I ashamedly had never heard of Octavia Butler or read her works until I picked up a copy of Kindred in my early 20s. Not only did my life become richer for having her words inked into my mind, but my love of science fiction blossomed and I finally became interested in a genre that for too long centred white men.

While we now have authors such as Nnedi Okorafor, N. K. Jemisin and Rivers Solomon dominating the world of sci-fi, would they have been able to forge such successful careers if Butler had not kicked so many doors open? 

While it’s thankfully no longer such a rare sight to walk into a bookstore and see a picture or illustration of a Black woman on the front of the cover, Butler dared to make Black women the heroes of the story long before this was done in the industry. And while we sadly lost Butler far too soon, not only does she live on through her work, but her impact and influence ooze off the pages of the novels of many contemporary writers.