitutional.

後來才被認為違憲。

Butler frequently incorporated contemporary news into her writing.

巴特勒常常會把時事 整合到她的作品中。

In her 1998 sequel to "The Parable of the Sower," "Parable of the Talents,"

她 1998 年的作品 《天賦者的寓言》，

是《播種者的寓言》的續集，

she wrote of a presidential candidate

內容是一位總統候選人

who controls Americans with virtual reality and “shock collars.”

利用虛擬實境和「電擊衣領」 來控制美國人。

His slogan? “Make America great again.”

他的口號是「讓美國再次偉大」。

While people have noted her prescience,

雖然大家已經注意到 她的先見之明，

Butler was also interested in re-examining history.

巴特勒也對於重新 檢視歷史很感興趣。

For instance, "Kindred" tells the story of

比如，《親屬》談的故事就是

a woman who is repeatedly pulled back in time

一位女子不斷被拉回過去，

to the Maryland plantation of her ancestors.

回到她祖先的馬里蘭大農園。

Early on, she learns that her mission is to save the life of the white man

早些時候，她得知她的任務 是要拯救一個白人的性命，

who will rape her great grandmother.

他將來會強暴她的曾祖母。

If she doesn’t save him, she herself will cease to exist.

如果她不救他， 她自己也不會存在。

This grim dilemma forces Dana to confront the ongoing trauma

這無情的兩難局面強迫戴娜去正視

黑人女性因為奴役制度 和性暴力正在受到的創傷。

of slavery and sexual violence against Black women.

With her stories of women founding new societies,

透過這些女性找到新社會的故事、

time travelers overcoming historical strife,

時空旅人克服歷史衝突的故事，

and interspecies bonding,

以及物種間結合的故事，

Butler had a profound influence on the growing popularity of Afrofuturism.

巴特勒帶來了深遠的影響， 讓非洲未來主義的人口越來越多。

That’s a cultural movement

那是一項文化運動，

where Black writers and artists who are inspired by the past, present and future,

靈感來自過去、現在， 及未來的黑人作家和藝術家

produce works that incorporate magic, history, technology and much more.

產出整合了魔法、歷史、科技， 及許多其他元素的作品。

As Lauren comes to learn in "Parable of the Sower,"

如同蘿倫學自於《播種者的寓言》：

"All that you touch you Change.

「你觸碰的一切被你改變。

All that you Change Changes you.

你改變的一切會改變你。

The only lasting truth is Change.”

唯一永久的真相就是改變。」