Look! Aquarium pictures. I had fun, but I overexerted myself, and I really want to do takeout today. While I was out playing, Octavia Butler died. While it's not possible to replace her, let's work hard to honor her work by writing many more great stories, and reading a greater variety of work that covers more issues than the narrow Eurocentric fantasy/sci fi that is often pushed as the only stuff available.

Because she lived, she was able to give us a different and more considered view of the future. Because she lived, she was able to give many people the courage to write. She is one of my personal heroes, although I've never met her. I would urge people who are not familiar with her work to try it. Maybe in her honor, we should redouble our efforts to create more outlets for people of color in speculative fiction. Our voices are ready to be heard.

ETA: Here's an article with more information on this saddening event. More on this from the Woman of Color Blog.