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Portrait of Octavia E. Butler

Octavia E. Butler books in order

American science fiction writer

Lived
1947–2006
Country
United States
Books
19
Series
3

Octavia E. Butler published 16 novels, 2 short story collections and 1 other book, beginning with Patternmaster (1976). The 3 series include Patternist (5 books, starting with Wild Seed), Lilith's Brood (3 books, starting with Dawn) and Earthseed (2 books, starting with Parable of the Sower). The best-known is Parable of the Sower (1993).

Updated September 2026

Patternist books in order (5)Series page

Reading order: 1 Wild Seed (1980) · 2 Mind of My Mind (1977) · 3 Clay's Ark (1984) · 4 Survivor (1978) · 5 Patternmaster (1976)

  1. 1.

    Wild Seed (Jul 1980)

    279 pages★ 4.5 (11 ratings)

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  2. 2.

    Mind of My Mind (1977)

    219 pages

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  3. 3.

    Clay's Ark (Mar 1984)

    211 pages

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  4. 4.

    Survivor (1978)

    187 pages

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  5. 5.

    Patternmaster (1976)

    186 pages

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Lilith's Brood books in order (3)Series page

Reading order: 1 Dawn (1987) · 2 Adulthood Rites (1988) · 3 Imago (1989)

  1. 1.

    Dawn (May 1987)

    256 pages★ 4.1 (35 ratings)

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  2. 2.

    Adulthood Rites (Jun 1988)

    296 pages★ 4.0 (11 ratings)

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  3. 3.

    Imago (May 1989)

    264 pages★ 4.3 (9 ratings)

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Earthseed books in order (2)

Reading order: 1 Parable of the Sower (1993) · 2 Parable of the Talents (1998)

  1. 1.

    Parable of the Sower (Oct 1993)

    320 pages★ 4.4 (56 ratings)

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  2. 2.

    Parable of the Talents (Nov 1998)

    424 pages★ 4.1 (21 ratings)

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Where to start with Octavia E. Butler

Standalone novels in order

  1. Kindred (Jun 1979)

    287 pages★ 4.4 (51 ratings)Adapted for TV

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  2. Xenogenesis (1987)

    726 pages

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  3. Lilith's Brood (Jan 1987)

    746 pages★ 4.6 (11 ratings)

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  4. Fledgling (Sep 2005)

    320 pages★ 3.8 (11 ratings)

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  5. Seed to Harvest (2007)

    784 pages

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  6. Conversations with Octavia Butler (2010)

    232 pages

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Short story collections in order

  1. Bloodchild and Other Stories (Sep 1995)

    208 pages★ 4.3 (9 ratings)

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  2. Unexpected Stories (2014)

    100 pages

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Other books in order

  1. The Evening and the Morning and the Night (1991)

    45 pages

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Film and TV adaptations

About Octavia E. Butler

Octavia Estelle Butler was an American science fiction and speculative fiction author who won several awards for her works, including Hugo, Locus, and Nebula awards. In 1995, Butler became the first science-fiction writer to receive a MacArthur Fellowship.

Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.

Octavia E. Butler FAQ

How many books has Octavia E. Butler written?
Octavia E. Butler published 16 novels, 2 short story collections and 1 other book that we list, as of September 2026.
What order should I read Octavia E. Butler's books in?
Read each series in its own order: start Patternist with Wild Seed, Lilith's Brood with Dawn and Earthseed with Parable of the Sower. The other books stand alone and can be read in any order.
What is Octavia E. Butler's last book?
Seed to Harvest (2007).
What is Octavia E. Butler's most famous book?
Parable of the Sower (1993) is Octavia E. Butler's most widely read book.
Are Octavia E. Butler's books connected?
10 books belong to 3 series (Patternist, Lilith's Brood and Earthseed); the other 9 books stand alone.
Which Octavia E. Butler books have been adapted?
1 book has been adapted for film or TV, including Kindred (TV).

Authors like Octavia E. Butler

Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.