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Overview
Octavia E. Butler’s “Speech Sounds” debuted in Asimov’s Science Fiction Magazine, an influential science fiction publication, in December 1983 as the lead story
. The story won the prestigious Hugo Award for best science fiction story in 1984. The award brought Butler national attention in the science fiction community and made many more readers aware of her Patternist novel series. “Speech Sounds” is set in a world ravaged by a disease whose survivors experience aphasia-like loss of both productive and receptive speaking and reading abilities. Butler uses this content to examine patterns of hierarchy and dominance as they emerge in a post-apocalyptic landscape.Explore the full story summary, a full story analysis, and explanations of important quotes from Parable of the Sower.
