One of the most unique and beautiful biographies I’ve ever read. Ibi Zoboi tells the story of science fiction author Octavia E. Butler’s life in quotes, poems, short blurbs, photographs, her own writing, and drawings. I particularly like the poems that frame each short section of prose and add depth to the account of her life. The mix of writing styles adds to the retelling, giving the reader a mix of Octavia’s own words with those speculative ones of the author as she imagines what Octavia might have been thinking through some of her early experiences. The book tells the life of Octavia Butler from a childhood facing the Great Depression, World War II, the space race, the red scare, and the Civil Rights movement. Through all of it, Octavia loved reading and writing stories, especially science fiction though she rarely saw characters that looked like her in the pages. She set out to get paid to write the fantastical worlds she saw in her head, collecting many rejections along the way before she eventually became an award-winning and respected author.  I really enjoyed this artistic take on a woman who was such a pioneer in the field of science fiction writing.