339 Quotes by Octavia E. Butler

She glanced at him. “What gods do you respect?” “None.” “And why not?” “I help myself,” he said.

As a country, we’ve given up our birthright for even less than bread and pottage. We’ve given it up for nothing – although I’m sure some people somewhere are richer now.

When I was older, I decided that getting a rejection slip was like being told your child was ugly. You got mad and didn’t believe a word of it. Besides, look at all the really ugly literary children out there in the world being published and doing fine!

She means it doesn’t come off, Dana... The black. She means the devil with people who say you’re anything but what you are.

I do what I can,′ I said. ‘When I can do more, I will. You know that.

We are a harvest of survivors.

Your people contain incredible potential, but they die without using much of it.

Why is the universe? To shape God. Why is God? To shape the universe.

God is Infinite, Irresistible, Inexorable, Indifferent. God is Trickster, Teacher, Chaos, Clay – God is Change. Beware: God exists to shape And to be shaped.