I just heard that Octavia Butler passed away yesterday. Butler is one of, if not my very, favorite writers of all time. Recently some writer friends and I were discussing who we really wanted to meet still who was still alive, and she was the only one on my list. Her body of work contains some of my favorite books of all time.

I am so very saddened by this news. I expected to read at least a few new Octavia Butler books in the future -- she wasn't even 60.

One of my favorite articles I've ever written was about her work. If you're interested, you can read Strange Bedfellows in Strange Horizons. I recently read her latest book, Fledgling, and thought to myself that I could easily work it into the thesis of that article. I loved her work. It was dark, but she really hit on some of the trickier aspects of human nature, and I always deeply admired her.

I am so sad I'll never get to meet her and tell her what her words meant to me. I am so sad for her friends and family. What a huge loss.