I love that there are more of Octavia's words in the world. I am surprised that this is in book form but that made it even better for me. Her nonfiction writing is some of my favorite because she genuinely makes me think and I truly love that. 
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher  for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Beautiful thoughts and beautiful artwork.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC.

Look at this book version of Octavia Butler's essay A Few Rules for Predicting the Future for what it is: a colorful, nicely laid-out reprinting of Butler's essay that she wrote for a magazine in 2000. It's a nice gift for someone who loves Butler and derives joy from beautiful physical objects that embody their favorite authors. It wouldn't be out of place on the table of a university common space.

The essay is short, which limits the scope of ideas one might glean from it. There isn't much here that I haven't heard repeated multiple times on public radio since 2016. Reading Butler's novels is a better way to learn her way of thinking about the future.

You can read the full essay for free on the web:
https://commongood.cc/reader/a-few-rules-for-predicting-the-future-by-octavia-e-butler/

The main reason to seek out the physical book is the 5 art panels that it includes. Their colorful style varies from panel to panel, running the gamut from indulgent florals (reminiscent of the cover of Isabel Allende's The Wind Knows My Name) to an explosive futuristic collage. They're all by Manzel Bowman, which surprised me because they are distinct stylistically, but all fit the controlled sensory overload aesthetic that will likely become characteristic of 2024.

The printed book would have more substantial value if more Bowman's pieces replaced the many pages that currently include no content aside from a wash of neon-pastel color.

Thank you Chronicle Books, Manzel Bowman and the ghost of Octavia Butler for a free Netgalley advance reader copy of A Few Rules for Predicting the Future.

I enjoyed it, it’s very short, but it makes you think. It would be a good gift for someone who likes Octavia Butler (like me).

This was a fun read. I enjoyed the text and the collage art. Ms. Butler's words are clear and timely, providing hope and optimism for the future with a strong warning not to ignore the past. Though I enjoyed this book, I think it would have been nice to have a couple more lectures either by Ms. Butler or by other sci-fi authors on the topic.

This is well-designed and illustrated, but VERY short for a published essay. This might make a good stocking stuffer but I cannot in good conscience buy this for the library.

Thank you to Chronicle Books via NetGalley for providing me with this ARC! I need not spend the entire review on the brilliance of Octavia Butler within this essay, one that I feel we should be returning to even over 20 years after it was originally published in Essence magazine. The images in this book were lovely and I felt complimented the essay well. Admittedly, it is important to note that I have read this essay before — for free — so the purchasing of this book, I feel, would likely be for someone who already has an appreciation for the essay and would like it in a book form with illustrations. I will definitely be gifting this to some of my friends.

A gorgeously illustrated printing of this essay by Octavia Butler. I read this as an ebook and would love the experience of a tangible book to look at the illustrations better. Short and sweet, I really liked it!

Gorgeous artwork and wise insight. This book was a super fast read and beautiful. I wish it had been longer. Everyone should check it out.

“A Few Rules for Predicting the Future” is an essay of Octavia Butler’s originally published within Essence magazine. Within this essay Butler discusses the ways in which we can consider the future and work to crat it into a more positive one. This edition of the essay includes beautiful artwork which fit well with Butler’s essay. A with most of Butler’s works, this essay examines ideas around real people within a variety of situations.. This work remains just as relevant right now as it was when written. If you’re looking for a pretty edition of an essay by Butler this is the book for you. It may also be a great gift for the Butler fan in your life. Thank you Netgalley and Chronicle books for providing me with a digital copy of this book. All opinions concerning it are my own.

I’ve never read any Octavia butler before but after reading this brilliant essay it’s clear that I have been missing out.

Illustrated version of an article Butler wrote, with handy explanations of how to think about change in light of existing oppressions. Be aware that it's short!

Octavia E. Butler's work is, as always, grounded and accessible with the spark of inherent talent that makes a reader trust what she has to say. The imagery accompanying the writing was simply beautiful and connected with the energy often found in Butler's fiction writing.

The images, however, create a disjointed reading of the book in its electronic form. They add the necessary length to make this sellable as a book, and will undoubtedly be breathtaking in printed form, but are a bit irritating when reading. Now whether this is an inherent issue with the book or simply the consequences of reading a digitized copy remains to be seen, but arguably in this age of digital accessibility, a book should be designed or if necessary redesigned to offer an immersive experience on digital systems as well as in print.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC.

Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the ARC! All opinions presented here are my own:

This is a short collection of essays and beautiful artwork throughout. Depending on the quality of the paper and cover, I could see this being a good coffee table book that guest could peruse quickly. It is a very quick read. I read it in less than 20 minutes as the page count was short, several pages were decorative, and the font was very large. This would make a nice decoration piece, but I wouldn’t recommend for people looking for a longer read.

This book was really difficult to get into. Which read however I believe it was meant to be motivational and just ended up being ok. Honestly predictable and hard to get through. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Fascinating world building and reflection from a master of creative voice. This book could function as an introduction to this author or a reading companion.

I'm definitely a fan of Octavia Butler, and of course, the title drew me in. It was like hearing from Octavia from beyond the grave.

Octavia Butler is a fantastic writer! I enjoyed this essay and I enjoyed the pictures that were mixed in with the writing.

Did this *need* to be a book? No. Is it good to have more of Octavia Butler’s words in the world? Yes, always. Beautiful art and powerful words in this (very short) essay, that’s good enough for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the free ARC.

This is a short essay by Butler. It is both advice for aspiring authors and a discussion on the hopeless of predicting the future, and yet striving to be hopeful and to keep working to improve any current or future situation.

The design is done well. The font is rather large. The artwork is done well and fits the mood of the piece,

Her writing on the misrepresentation of her thoughts on hope for the future was something that has stuck with me.